“Itni shiddat se maine tumhe paane ki kaushish ki hai, ki har zarre ne mujhe tumse milane ki saazish ki hai.” These lines echo harder as Shah Rukh Khan lifts his first national award at the 71st National Film Awards!
71st National Film Award Winners
The 71st National Film Awards were presented to the winners on September 23 by Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, following the announcement of the winners in August. Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi was the site of the ceremony. Awards were presented to several notable figures, including Mohanlal, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Vaibhavi Merchant, Ronnie Screwala, and Shah Rukh Khan.
SRK wins big (finally!)
After an illustrious career spanning more than three decades, superstar Shah Rukh Khan finally won an award this year. The Best Actor award went to Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail and Shah Rukh for Jawan. For her role in Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway, Rani Mukerji won the National Award for Best Actress. Mohanlal was bestowed the nation's top film accolade, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan finally earned his first National Award on Tuesday, after waiting for more than three decades. Presented with the National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi by President Droupadi Murmu, the actor was incredibly proud, and his wife, Gauri Khan, was as well. An emotional photograph on Gauri's Instagram account featured her husband, looking handsome in a black suit with the Indian flag pinned to his chest. The actor returned to Poland to continue filming the action flick in which he will co-star alongside his daughter Suhana Khan following the web series' glamorous red carpet launch. He reunites with Deepika Padukone for the sixth time in this film, while he stars alongside Abhishek Bachchan for the first time.
Rani Mukherjee wins her first National Award
"Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway" was the catalyst for Rani Mukerji's emotional performance, which earned her her first National Award for Best Actress. At the lavish celebration in New Delhi's Vigyan Bhavan, the actor received the accolade while making a nuanced and moving fashion statement. Rani looked stunning in her timeless brown Sabyasachi saree. What really won over hearts, though, was her jewellery selection, not the outfit. Her daughter Adira's initials are inscribed on a golden necklace. Rani gracefully accepted the distinguished honour, holding her daughter close to her heart with a kind touch. After Rani and Aditya Chopra tied the knot in 2014, they had a daughter in 2015, whom they called Adira, a name that combines the names of both Rani and Aditya.
Based on the true tale of Sagarika Chakraborty, the plot of Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway revolves around a mother's fight to recover custody of her children from the Norwegian government. Shah Rukh Khan, a longtime friend and co-star of Rani's, sat beside her at the 71st National Awards. Mohanlal, Ekta Kapoor, Karan Johar, Ronnie Screwvala, Anupama Chopra, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Guneet Monga, Meghna Gulzar, Vaibhavi Merchant, and Apoorva Mehta were among the dazzling array of celebrities in attendance at the occasion.
Vaibhavi Merchant, Shah Rukh Khan, and Karan Johar—all close friends of Rani—had a memorable evening as well. Vikrant Massey and Shah Rukh Khan shared the Best Actor award, with Vikrant being recognised for his outstanding performance in 12th Man. In the meantime, the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment went to Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
Why SRK deserved a National Award much sooner!
After a 33-year drought, Shah Rukh Khan finally broke his silence with the Best Actor National Film Award for Jawan. Although he has never quite won, Shah Rukh has been perhaps the biggest star in Hindi films over the past 30 years with a string of critically lauded performances. Everyone agrees that his 2004 performance in Swades was his best chance at winning a National Award, whether you ask fans or critics. In what is widely considered to be one of Khan's finest films of the past two decades, he portrayed perhaps his most "ordinary" character to date. There isn't a slow-motion helicopter entrance, the main ladies aren't dressed identically in saris, Khan isn't wearing a GAP sweatshirt, and lastly, there aren't any overt displays of affection. Visiting his former nanny in India, Khan portrays NASA scientist Mohan Bhargav. Kishiro Ballal plays his ex-nanny. Although he eventually becomes a saviour, he does it subtly after seeing the little injustices that are ignored in his surroundings. This movie seems to be a rare instance where Khan trusted the process and allowed his emotions to simmer. His role in Swades didn't feel at all contrived, and Khan accomplished something he struggles with in every film: he did less.
As far as Hindi film performances go, Chak De India is Shah Rukh Khan's finest hour. Chak De had Shah Rukh Khan enter politics for the first time in his portrayal as a Muslim hockey player who is wrongly accused of accepting a bribe from Pakistan to defy a match. The result was an absolutely breathtaking film. Khan subtly but revolutionarily asserts his Muslim identity throughout the film. As Shimit Amin gives Shah Rukh Khan his first screen beard, the actor's metamorphosis is so natural that viewers may lose track of the legend around Khan's fame. With so many sports films already produced, the "coach with a past" trope is nothing new. Furthermore, the filmmakers achieve the remarkable feat of utilising Khan's magnificent screen presence to portray a coach seeking atonement, which ultimately dismantles his larger-than-life reputation. Khan delivered his most impressive performance in a film as a result.