71st National Film Awards: Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey, Rani Mukerji Win Acting Honours, ‘12th Fail’ Bags Best Film

Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey and Rani Mukerji won the best acting honours at the 71st National Film Awards, that were declared on Friday (August 1, 2025). The awards honoured the best films and cinematic achievements of the year 2023, and were announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B).

Shah Rukh Khan won for the actioner Jawan, sharing the Best Actor award with Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail, while Rani Mukerji won Best Actress for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.

12th Fail also won the Best Feature Film award, while Sudipto Sen won the Best Director Award for The Kerala Story. Meanwhile, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal won three awards, and Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani won the Best Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award.

In a video posted on social media, Shah Rukh Khan said, “To be honoured with a National Award is a moment I will cherish for a lifetime. Thank you so much to the jury, the chairman, the I&B ministry, and everyone who thought I was worthy of this honour."

“I would love to spread my arms for you and share my love, but I’m a bit indisposed. But don’t worry, just keep the popcorn ready. I’ll be back in theatres and soon on the street. So, till then, just with one hand. Ready?” he added.

Vikrant Massey said in a statement that he was eternally grateful to the audiences for honouring his performances and for recommending this film (12th Fail) with such love. "It is a privilege to be sharing my first National Award with an icon like Shah Rukh Khan. Lastly, I dedicate this award to all the marginalised people in our society - those who are often looked through, and those who are fighting the socio-economic paradigm of our country every single day,” he said.

Rani Mukerji dedicated her National Award to all the incredible mothers of this world. "There is nothing like a mother’s love and her ferocity to protect her own. The story of this Indian immigrant mother, who went all out for her child and took on a nation, shook me deeply... a mother’s love for her child is unconditional, she said, adding, ”I realised this when I had my own. So, this win, this film, feels deeply emotional and personal. A mother can move mountains for her children and also make the world a better place. This film tried to show this."

Here is the full list of winners from the 70th National Film Awards:

Feature Films

Best Feature Film: ‘12th Fail’ (Hindi)

Best Actress: Rani Mukerji, ‘Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway’ (Hindi)

Best Actor: Shah Rukh Khan, ‘Jawan’ (Hindi), Vikrant Massey, ‘12th Fail’ (Hindi)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Urvashi, ‘Ullozhukku’ (Malayalam), Janki Bodiwala, ‘Vash’ (Gujarati)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Vijayaraghavan, ‘Pookkaalam’ (Malayalam), MS Bhaskar, ‘Parking’ (Tamil)

Best Direction: Sudipto Sen, ‘The Kerala Story’ (Hindi)

Best Hindi Film: Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery

Best Telugu Film: Bhagavanth Kesari

Best Tamil Film: Parking

Best Malayalam Film: Ullozhukku

Best Kannada Film: Kandeelu - The Ray of Hope

Best Gujarati Film: Vash

Best Punjabi Film: Godday Godday Chaa

Best Odia Film: Pushkara

Best Marathi Film: Shyamchi Aai

Special Mention: Re-recording: M.R. Rajakrishnan, ‘Animal’ (Hindi)

Best Stunt Choreography: Nandu and Prudhvi, Hanu-Man (Telugu)

Best Choreography: Vaibhav Merchant, ‘Dhindoora Baja Re’, ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani’ (Hindi)

Best Lyrics: Kasarla Shyam, ‘Ooru Palleturu’, ‘Balagam’ (Telugu)

Best Music Direction (Songs): G.V. Prakash, ‘Vaathi’ (Tamil)

Best Background score: Harshavardhan Rameshwar, ‘Animal’ (Hindi)

Best Make Up: Shrikant Desai, ‘Sam Bahadur’ (Hindi)

Best Costume Designer: Sachin Lovalekar, Divvya Gambir and Niddhi Gambhir, ‘Sam Bahadur’ (Hindi)

Best Production Design: Mohandas, ‘2018 - Everyone Is A Hero’ (Malayalam)

Best Editing: Midhun Murali, Pookkaalam (Malayalam)

Best Sound design: Sachin Sudhakaran and Hariharan Muralidharan, ‘Animal’ (Hindi)

Best Screenplay: Sai Rajesh Neelam, ‘Baby’ (Telugu), Ramkumar Balakrishnan, ‘Parking’ (Tamil)

Best Dialogue writer: Deepak Kingrani, ‘Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai’ (Hindi)

Best Cinematography: Prasantanu Mohapatra, ‘The Kerala Story’ (Hindi)

Best Playback Singer: Shilpa Rao (Chaliya - ‘Jawan’, Hindi), Rohit (Premisthunna - ‘Baby’, Telugu)

Best Child Artist: Sukriti Bandireddi (‘Gandhi Thatha Chettu’, Telugu), Kabir Khandare (Gypsy, Tamil), Treesha Toshar, Shrinivas Pokale, Bhargav (‘Naal 2, Marathi)

Best Film in AVGC: ‘Hanu-Man’ (Telugu)

Best Children’s Film: ‘Naal 2’ (Marathi)

Best Film Promoting National, Social Values: Sam Bahadur (Hindi)

Best Debut Film: ‘Aatmapamphlet’ (Hindi)

Non-Feature Films

Special mentions: M.K. Ramadas, ‘Nekal – Chronicle of the Paddy Man’ (Malayalam), Himansu Sekhar Khatua (Director), Kadambini Media Pvt Ltd (Producer) ‘The Sea and the Seven Villages’

Best Script: Chidanand Naik, ‘Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know’ (Kannada)

Best Voiceover: Hari Krishnan S. ‘The Sacred Jack – Exploring The Tree of Wishes’ (English)

Best Music Direction: Pranil Desai ‘The First Film’ (Hindi)

Best Editing: Niladri Roy ‘Moving Focus’ (English)

Best Sound Design: Shubarun Sengupta ‘Dhundhgiri Ke Phool’ (Hindi)

Best Cinematography: Meenakshi Soman, Saravanamaruthu ‘Little Wings’ (Tamil)

Best Direction: Piyush Thakur, ‘The First Film’ (Hindi)

Best Short Film: Manish Saini (Director), Ellanar Films (Producer), ‘Giddh The Scavenger’ (Hindi)

Best Non-Feature Film Promoting Social and Environmental Values: ‘The Silent Epidemic’ (Hindi), Akash Gupta (Director), ‘Cinema4good Pvt. Ltd. Raahgiri Foundation’ (Producer)

Best Documentary Film: ‘God Vulture and Human’ (English, Hindi & Telugu), Rishiraj Agarwal (Director), Studio Lichi, Dr Rajesh Chandwani (Producer)

Best Art/Culture Film: ‘Timeless Tamil Nadu’ (English), Kamakhya Narayan Singh (Director), Celebrities Management Private Limited (Producer)

Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction Film: ‘Mo Bou Mo Gaan, Lentina Ao’ (Odia’), Sanjib Parasar (Director), NFDC (Producer)

Best Debut Film: ‘The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw’ (Mizo), Shilpika Bordoloi (Director)

Best Non-Fiction Film: ‘Flowering Man’ (Hindi), Soumyajit Ghosh Dastidar (Director), Film and Television Institute of India (Producer)

Best Film Critic: Utpal Datta (Assamese)