Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani starrer ‘Shershaah’ have struck gold once again, this time at the prestigious National Film Awards. The film, a moving portrayal of the life of late Captain Vikram Batra, has earned the Special Jury Award in the Features Film category.
At the National Awards ceremony held in New Delhi, Karan Johar, the film’s producer, expressed his overwhelming emotions as he returned to the National Awards stage after a span of 25 years since his debut.
He shared, “It’s been an exciting journey. Our film ‘Shershaah,’ released in 2021, tells the real-life story of Captain Vikram Batra. We are forever grateful to the Batra family for allowing us to share this courageous and inspiring story with the world. It was brought to life beautifully by actors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani, under the brilliant direction of Vishnuvardhan. We, as Dharma Productions, along with Shabbir Boxwala, Apoorva Mehta, and myself, are profoundly honored and privileged to be a part of this.”
Reflecting on an exciting year, Karan Johar further remarked, “Well, personally, it’s an exceptionally exciting year for me. Just yesterday, I completed 25 years in the film industry. In 1998, my first film ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ was released, which also clinched the National Award for wholesome and popular entertainer of the year.
Now, 25 years later, I’m back at the National Awards! What more can I ask for, in terms of a cinematic journey, a relationship with the audience, and, above all, the love we’ve received over these years? I’m deeply humbled and overwhelmed.”
Shabbir Boxwala, another key figure behind ‘Shershaah,’ expressed his astonishment and gratitude, mentioning, “We were somewhat expecting that we stood a chance, but considering they had combined all the films released in 2021 and even 2022, with the presence of films like ‘RRR’ and numerous other exceptional works, the competition was fierce. It was a very tense moment.”
‘Shershaah’ has not only touched hearts but has also been recognized as a significant contribution to Indian cinema, earning well-deserved accolades at the National Awards 2023.