NEW DELHI, September 23— Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and Vikrant Massey received top acting honours on Tuesday as President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 71st National Film Awards at Vigyan Bhawan, where Malayalam legend Mohanlal was presented with the Dadasaheb Phalke lifetime achievement award.
The evening marked a celebration of popular cinema, with filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail named best film, while Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta accepted the award for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani as best popular film providing wholesome entertainment. Sudipto Sen took home best director for The Kerala Story.
For Shah Rukh and Rani, frequent collaborators over decades, it was the first National Award. Shah Rukh shared his acting honour with Vikrant Massey, recognised for 12th Fail. Rani won for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. The star power drew rare whistles and cheers at a ceremony usually known for its sobriety.
Mohanlal, who has appeared in more than 360 films over five decades, was met with a standing ovation. “This moment is not mine alone. It belongs to the entire Malayalam cinema fraternity. I see this award as a collective tribute to our industry, legacy, creativity and resilience,” the 65-year-old actor said. He noted that he was “deeply humbled” to be the youngest recipient of the award and only the second from Kerala.
President Murmu hailed Mohanlal’s artistry. “When his name was announced, there was a wave of happiness among people. It shows he has made a space in countless hearts,” she said. She praised his ability to portray “the softest of the soft and toughest of the tough emotions quite naturally.”
In her address, the President spoke about the plurality of Indian cinema and the growing role of women. “Now we see women in many places in cinema like actors and producers. I have seen films about mothers, women uniting against societal wrongs, and strong women who raise their voices. I salute these filmmakers on behalf of sisters and daughters,” she said, urging awardees to thank their crews “who are behind your success.”
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw underscored the government’s push for domestic manufacturing. “Equipment used in the film industry such as big cameras… should be made in India. We will be starting a programme on this soon,” he said. Vaishnaw also called for a “live concert economy” supported by uniform guidelines and easy permissions.
Hindi cinema dominated the top categories, with Meghna Gulzar and Ronnie Screwvala receiving the award for Sam Bahadur, recognised as the best film promoting national, social and environmental values. Vaibhavi Merchant won best choreography for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani song Dhindhora Baaje. Singer Shilpa Rao was honoured as best female playback singer for Jawan track Chaleya, while Sanya Malhotra-starrer Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery was named best Hindi film.
Regional cinema also stood out. Vijayaraghavan (Pookalam) and Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar (Parking) shared best supporting actor, while Urvashi (Ullozhokku) and Janki Bodiwala (Vash) shared best supporting actress. Both Ullozhokku and Vash also won best films in their language categories.
Ashish Bende won best debut director for Marathi title Aatmapamphlet. Telugu film Hanu-Man claimed best AVGC film and best action direction. Animal picked up awards for best sound design, best background score and a special mention for re-recording mix.
The National Award for best screenplay was shared by Telugu movie Baby and Tamil film Parking. PVN S Rohit, singer of Premisthunna from Baby, was named best male playback singer. GV Prakash won best music director for songs in Tamil film Vaathi, while Kasarla Shyam was recognised as best lyricist for Balagam. Deepak Kingrani won best dialogue writer for Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai.
Other craft awards included best editing for Malayalam film Pookkaalam and best production design for 2018. Child artiste awards went to Sukriti Veni Bandreddi (Gandhi Tatha Chettu), Kabir Khandare (Gypsy) and Naal 2 cast members Treesha Thosar, Shrinivas Pokale and Bhargav Jagtap. Naal 2 was also named best children’s film.
In language categories, winners included Rongatapu 1982 (Assamese), Deep Fridge (Bengali), Parking (Tamil), Kandeelu (Kannada), Shamchi Aai (Marathi), Puskara (Odia), Godday Godday Chaa (Punjabi) and Bhagavanth Kesari (Telugu).
In the non-feature sections, Flowering Man won best film, while God, Vulture and Human was named best documentary. Piyush Thakur was awarded best director for The First Film, and Chidananda Nayak’s Kannada short Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know received best script.
