The 70th National Film Awards ceremony took place today at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, with the awards presented by President Droupadi Murmu. The winners for the year 2022, announced in September, include Rishab Shetty (Best Actor), Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh (Best Actress). The prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award was awarded to the legendary actor Mithun Chakraborty.
Kannada superstar Rishab Shetty received the Best Actor award for his performance in Kantara. Rishab, who was accompanied by his wife, said on the red carpet, "I'm very happy, and I have not received National Award not just once, but twice. Our film is about the conflict between nature and humans. It has a core regional essence that connects everywhere, but I didn't expect it to resonate on such a large scale. I feel happy; every film involves the same effort."
Image Credit: DD National
Nithya Menen collected her Best Actress award in a beige saree. The actress, who was awarded for her performance in Thiruchitrambalam, described her National Award win on the red carpet as "special." She said, "Well, it's honestly not about preparation; it's about understanding the role and being natural in it. It's absolutely special for me. It's my first time, and I feel like it's a validation of everything I've done until now. I'm working on plenty of films right now, including another movie with Dhanush. This film with Dhanush is what I received the national award for, so I'm looking forward to working on another project with him."
Image Credit: DD National
Manasi Parekh shared the Best Actress prize with Nithya for her performance in the film Kutch Express. She said on the red carpet that she is "extremely happy." She shared, "I was very happy. When the film came to me, people asked why I was doing it, saying that female-centric films don't work in Gujarati. But I thought, I want to try something new. We wanted to create something impactful. We set the whole thing on fire."
Image Credit: DD National
ICYDK, Choreographer Jani Master, who received an award for his work in Thiruchitrambalam, has been suspended due to ongoing rape allegations against him.