69th National Film Awards: Alia Bhatt, Allu Arjun, others honored
The 69th National Film Awards ceremony was held in New Delhi on Tuesday (October 17). The winners, whose names were announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting earlier in August, were given the awards at the ceremony by President Droupadi Murmu. Among those who received the honor included veteran actor Waheeda Rehman, Allu Arjun, Kriti Sanon, Alia Bhatt, Pankaj Tripathi, and others.
Why does this story matter?
The National Film Awards are the biggest celebration of talent in Indian cinema. The ceremony was first held in 1954, and each year, the awards are given to the winners by the President of India. This year, the Best Actor award was won by Arjun for Pushpa: The Rise, while Bhatt and Sanon shared the Best Actress award for Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mimi, respectively.
Rehman turned emotional while receiving the honor
The veteran actor, Rehman was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the film industry. An emotional Waheeda Rehman walked up to receive the honor, wearing a cream saree. She also received a standing ovation from the audience. Celebrities including Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Chiranjeevi, among many others, congratulated the senior actor on her achievement.
Top honors given to 'Rocketry,' 'Pushpa,' 'Mimi,' 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'
R Madhavan's directorial debut Rocketry: The Nambi Effect was adjudged as the Best Feature Film, with the honor being conferred to Madhavan and the film's producer, Varghese Moolan. Arjun arrived in a white bandhgala achkan to receive the Best Actor award, while leading ladies Bhatt and Kriti Sanon, were draped in white sarees. Bhatt chose to wear her wedding saree on the occasion.
Tripathi received his second National Film Award
Pankaj Tripathi received his second National Film Award on Tuesday. He was adjudged the Best Supporting Actor for Mimi, a film directed by Laxman Utekar. He previously received a Special Mention for his 2018 movie titled Newton, which saw Rajkummar Rao in the leading role. Tripathi dressed in a white kurta-pajama paired with a Nehru jacket for the occasion.
A look at other recipients
Apart from Tripathi, actor-producer Pallavi Joshi was also conferred with the Best Supporting Actress for The Kashmir Files, a film directed by her filmmaker-husband Vivek Agnihotri. Vicky Kaushal starrer Sardar Udham, which had a direct OTT release, won a total of five awards - Best Hindi Film, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Audiography (Re-recording) Final Mixing.
