National Film Awards 2024: Rishab Shetty, Nithya Menen, Manoj Bajpayee and AR Rahman among top honourees

Kannada actor Rishab Shetty was honoured with the Best Actor honour at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi by Indian president Droupadi Murmu. He was decorated for his role in 'Kantara'.

Actress Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh was honoured with the best Actress gong. Menen was awarded for her performance in 'Thiruchitrambalam'. She said this award was special and was a validation of her work until now. Parekh, who shared the award with Menen, got a nod for her performance in 'Kutch Express'.

She told reporters that this award was a sign that female centric films in Gujarati work, despite people warning her that they don't work. 

The prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award was given to the legendary actor Mithun Chakraborty.

Celebrated actor Manoj Bajpayee and music maestro AR Rahman also received prestigious honors.

Manoj Bajpayee bagged his fourth National Film Award, along with receiving a Special Mention for his performance in 'Gulmohar'.

Expressing his gratitude, Manoj shared in an interview with ANI, "It is a huge thing when such a small film makes its presence felt at National Film Awards. I feel honored. Also, I can't take all the credit myself. I thank my director, who offered me this film, and all the people who worked with me, all the co-actors who supported my work. I also express gratitude to my audience for showering love on me."

Directed by Rahul V Chittella, Gulmohar revolves around the lives of the Batra family, exploring their relationships and deep-seated insecurities as they prepare to move out of their family home. The film, which also stars Sharmila Tagore, Simran, and Suraj Sharma, secured three National Awards this year. Bajpayee's previous National Film Awards include Best Actor for 'Bhonsle' (2021), Best Supporting Actor for Satya (1999), and a Special Jury Award for Pinjar (2004).

Music icon AR Rahman celebrated his seventh National Film Award, winning Best Music Director (Background Music) for Ponniyin Selvan: I, a film directed by Mani Ratnam. Speaking with ANI about the honor, Rahman expressed pride and acknowledged the special nature of working with Ratnam. "This award is special because this is my seventh National Award. My first was for Roja with Mani Ratnam. This film is also with him. Whenever I work with him, it is very special; he gets the best out of all of us. And since it's a National award, I'm really proud of it." Ponniyin Selvan-Part 1 stars a powerful ensemble cast, including Vikram, Trisha Krishnan, Karthik Sivakumar, Jayam Ravi, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and is based on Kalki Krishnamurthy's beloved Tamil novel series.

The evening underscored the diversity of Indian cinema, from intimate family dramas like Gulmohar to epic historical adaptations like Ponniyin Selvan, and highlighted the contributions of seasoned artists like Bajpayee and Rahman to Indian film culture.