New Delhi: It was a night of star power and cinematic pride at Vigyan Bhawan on Tuesday as President Droupadi Murmu honoured stalwarts of Indian cinema at the 71st National Film Awards.

The spotlight, however, belonged to Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, while Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and Vikrant Massey walked away with top honours in acting categories.

Mohanlal, already decorated with the Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2019), was visibly moved as he accepted Indian cinema’s highest recognition. “I am deeply humbled to be the youngest recipient and only the second ever from Kerala. This moment is not mine alone, it belongs to the entire Malayalam film fraternity,” he said. Sharing the honour with colleagues, he added: “I never dared to dream of this moment. It feels magical, it feels sacred.”

President Murmu presented the award to Mohanlal amid a thunderous standing ovation. Fellow superstar Mammootty called him “a true artist who has lived and breathed cinema,” while Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised him as someone who “epitomizes excellence and versatility.”

In perhaps the most Bollywood-dominated edition of the awards, Shah Rukh Khan won his first National Award for Best Actor in over two decades for his blockbuster ‘Jawan’. “This award is a blessing. ‘Jawan’ was a film made from the heart, and I dedicate this to every fan who has stood by me through the years,” Shah Rukh said.

Actor Vikrant Massey, who shared the Best Actor award with Shah Rukh for ‘12th Fail’, credited director Vidhu Vinod Chopra for his journey. Rani Mukerji was honoured as Best Actress for ‘Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway’. “This film was about the power of a mother’s fight. This recognition belongs to every woman who has faced injustice and refused to give up,” Rani told mediapersons.

The Evening reflected cinema’s diversity: ‘Kathal—A Jackfruit Mystery’ was named Best Hindi Film, Sudipto Sen won Best Director for ‘The Kerala Story’, while Shilpa Rao took home Best Female Playback Singer for Chaleya from ‘Jawan’.

Singer Jaspinder Narula has dedicated her Padma Shri to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. “I was honoured on Monday in Delhi, but meri Padma Shri ki khushi aadhi ho gayi kyunki mera mann bahut dukhi tha. The incident which happened in Pahalgam recently disturbed me. I pray to God that the people who were killed, and their families find peace. I dedicate my honour to them,” says the 54-year-old.

Talking about receiving the honour from President Droupadi Murmu, she says, “Madam President remembered that she had also honoured me on April 12 at another felicitation ceremony held at the Panjab University (in Chandigarh). Waqt kam hota hai Padma Awards mein baat karne ka unse, but she did remember our last meeting.”

Ask about her career and Jaspinder, who is popular for songs such as Tare Hain Barati (Virasat, 1997) and Bumbro (Mission Kashmir, 2000), says, “Every song gave me so much gratification. I got so much love from music lovers.”

(From left) Meenal Nigam, Sonu Nigam, President Droupadi Murmu, Agam Kumar Nigam and Sumit Mahendru at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi

Sonu Nigam performed at the newly inaugurated Open Air Theatre at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on February 3. “As an Indian, to be invited to perform on the Rashtrapati Bhavan Diwas and to get the opportunity to not only perform in front of the President of India Droupadi Murmu, but also have a one-on-one interaction with her was an overwhelming feeling. I was the first artiste to perform at the newly built amphitheatre. It’s a matter of good fortune. They invited my family too, so my father (veteran singer Agam Kumar Nigam), sister (singer Meenal Nigam) and brother-in-law Sumit Mahendru accompanied me.”

Sonu adds, “Our President made us feel so comfortable. She broke the ice by talking about my musical journey, my Sa Re Ga Ma days and how I’ve represented India globally. That felt so rewarding.”

Sonu calls performing at the Rashtrapati Bhavan “an honour”, but adds how it wasn’t a cakewalk. “I suffered an acute back spasm recently and I wasn’t in a great shape before the performance. However, the President’s doctor attended to me for 45 minutes before the show and I felt better,” says Sonu, as he goes on to explain why the occasion “was extra special”.

He adds, “This was the first time that I performed with my father and sister on the same stage. So, the three Nigams ended the concert in front of the President.”

The singer and his family were hosted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the night: “After the show, we were taken to the Rashtrapati Bhavan museum. It was such a pleasant surprise to see a picture of me receiving the Padma Shri in the Padma Awards section, which only had 12 photos. After that, my family and I had the honour of spending the night at the Rashtrapati Bhavan too. We went to the Amrit Udayan yesterday.”

Surreal and unbelievable” is how the ‘queen of Indian pop’, singer Usha Uthup describes receiving the Padma Bhushan on Monday. “I couldn’t believe this was happening. The whole ceremony — starting from the rehearsal in the morning when we were told how to walk and go to her and face the camera — was surreal for me,” shares the 76-year-old.

The singer recalls the happy feeling washing over her during the ceremony, too: “You just do your work like a zombie and don’t think at that time because you are so overwhelmed. The excitement and nervousness were so great.”

Uthup got presented the country’s third-highest civilian honour, by President Droupadi Murmu, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi.

Expressing how proud she was to receive the honour at the President’s residence, Uthup says: “The grandeur of Rashtrapati Bhavan, and to know that the President and the PM were there, while I received the award in the presence of my family and friends, was just beautiful.”

The singer recalls this particular exchange with President Murmu, that left her elated. “At the photo op later, she said that she listens to Hari Om Hari, and that as a youngster, she used to dance to my songs!” says the Darling singer, adding, “Even the Home Minister said that he had heard me very closely in Kashmir. This was when we had done a nice show there once.”

New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest film honour, on cinema’s enduring icon Waheeda Rehman, an honour she dedicated to her “dear film industry” and its various departments.

President Murmu also conferred the best actor award on Telugu star Allu Arjun for his performance in ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ and best actress to Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon respectively, for their performances in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ and ‘Mimi’.

Referring to films as the most effective medium to spread awareness, Murmu said at a function at Vigyan Bhavan that meaningful films depict the achievements and problems of society and the country.

Arjun, who received the award amid loud cheers, said the award was not only a personal milestone, but belonged to everyone who supported and cherished his cinema.

Alia, who attended the ceremony with actor-husband Ranbir Kapoor, also said she was grateful and honoured for having been awarded.

Actor-filmmaker R Madhavan also received the National Award for best feature film for his directorial debut ‘Rocketry: The Nambi Effect’, while actor Pankaj Tripathi won the best supporting actor for ‘Mimi’.

Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said Indian content was no longer limited to regions, adding that the government stands with the industry in its efforts to counter movie piracy, and also on a policy that will help India realize its potential as the “content hub of the world”.