National Film Awards 2024: Rishab Shetty Wins Best Actor, Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh Tie for Best Actress

The 70th National Film Awards ceremony took place today at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, marking a significant celebration of excellence in Indian cinema. The prestigious awards were presented by President Droupadi Murmu, recognizing outstanding contributions to the film industry in 2022.

Rishab Shetty, the Kannada superstar, was honored with the Best Actor award for his compelling performance in the blockbuster film Kantara. On the red carpet, he expressed his joy, stating, "I'm very happy, and I have not received the 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."

The Best Actress award was jointly awarded to Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh. Nithya, adorned in a stunning beige saree, received the accolade for her role in Thiruchitrambalam. She described her win as "special," emphasizing that understanding her character was more important than preparation. "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," she shared.

Manasi Parekh also celebrated her win for Kutch Express. She expressed her excitement, stating, "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."

The legendary actor Mithun Chakraborty was awarded the esteemed Dadasaheb Phalke Award, recognizing his enduring contribution to Indian cinema.