70th National Film Awards: Kantara star Rishabh Shetty, Nithya Menen and Mansi Parekh Best Actors

Kannada film actor Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award for his blockbuster film ‘Kantara’ at the 70th National Film Awards.

The winners of the National Film Awards for the year 2022 were announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday, August 16.

The Best Actress award was shared by Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh. While Nithya bagged the honour for her role in Tamil film ‘Thiruchitrambalam’, Manasi won the award for the Gujarati film ‘Kutch Express’.

The movie ‘Kantara’, set in the fictional village of Dakshina Kannada, follows the character of Shetty, who essays the role of a Kambala champion, who has a faceoff with an upright forest range officer.

Kantara also won the 'Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment' award.

On winning the Best Actor award for the film ‘Kantara’, Rishab Shetty said: “This has been possible because of my entire team. I am just the face of the film, it is all because of their hard work. The production house, the DOP, the technicians, it is all because of them. I want to thank the people of Karnataka. I want to thank the National Awards panel for recognising this film. The people have made this film a hit, I am very happy. I want to dedicate this win to the people of Karnataka.”

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In the Hindi film category, Sharmila Tagore and Manoj Bajpayee starrer ‘Gulmohar’ won the Best Hindi Film award.

The Rahul V. Chittella-directed film also got a Special Mention. It revolves around the multi-generation Batra family who are all set to move out of their 34-year-old family home - Gulmohar- and how this shift in their lives is a rediscovery of the bonds that have held them together as a family with secrets and insecurities.

Malayalam film ‘Aattam: The Play’ bagged the Best Feature Film award and Sooraj R Barjatya was judged as the Best Director for his movie ‘Uunchai’.

Neena Gupta has won the Best Supporting Actress award for ‘Uunchai’ and Pawan Malhotra for Best Supporting Actor for the Haryanvi film ‘Fouja’.

AR Rahman won the National Film Award for Best Music Director (background music) for his work in Mani Ratnam's ‘Ponnyin Selvan-Part 1’, which was also named the Best Tamil Film.

Pritam got the award for Best Music Director (songs) for ‘Brahmastra-Part 1’.

The jury for the 70th National Film Awards included Rahul Rawail, Chairperson of the Feature Film Jury; Nila Madhab Panda, Chairperson of the Non-Feature Film Jury and Gangadhar Mudalair, Chairperson of the Best Writing on Cinema Jury.