Viveck Vaswani defends Shah Rukh Khan’s National Award win for Jawan: ‘It’s not small. It’s a relevant film for the times’

Shah Rukh Khan’s National Award win for Jawan at the 71st National Film Awards has sparked both celebration and controversy. While fans hailed the recognition, some netizens questioned whether the Atlee directorial was the right film to earn him the coveted Best Actor honour, suggesting instead that SRK should have won for other performances in his three-decade career.

Amid the noise, veteran filmmaker and Shah Rukh’s longtime friend Viveck Vaswani stepped in with a heartfelt defense.

‘It’s not small... Jawan was a great performance’

Viveck Vaswani took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account and posted a message that read, “Just putting it out there. It’s a National Award. It’s not small. And Jawan was a great performance and a relevant film for the times. And Ashutosh Gowariker is one of the most ethical people in the industry — I’ve known him longer than SRK!”



He also shared a throwback photo with the superstar and added, “Congratulations @iamsrk on the National Award! Very late but very, very deserving!”




SRK replies: ‘All started with you’

In a touching moment of nostalgia, Shah Rukh Khan replied to Vaswani’s post, saying, “Thank you for the wishes. All started with you. Raju finally ban gaya gentleman.” The line is a sweet nod to their first collaboration, the 1992 film Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.

For those unfamiliar with their journey, Viveck Vaswani played a pivotal role in SRK’s early career. When the actor moved to Mumbai in the early '90s, he stayed at Viveck’s home. The two became collaborators and close friends, later working together on King Uncle, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, and English Babu Desi Mem.



What’s next for King Khan?

On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan is gearing up for his next high-octane action film King, directed by Siddharth Anand. The film is reportedly set to feature Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Deepika Padukone in key roles, although an official confirmation is yet to come.