New Delhi: In a grand celebration of cinematic excellence, the 69th National Film Awards took place at the distinguished Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The esteemed President, Droupadi Murmu, had the honor of bestowing accolades upon the accomplished winners, which included the Best Actor awardees Allu Arjun, Alia Bhatt, and Kriti Sanon.

The 69th edition of the National Film Awards, dedicated to recognizing outstanding films from the year 2021, was unveiled in August under the guidance of filmmaker Ketan Mehta, who led an 11-member jury through the selection process.

Allu Arjun clinched the highly coveted Best Actor award for his remarkable portrayal in director Sukumar's "Pushpa: The Rise." The Best Actress accolade was jointly conferred upon two accomplished talents; Alia Bhatt was lauded for her exceptional performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Gangubai Kathiawadi," while Kriti Sanon received well-deserved recognition for her role in director Laxman Utekar's "Mimi."

In a momentous triumph, "Rocketry: The Nambi Effect," a biographical drama crafted, produced, and directed by R. Madhavan in his directorial debut, secured the prestigious Best Feature Film award. The National Film Award for Best Director was rightfully bestowed upon Nikhil Mahajan for his exceptional work on the Marathi film "Godavari." Furthermore, Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was honored with the National Award for Best Editing, recognizing his exemplary contributions to "Gangubai Kathiawadi."

Adding to the roster of remarkable talent, Pankaj Tripathi, who shared the screen with Kriti Sanon in "Mimi," was declared the Best Supporting Actor. The Best Supporting Actress title was claimed by the remarkable Pallavi Joshi for her role in "The Kashmir Files."

The award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment was graciously presented to the Telugu version of the multilingual film "RRR." Additionally, "The Kashmir Files," directed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri, triumphed by earning the Nargis Dutt Award for the best film on national integration.

Recognizing the immense talent that contributed to these cinematic gems, distinguished figures such as RRR's director Rajamouli, "Shershaah" producer Karan Johar, the Oscar-winning music composer-lyricist duo Chandrabose and M. M. Keeravani from "RRR," and Devi Sri Prasad, the composer of "Pushpa," were also honored during this illustrious ceremony.

69th National Film Awards: President Droupadi Murmu Presents Prestigious Honors