Mumbai: Manasi Parekh on Saturday said she felt recognised and appreciated for her work after winning the National Film Award for Best Actress.
The National Film Awards for the year 2022 were announced on Friday and Parekh was honoured for her performance in the Gujarati film “Kutch Express”. She shared the award with Nithya Menen for the Tamil film “Thiruchitrambalam”.
The actress said she will never forget this moment as the honour has come in the 20th year of her career. She began her career with serials like “India Calling” and “Kasautii Zindagii Kay”, then moved to Gujarati cinema where she appeared in films like “Golkeri” and “Dear Father”.
Parekh wrote in a post on Instagram, “I complete 20 years as an actor this year and 16th August 2024 will be a day that will always be etched in my mind.” He recalled that it was his friend, filmmaker-actor Anand Tiwari, who first told him that he had won the National Film Award.
She said, “I jumped out of my makeup seat while getting ready for the shoot. I couldn’t believe what he said and suddenly my phone rang and I was flooded with messages from people and the media. I cried. I cried really hard and loudly. Just like my character Mongi cries in #Kutchexpress when he realises his whole life has fallen apart.”
The actress said that in that moment, years of “struggles, insecurities, auditions, waiting to be discovered, being at my worst” flashed through her mind.
She said, “The moments when I was told I wasn’t good enough, the moments when I waited for projects to be completed. The moments when I tried to hold on with conviction, with silent patience, because I always had one thought in my mind ‘I know I have it in me’.”
Directed by Virla Shah and starring Ratna Pathak Shah, “Kutch Express” is the story of a housewife named Monghi, whose world is turned upside down when she finds out that her husband is cheating on her with a colleague.
The film also won Best Costume for Nikki Joshi and Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.
The actress further added that winning the Best Actress award has given Parakh “validation, recognition and a feeling of being valued”.
“It was the satisfaction an artist gets when his work is appreciated. That was the reaction my character Monghi had when she signs her first wall graffiti in the film. Real life and reel life just merged together in this one moment. And that moment will forever be etched in my heart.
She ended her post by writing, “And today when I woke up and saw my name in all major national dailies along with legends like @bajpayee.manoj @rishabshettyofficial and @nithyamenen I realised this is what it feels like when dreams come true… this is just the beginning.”
Veteran cinematographer Ravi Varman, who won the best cinematography award for his work in Mani Ratnam’s “Ponniyin Selvan-1”, also celebrated his win on Instagram.
“I am extremely honoured to receive the National Award for Best Cinematography for ‘Ponniyin Selvan -1’ and I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Mani Sir for his extraordinary vision and faith in me during this journey.
“I also express my deepest gratitude to the entire cast and crew whose tireless dedication and incredible talent brought this epic story to life. Thank you all for being a part of this incredible journey with me,” he wrote.
Naushad Sadar Khan received the National Film Award for Best Lyricist for the song “Salaami” from the Haryanvi film “Fauja”.
He wrote on his ex handle, “This is what is called a miracle, I am going to get the first award of my life, National Award for writing the song #Salaami which I have sung and composed. I couldn’t believe it but now I believe it, thanks to all my friends, family members for this.”
“Gulmohar”, starring senior actress Sharmila Tagore and Manoj Bajpayee, won the Best Hindi Film and Best Dialogue Writing award for Chittela. Bajpayee received a special mention for his performance in the film.
In a statement, Chittella said he was deeply honoured by the recognition his film, which is about a family preparing to say goodbye to their ancestral home, has received.
“I am especially delighted with Manoj Bajpayee winning the Best Actor award. He is a rare treasure and it is a privilege to produce this film with him and Sharmila ji!”
He added, “Lastly, I would like to give a special thanks to my creative and writing partner Arpita Mukherjee who has been with me all this while. I would also like to specially thank Star Studios who believed in our shared vision! We aimed to explore the meaning of family and home in current times and in the process, we became one.”
Produced by Star Studios in association with Chalkboard Entertainment and Autonomous Works, “Gulmohar” will be released on Disney Hotstar in 2023.
Disney Star’s studio head Bikram Duggal said they were thrilled with two trophies for “Gulmohar” and a special mention for Bajpayee.
He added, “In today’s digital age, it’s important to create stories that resonate deeply and bring families together. ‘Gulmohar’ achieves just that, transcending boundaries with its heart-warming story… We are proud to collaborate with India’s finest talent to bring this story to the world.”
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