Mumbai, Sep 23 : Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and actor Vikrant Massey were lionised with the 71st National Award for Best Actor. While SRK was feted for his work in the pan-India tentpole 'Jawan', Vikrant was honoured with the Rajat Kamal for his performance in '12th Fail'.

The actors were presented the trophy by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. This marked the first ever National Award for both SRK and Vikrant. For SRK, it's a bit more special as it's his first award in his career spanning more than 3 decades.

SRK is one of India's most prominent actors and a global Bollywood icon. The actor is considered the 'King of Bollywood', and has appeared in over 80 films across genres like romance, action, and drama. His international appeal stems from a combination of versatile performances, charismatic screen presence, and active engagement with global audiences through tours and social media. He has several international recognitions including UNESCO's Pyramide con Marni Award, L'Etoile d'Or by King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Wissame Al Kafaa Al Fikria, and Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, and the Padma Shri in 2005.

Talking about Vikrant Massey, the actress like SRK, made a switch from television to cinema, and gained recognition with 'A Death in the Gunj' and 'Chhapaak'. He is praised for performances in OTT series 'Mirzapur' and 'HIT: The First Case'.

The ceremony started shortly after the dignitaries including the President, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and filmmaker-producer Ashutosh Gowariker, filmmaker P. Sheshadri and author, Gopalakrishna Pai arrived.

The 71st National Film Awards, recognising excellence in Indian cinema for 2023, were announced on 1 August 2025 by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The award ceremony is currently underway at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where the President of India, Droupadi Murmu is conferring the honours.

The event is organised by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and features a structured jury system, with regional committees feeding into a central committee chaired by Ashutosh Gowariker for the Feature Film category. The awards aim to celebrate the artistic and technical achievements of Indian cinema without public bias, maintaining a formal presentation.

/IANS