On Friday, Suriya got the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in ‘Soorarai Pottru’ (September 30). The winners of the 68th National Film Awards were present at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, where they were honoured by India’s President, Droupadi Murmu. Ajay Devgn was named Best Actor for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, while Suriya was named Best Actress for Soorarai Pottru. Suriya acknowledged her joy upon winning the honour while speaking to ANI, adding, “What an honour. I sincerely thank the National Film Award jury and the Government of India. I’m experiencing a wide range of emotions. I have a lot of folks to be thankful for… Give me shivers. I will never forget that moment.”
Saravanan Sivakumar (Suriya), won the National Award for his work in the movie “Soorarai Pottru,” which was a dramatisation of the life of GR Gopinath, a former army commander who started the low-cost airline Air Deccan. Despite having a straight OTT release, the film was a big hit, with fans lavishing praise on Twitter. Soorarai Pottru is presently being performed in Hindi for the uninitiated, with actors Akshay Kumar and Radhika Madan in the key parts. The movie hasn’t come out yet, and no date has been set.
The film was co-produced by Suriya and Guneet Monga. ‘Soorarai Pottru’ won the National Award for Best Feature Film as well. Sudha Kongara directed the film, which stars Paresh Rawal and Aparna Balamurali in prominent roles. Aparna Balamurali was also nominated for a National Award for Best Leading Actress for her role in the film.
Along with the other award recipients, renowned actress Asha Parekh won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for her contributions to Indian film. She also attended the event. Asha Parekh, known as the “Hit Girl” of Indian cinema, featured in a number of financially successful films during her career. She was the highest-paid female actress of her period and one of the most successful female actors of the 1960s and 1970s. She is regarded as one of the most significant actresses in Hindi movie history.
In related news, Ajay Devgn has now won three National Awards, including Best Actor for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Prior to this, he received the National Award for Best Actor in 1998 for Zakhm and the National Award for Best Actor in 2002 for The Legend of Bhagat Singh. Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior director Om Raut was also recognised with the Best Popular Film award.