71st National Film Awards Honor 12th Fail, Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji

The 71st National Film Awards for 2023 celebrated excellence across Indian cinema, with Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Hindi film 12th Fail winning Best Feature Film and its actor Vikrant Massey sharing the Best Actor award with Shah Rukh Khan for Jawan, marking Khan's first National Film Award. Rani Mukerji won Best Actress for her emotionally powerful role in Mrs. Chatterjee Vs Norway. Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani won Best Popular Film for Wholesome Entertainment, and Sam Bahadur was recognized for promoting national and social values. The awards also honored regional cinema, with Sudipto Sen winning Best Director for The Kerala Story and Vash named Best Gujarati Film, with Janki Bodiwala winning Best Supporting Actress. Other notable winners included the Telugu superhero film Hanu-Man for Best Film in the AVGC category and Animal for technical awards such as sound design and background score. The jury was chaired by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, and the ceremony highlighted both mainstream and regional talents, emphasizing diversity and innovation in Indian cinema.