Divya Dutta hails Shah Rukh Khan’s first National Award; recalls her own win for 'Irada': 'Public perception of you changes'

Shah Rukh Khan’s dazzling career has finally scored a long-awaited milestone – his first National Award. Joining the celebrations is his ‘Veer-Zaara’ co-star Divya Dutta, who couldn’t hide her joy. The actress, a National Award winner herself for ‘Irada’, opened up about the honour, how it changes industry perception, and why SRK’s big win for ‘Jawan’ is a moment worth savouring.In an interview with The Indian Express, Divya expressed her admiration for Shah Rukh and his performance in ‘Jawan’. She said, “I keep my love for him intact and absolutely adore the man. I’m so, so happy for him. I think he was amazing in ‘Jawan’. I’m super happy about the fact that he’s got his first national award.”Divya knows the feeling of receiving a National Award. She won Best Supporting Actress for director Aparnaa Singh’s ‘Irada’ in 2017. Looking back on that moment, she said, “It’s not just a fond memory. Firstly, it’s such a huge honour. Secondly, of course, the public perception of you changes, and even among industry insiders, it does. They take you a tad bit more seriously (after such wins). I’m not saying that they weren’t taking me seriously, but it’s definitely a feather in the cap that you’ll always be proud of.”The 71st National Film Awards were announced on August 1 at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. The awards distribution ceremony will be held later. Shah Rukh’s performance in ‘Jawan’ earned him the honour, making this a landmark year in his journey.On the work front, Divya Dutta was last seen in the hit film ‘Chhaava’, where she starred alongside Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna. . Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan is currently gearing up for his upcoming action-thriller ‘King’, in which he will share the screen with his daughter, Suhana Khan. Directed by Siddharth Anand, the much-anticipated film has already generated a buzz among fans.