71st National Film Awards: Shah Rukh, Rani Mukerji, Vikrant Massey Bag First Wins, Mohanlal Gets Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The 71st National Film Awards were held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
The Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday had some of the biggest stalwarts of Indian cinema under one roof. At the 71st National Film Awards, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and Vikrant Massey scripted history by winning their maiden National Awards from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. At the ceremony, cinema icon Mohanlal was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country's highest honour for cinema.
Shah Rukh won for the blockbuster actioner Jawan, sharing the Best Actor award with Vikrant for the acclaimed 12th Fail, which also won the Best Feature Film award. Rani won Best Actress for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.
Mohanlal was awarded the honour for his contribution to Indian cinema, becoming the youngest recipient of the honour and the second Malayali, after legend Adoor Gopalakrishnan, to be conferred with the award.
At the ceremony, when Shah Rukh's name was announced, the Vigyan Bhawan echoed with cheers and claps as the 59-year-old went on stage to collect the award, wearing a black suit over a white shirt.
After Shah Rukh collected the award, his entrepreneur wife Gauri Khan took to Instagram and shared a picture of the actor, writing, "What a journey it’s been @iamsrk. Congratulations on winning the National Award!!! So deserving… it’s a result of your years of hard work and dedication. Now I’m designing a special mantle for this award."
Shah Rukh was seated next to Rani, one of his closest friends and a frequent co-star. The duo was clicked, smiling and chatting at the ceremony, including clicking pictures of their friend Vaibhavi Merchant, when she went on stage to collect the Best Choreographer award for ‘Dhindoora Baja Re’ from Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani.
When Mohanlal went on stage to collect his award, the guests gave him a standing ovation. Other winners include Sudipto Sen (Best Director Award for The Kerala Story), Guneet Monga-backed Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery (Best Hindi Film) and Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani, which won the Best Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award. Check out the full list of winners here.
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) in August.