Rishab Shetty was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Actor In A Leading Role on Tuesday. He received this prestigious accolade for his performance in Kantara. President Droupadi Murmu felicitated him during the 70th National Film Awards ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Rishab's wife Pragathi shared a video of the special moment on her Instagram story. The video captures the actor posing with his prize. The caption read, "Proud moment."
"Every film has an impact. Our motive is to make films that bring about change or impact in society... I thank the audience. National Awards are a very prestigious reward for an artist," said Rishab Shetty after receiving the award.
Kantara also won the Best Popular Film award for providing wholesome entertainment. Rishab not only starred in but also directed Kantara and he is currently working on a prequel to the film.
Set in the fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, Kantara features Rishab as a Kambala champion who confronts a Forest Range officer. The film was released in September 2022.
The Best Actress award in a Leading Role was jointly awarded to Nithya Menen for the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam and Manasi Parekh for the Gujarati film Kutch Express. Sooraj R Barjatya received the Best Director award for his work in Uunchai.
The announcement of the winners for the 70th National Film Awards was delayed to 2024 due to the Covid pandemic. In 2023, National Film Awards were presented to actors Allu Arjun, Alia Bhatt, and Kriti Sanon for their performances in Pushpa, Gangubai Kathiawadi and Mimi respectively.
