The Bollywood fraternity is erupting with joy as Shah Rukh Khan, after a remarkable 33 years in the industry, has finally won his first National Award for his performance in the 2023 action drama, "Jawan". The winners of the 71st National Film Awards were revealed at a press briefing in New Delhi on August 1, 2025. Khan shares the Best Actor award with Vikrant Massey, who was recognized for his role in "12th Fail".
"Jawan," directed by Atlee, featured Khan in a dual role alongside Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra, Ridhi Dogra, and Deepika Padukone in a special appearance. The film was a massive commercial success, uniting the nation with its powerful narrative.
While Shah Rukh Khan has yet to release an official statement, his manager, Pooja Dadlani, expressed her excitement on Instagram, writing, "Tooooo happy to see @iamsrk win the National Award for Jawan… A deeply deserving honour for all that you have put into achieving this!! Big hugs to @atlee47 for making a film that is garnering such accolades... big thank you to the fans for loving the film so much… for loving SRK so much! And… thank you God!!!".
Ridhi Dogra, who played a role in "Jawan", is yet to release a statement, but fans and colleagues have already begun celebrating Khan's win. One X user wrote, "This is huge! Shah Rukh finally receiving his first National Award win,". Another social media user commented, "So so happy. Both SRK and Vikrant deserve it,".
Khan made his acting debut in 1992 with the film "Deewana". In January 2023, he made a comeback after a four-year hiatus with "Pathaan". Following the success of "Pathaan", he delivered another blockbuster with "Jawan", which ultimately led to his first National Award.
Vikrant Massey also shares the honor of Best Actor for his performance in "12th Fail". Based on a book by Anurag Pathak, "12th Fail" tells the story of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame poverty to become an IPS officer. Vidhu Vinod Chopra's "12th Fail" also won the award for Best Film, while Ashok Mishra-directed "Kathal" won Best Hindi Film.
Other notable winners at the 71st National Film Awards include Rani Mukerji for Best Actress in a Lead Role for "Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway", Shilpa Rao for Best Playback Singer for "Jawan", and Sudipto Sen for Best Director for "The Kerala Story". "Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani" won Best Popular Film, and "HanuMan" won Best Film in AVGC.