Badhaai ho to National Film Awards winners

The winners of the 66th

National Film Awards

were honoured in the capital by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Monday. This year, Junglee Pictures’ 'Badhaai Ho' won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and when Surekha Sikri, who won the Best Supporting Actress award for the film went on the stage, she received a standing ovation from everyone present.

I didn't expect that 'Badhaai Ho' will be getting so many awards: Amit SharmaAmit Sharma, director of 'Badhaai Ho' attended the award ceremony with his father. Amit Sharma said, "I am overwhelmed. I did not expect that 'Badhaai Ho' will be getting so many awards. The critics loved the film, and the audience loved the film.I'm really really happy to be here."

Swanand Kirkire, who received National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for 'Chumbak', told us, "This award is very special for me because this is an acting award. This is the beauty of National Film Awards that it doesn't discriminate between small and big films, regional and non-regional films. 'Chumbak' is such a small film, but it stood out among all these films, I am really happy for that."

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Surekha SikriSurekha Sikri gets a standing ovation for Badhaai Ho:
When Surekha Sikri’s name was announced for Best Supporting Actress for 'Badhaai Ho', everyone in the hall stood up and clapped, and it was Ayushmann Khurrana who clapped the hardest whose grandmother's role she had played in the film. Surekha Sikri has not been keeping well for quite some time and she attended the award ceremony in a wheelchair.

Best Actress: Keerthy Suresh (Mahanati)
Keerthy Suresh won the award for Best Actress for 'Mahanati'. Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu, also praised her performance, and said,“I rarely get time to see films, but recently I saw this film 'Mahanati' and Keerthy Suresh has given an amazing performance in the film."
The director Abhishek Shah and all the 13 actresses of 'Hellaro', which won the award for Best Feature Film, were felicitated at the award ceremony.

Best Actor: Vicky Kaushal (Uri: The Surgical Strike)I'll be thankful to Aditya Dhar for the rest of my life for giving me Uri: Vicky KaushalWhen Akshay Kumar entered the hall, he hugged and congratulated Vicky Kaushal and took his seat next to him. Later, Ayushmann Khurrana joined them. Throughout the ceremony, this row received plenty of requests for selfies.
Talking about his win, Vicky Kaushal who has received National Film Award for the Best Actor (shared with Ayushmann Khurrana) said, "As an actor, you hope for winning a National Award, you aim for a National Award, but I never imagined that it would happen so soon in my career. I would thank Aditya Dhar for the rest of my life for giving me, 'Uri'.”

Sharing an anecdote, how he got the line ‘How’s the Josh’, Aditya Dhar, director of Uri, said, “Today my josh is very very very high. It’s a very funny story when I was a kid, we had this Army uncle who used to ask all kids to stand in a queue, and ask us ‘How’s the Josh’. The kid who used to say ‘High Sir’ in the loudest voice used to get sweets, so this line was kind of etched in my mind.”

Amitabh Bachchan gives National Film Awards ceremony a miss: Amitabh Bachchan, who is this year’s recipient of the

Dadasaheb Phalke Award

, could not attend the ceremony due to health problems. Ravi Mittal, Secretary, I&B, said, "Amitabh Bachchan is unable to attend this award ceremony due to ill health. We will organise another ceremony to honour him.” A four-minute film on the achievements of Amitabh Bachchan was also scheduled to be screened at the National Film Awards ceremony, which was canceled last moment.

Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, said, "As the President is not in Delhi today, he has invited all of you to come to President House on Dec 29 for tea. As Amitabh Bachchan wasn't able to attend the award ceremony today. He'll join us on December 29, at a post-awards reception at the President’s residence, where he will be felicitated."

Film industry’s best felicitated with the 66th National Awards in Delhi

URI: The Surgical Strike

• Best Director: Aditya Dhar
• Best Sound Design: Bishwadeep Chatterjee
• Best Background Music: Shashwat Sachdev

Andhadhun

• Best Feature Film in Hindi
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Sriram Raghavan

Padmaavat

• Best Music Direction: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
• Best Choreography: Jyoti D Tommar and Kruti Mahesh (Ghoomar)
• Best Male Playback Singer: Arijit Singh (Binte Dil)

Abhishek Shah (director)

Padman: Best Film on Social Issues