Fri Aug 01 13:20:00 UTC 2025: **Headline: Telugu Cinema Shines at 71st National Film Awards, Bagging Seven Honors**
**New Delhi, August 2, 2025** – The 71st National Film Awards were announced in Delhi on Friday, celebrating the best of Indian cinema from 2023. Hindi films dominated major categories, but Telugu cinema made a significant impact, securing a total of seven awards.
Shah Rukh Khan won his first National Award for Best Actor for “Jawan,” while Vikrant Massey shared the honor for his role in “12th Fail,” which also won Best Film. Rani Mukerji was awarded Best Actress for “Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway,” and Sudipto Sen took home Best Director for “The Kerala Story.”
Telugu cinema shone brightly with “Bhagavanth Kesari” winning Best Regional Film. “Hanu-Man” secured two awards for Best Action Direction and Best Visual Effects, while “Baby” won for Best Screenplay and Best Male Playback Singer. Kasarla Shyam received Best Lyric Writer for “Balagam,” and Sukriti Veni Bandreddy was recognized as Best Child Artist for “Gandhi Tata Chettu.”
The awards recognized films censored between January 1 and December 31, 2023, with a jury committee headed by Ashutosh Gowariker selecting the winners.
The awards were met with mixed reactions. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticized the awards given to “The Kerala Story,” while others celebrated the recognition of diverse talent and regional cinema.
First Piper 