Rajkummar Rao’s film ‘Srikanth’ bagged the Best Hindi Film Award at the 72nd National Film Awards. The biopic, directed by Tushar Hiranandaninarrates the life of visually impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla and also features JyotikaAlaya F i Sharad Kelkar in key roles. Jyotika recently spoke about how excited she was to see her Bollywood comeback project take home such a prestigious award.
Jyotika on Srikanth’s journey to victory
For Jyotika, this win is significant because ‘Srikanth’ overcame budget constraints and several other hurdles to achieve this milestone. Speaking to News18, he shared, “When a film fights against all odds, from budget to release date, and still emerges victorious just because of its sheer intent, craft and storytelling, it becomes a thrill for the team. Tushar, Nidhi Hiranandani and T-Series (producers) have made this film only tell the story directly from its most beautiful visually impaired society. and its norms to become not only in an MIT student, but also in a successful industrialist and much more in life.”Jyotika describes Rajkummar’s performance in the film as “brilliant” and praises Tushar’s “vision and passion” for taking on a bold story like “Srikanth”. “I can’t be grateful and proud enough to play the role of Professor Devika, the woman who was the wind beneath Srikanth’s wings,” comments Jyotika. There’s also a personal reason why this win feels especially meaningful to her. “This role is also very close to my heart as it was the first Hindi film I signed after a gap of 25 years in Bollywood. This is not just a national award but a thrill for the team. This will be etched in our hearts forever,” he says.
Other winners of the 72nd National Film Awards
Meanwhile, ‘Article 370’ took home the Best Film award and also earned Yami Gautam Dhar her first Best Actress honor. Kartik Aaryan, on the other hand, won his first National Award, sharing the Best Actor trophy with Malayalam superstar Mammootty. While Kartik was honored for ‘Chandu Champion’, Mammootty won for ‘Bramayugam’. The best director award went to Rajkumar Periasamy for ‘Amaran’, and ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ won the award for the best popular film offering wholesome entertainment.