Urvashi, Vijayaraghavan receive National Awards; Malayalam cinema shines at ceremony

New Delhi: The 2023 National Film Awards, along with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, were presented at a grand ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan on Monday at 4 PM. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the honours on the winners.

Raising the pride of Malayalam cinema, veteran actor Mohanlal was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award — Indian cinema’s highest recognition — for his extraordinary contribution spanning over four decades.

The ceremony was a moment of pride for Malayalam cinema, with several artistes and technicians receiving national honours. Notable winners included Vijayaraghavan (Best Supporting Actor), Urvashi (Best Supporting Actress), Cristo Tomy (Best Malayalam Film – Director), Mohan Das (Best Production Design), Midhun Murali (Best Editing), and M.K. Ramdas (Best Non-Feature Film Director). Sachin Sudhakaran and Hariharan Muralidharan were awarded for Best Sound Design.

On receiving National Award, veteran actor Urvashi says, "It's an honour to have won the national award a second time, that too from women Presidents."

In other major categories, Sudipto Sen won Best Director for The Kerala Story. Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) and Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) were jointly named Best Actor, while Rani Mukerji won Best Actress for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. M.S. Bhaskar (Parking) and Janki Bodiwala (Vash) took home the Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards, respectively.

The award winners were selected by an 11-member jury chaired by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker. Malayalam director Pradeep Nair was also part of the panel.