Which of the following Bollywood actresses has not won a National Film Award?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks detailed knowledge of Indian cinema awards, focusing on the National Film Awards rather than popular trophies. Several leading actresses are associated with strong performances, but not all have received the National Film Award. Exam questions often ask candidates to identify which famous name is the exception in a group of award winners. Here we must find the actress who, despite great popularity and many hits, has not been honoured with a National Film Award.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- We are asked which actress has not won a National Film Award.
- Options include Raveena Tandon, Vidya Balan, Smita Patil, Madhuri Dixit, and Shabana Azmi.
- All are well known Bollywood actresses with significant careers.
- We assume the official National Film Awards records as the reference.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to recall at least one National Film Award winning performance for each actress. Raveena Tandon won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Daman. Vidya Balan received the same award for The Dirty Picture, and Smita Patil won multiple National Film Awards for films like Bhumika and Chakra. Shabana Azmi is also a highly awarded actress with several National Film Awards to her name. Madhuri Dixit, although a huge star and winner of many popular awards, has surprisingly never received a National Film Award for acting. Therefore she is the odd one out in the list.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Link Raveena Tandon to her National Award winning role in Daman, where she played a victim of domestic violence. Step 2: Remember that Vidya Balan won a National Film Award for Best Actress for The Dirty Picture and has been recognised as one of the leading performers of her generation. Step 3: Recall that Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi together dominated serious Hindi cinema in earlier decades and collected multiple National Film Awards. Step 4: Recognise that Madhuri Dixit is famous for mainstream hits like Dil, Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Devdas but has not been given a National Film Award, which makes her the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
If we check National Film Awards lists, we find Raveena Tandon listed as Best Actress for Daman, Vidya Balan as Best Actress for The Dirty Picture, Smita Patil as Best Actress for Bhumika and Chakra, and Shabana Azmi as Best Actress several times for films like Ankur, Arth, and others. Madhuri Dixit name does not appear in any National Film Award acting category. She has received many Filmfare and other popular awards, but not the national level acting honour. This verification confirms that she is the only option who has not won a National Film Award.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Raveena Tandon is a confirmed National Film Award winner for Best Actress for the film Daman.
Vidya Balan has also won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in The Dirty Picture.
Smita Patil has multiple National Film Awards and is considered one of the finest actresses in Hindi cinema history.
Shabana Azmi has received several National Film Awards for Best Actress and is strongly associated with parallel cinema and serious roles.

Common Pitfalls:
Because Madhuri Dixit is a very popular and respected actress, many candidates assume she must have won every major award including the National Film Awards, and therefore wrongly choose another name. Another mistake is to confuse Filmfare awards or state honours with National Film Awards. Some students may also forget the work of earlier generation actresses like Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi and underestimate their award count. To avoid this, remember that Madhuri Dixit fame is based mainly on mainstream success and popular awards, not on the National Film Award.

Final Answer:
Among the given options, the actress who has not won a National Film Award is Madhuri Dixit.