Bollywood stars celebrate as dream comes true with the 71st National Film Award recognition
The 71st National Film Awards, held in 2025, honoured the best of Indian cinema certified in 2023. The awards, which celebrate both Bollywood stars and regional cinema, were announced on August 1-2.
Bollywood Stars Shine at the National Film Awards
Producer Bhushan Kumar of T-Series was honoured with multiple wins for Animal, Jawan, and Aatmapamphlet. Director Yashowardan Mishra and Rani Mukerji, who won for Sam Bahadur and Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway respectively, also took home awards.
Rani Mukerji expressed gratitude over receiving the National Award, stating it as a validation of her 30-year body of work. She won the Best Actress award for her role in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. Co-producer Aanand L Rai expressed joy over Ashish's win for Best Debut Director for Aatmapamphlet.
Karan Johar won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Vaibhavi Merchant won Best Choreography for Dhindhora Baaje in the same film. Ranveer Singh, who starred in the film, expressed feelings of pride, blessing, and gratitude after its win.
Vikrant Massey shared the Best Actor award with Shah Rukh Khan for their respective roles in 12th Fail and Jawan. Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the director of 12th Fail, expressed pride at winning the National Award and congratulated Massey for embodying the spirit of the film.
Regional Cinema Recognised
The awards also celebrated regional cinema, reflecting a broad spectrum of talent across Indian languages and genres. The Kerala Story, directed by Sudipto Sen, won two awards: Best Cinematographer (Prasantanu Mohapatra) and Best Director (Sudipto Sen). Ullozhukku, a Malayalam film by Christo Tomy, was named Best Malayalam Film.
Sanya Malhotra-starrer Kathal: A Jackfruit Mystery won Best Hindi Film. Sudipto Sen expressed surprise at winning the award, stating that they expected The Kerala Story to get the National award, but his winning the award was unexpected. He added that the recognition encourages him to continue choosing meaningful cinema.
Urvashi, a veteran actor, won Best Supporting Actress for her film (shared with Janki Bodiwala for Vash). Vijayaraghavan won Best Supporting Actor for Pookkaalam (shared with Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar for Parking).
Acknowledgements and Reflections
Bhushan Kumar expressed feelings of immense pride, stating that each recognition reflects the dedication and creative spirit of their teams. Meghna Gulzar, who won for Sam Bahadur, expressed feelings of serenity, stating that she knows how much her parents, particularly her father, were missing this (National award) for her.
Vikrant Massey called winning the National Award a "dream-come-true moment" and expressed privilege at sharing it with Shah Rukh Khan. He also expressed gratitude towards his team, cast, and crew for their support and hard work.
Sudipto Sen, who received two awards for The Kerala Story, expressed surprise at winning the awards, stating that they expected the film to get the National award, but his winning the awards was unexpected. He added that the recognition encourages him to continue choosing meaningful cinema.
This summary is based on official announcements and media reports dated August 1-2, 2025. The 71st National Film Awards celebrated the best of Indian cinema, reflecting a broad spectrum of talent across Indian languages and genres.
- The National Film Awards of 2025, celebrating Indian cinema, honored Bollywood stars for their work in movies-and-tv such as Rani Mukerji for Best Actress in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, and Karan Johar for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani.
- The awards also highlighted regional cinema, with winners like Sudipto Sen for Best Director and Best Cinematographer for The Kerala Story, and Ullozhukku, named Best Malayalam Film, showcasing a broad spectrum of talent across Indian languages and genres.
