Recognition belongs to all of us: National Film Award winners

Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) Actors Randeep Hooda, Sanjay Mishra and others who won top honours at the 72nd National Film Awards, expressed gratitude for being recognised for their work.

Hooda won National Film Award for Best Debut Director for “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar”. He expressed gratitude to his team for believing in him and standing by it through the highs and lows.

“This recognition belongs to all of us, and I hope it inspires more people, especially the younger generation, to discover and reflect on Veer Savarkar’s legacy,” the actor said in a statement.

Hooda, who also co-wrote and starred in the titular role in the film, described it as the most demanding project of his career.

“This film asked more of me than anything I’ve ever done. The journey

of this film was filled with challenges at every juncture, but I’m glad we saw it through and overcame each of those. Despite that, somehow we kept finding the strength to move forward,” he said.

Mishra was honoured with the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in “Bhakshak”. The Netflix film, which starred Bhumi Pednekar in the lead role, uncovers the sexual abuse of young children at a shelter home.

He shared that he received this news through Press Information Bureau, the same institution where his late father worked.

“Receiving the National Award is a huge honour for me. This really touched my heart,” the veteran actor said.

Mishra, who played the role of a small-town cameraman working for a local news channel in “Bhakshak”, said he has always portrayed every character with utmost sincerity.

“For over three decades, I’ve simply tried to be honest to every character that came my way. This honour belongs as much to the directors, producers, writers, technicians and fellow actors I’ve had the privilege of working with as it does to the audience, who have embraced my work with so much love over the years. I remain deeply grateful,” he added.

Pednekar took to Instagram stories to congratulate Mishra on winning the award.

“My dearest @imsanjaymishra you are a force of nature and its always an honour to work with you. Hearts happy,” she wrote.

In the feature film category, Rajkummar Rao’s “Srikanth – Aa Raha Hai Sabki Aankhein Kholne”, won the Best Feature Film award. It is directed by Tushar Hiranandani and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Nidhi Parmar Hiranandani.

The film, a biopic on Srikanth Bolla (Rao), narrates the inspiring tale of the visually impaired industrialist, who didn’t let his visual impairment come in the way of his vision and founded Bollant Industries.

Director Tushar Hiranandani said the award a tribute to Bolla’s life and the collective effort of the cast and crew.

“Making ‘Srikanth’ has been one of the most fulfilling journeys of my career. This award is a tribute to Srikanth Bolla’s inspiring life and to every member of the cast and crew who poured their hearts into telling this story,” the director said.

Bhushan Kumar said the recognition was an honour for the entire team and credited the story of industrialist Srikanth Bolla for inspiring audiences.

“‘Srikanth’ is a story that deserved to be told, and we are deeply honoured that it has been recognised with India’s highest cinematic honour. This award belongs to the entire team who believed in the vision of bringing Srikanth Bolla’s incredible journey to audiences with honesty and heart,” he said.

Actor-producer Niharika Konidela won her first National Film Award for her debut production “Committee Kurrollu”, which was named Best Telugu Film. The comedy drama film is written and directed by debutant Yadhu Vamsi.

Konidela called the win “an emotional and humbling moment”.

“When we began the journey of ‘Committee Kurrollu’, we simply wanted to tell an honest story that felt authentic to our roots. This award belongs to our entire team and every person who believed in this film. This recognition only strengthens my resolve to continue backing meaningful stories and new talent,” she said.

The awards, announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, recognise excellence in films certified during 2024, celebrating achievements across performances, direction and storytelling in Indian cinema. PTI KKP BK BK