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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Shahana Yasmin

Shah Rukh Khan wins India’s top state award for cinema after 33 years

Shah Rukh Khan Jawan India Bollywood (Geopolitical Entity) SRK (Organization)

Shah Rukh Khan has won the National Film Award for best actor, marking the first time the Bollywood star has received the honour in a career spanning over three decades.

The actor received the award on Friday for his performance in the 2023 Hindi action drama Jawan. He plays a dual role as Captain Vikram Rathore, an army commando, and his son Azad, a jailer who recruits women prisoners for a vigilante team unmasking corruption in India.

The film was directed by Tamil director Atlee in his Hindi debut and also featured Deepika Padukone in a special appearance.

Khan shared the honour, India’s top state award for cinema, with Vikrant Massey, who received it for 12th Fail, a Hindi biographical drama following police officer Manoj Kumar’s journey.

Rani Mukherjee, one of Khan’s frequent collaborators, also won her first National Film Award for her role in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. She plays Debika, an Indian immigrant fighting against the Norwegian foster care system to win back custody of her children.

The jury described Khan’s turn in Jawan as a “powerhouse performance”.

“Awarded to the actor for delivering a powerhouse performance, balancing raw intensity and acting depth and bringing to life a hero who fights not just enemies, but society, creating two unforgettable cinema personas.”

The jury was chaired by Ashutosh Gowariker, a coincidence many considered poetic since he had directed Khan in 2004’s Swades, a role widely viewed as deserving of recognition at the time.

Shah Rukh Khan wins his first National Film Award for best actor (Getty Images for The Met Museum)

The National Film Award for Khan comes after decades of commercial and critical success for the actor.

Khan started out in the 1988 television series Fauji and made his feature film debut in Deewana in 1992. He had previously received 14 Filmfare awards, the Indian civilian award Padma Shri in 2005, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Legion of Honour from France, along with several other international and national awards.

Khan released a video message thanking the jury for the latest award, his family, the directors he worked with, his team, and his fans.

“A National Award is not just about achievement,” he said. “It's a reminder that what I do, matters. It tells me to keep going, keep working hard, keep creating and keep serving cinema.”

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan strikes his iconic pose as he greets fans during his 58th birthday celebrations at his residence in Mumbai (AFP via Getty)

Khan’s win was celebrated not just by his fans but many in the Indian film industry, including frequent co-star Juhi Chawla, who shared a throwback picture of themselves on social media to congratulate him.

Fans on social media were also happy that Khan had finally won the award, with many suggesting SRK “deserved it long ago”, especially for performances in Swades, Chak De! India (2007), and My Name Is Khan (2010), which some critics too believe merited consideration in their respective years.

Earlier this year, Khan made headlines internationally by becoming the first Indian male actor to attend the 2025 Met Gala in New York.

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