Actor Manasi Parekh won the Best Actress National Award for her performance in the Gujarati film Kutch Express. She shared her Best Actress award with Nithya Menen, who won for her performance in Thiruchitrambalam.
In Short
- Manasi Parekh won National Award for Best Actress
- She won for her role in the 2023 Gujarati film Kutch Express
- The winners were honoured by President Droupadi Murmu
Actor Manasi Parekh couldn’t hold back her tears:
as she took home the coveted Best Actress National Award for her performance in the acclaimed Gujarati film, Kutch Express. The actor was honoured by President Droupadi Murmu at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan on October 8.
Manasi cried as she posed for the camera with the prize. She shared the Best Actress award with Nithya Menen, who won for her performance in the Dhanush-starrer, Thiruchitrambalam.
Manasi had earlier spoken about the honour and told India Today Digital, “I’ve been inundated with calls and messages, and I’ve been crying since, like, an hour and a half. Now I’m okay. My makeup is completely dissolved. It’s incredible, because, firstly, the fact that I got Best Actress, and I’m sharing it with Nithya Menen, who is another incredible regional actress. Last year, this award was shared by Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon.”
During the interview, Manasi also recalled her experience of shooting for Kutch Express and stated, “We were working very hard and there was always this feeling that this film is going to be something magical. And even Ratna Pathak Shah, who is such a veteran, came to me five days into the shoot, and said, ‘Manasi, I’m so proud and happy that this is my first Gujarati film. I’m very proud to be working with you and your husband.’ All of us were feeling that this was a very special film. Now, the National Award has validated that. But we were always very proud of the film.”
President Droupadi Murmu led the 70th National Film Awards ceremony today:
October 8, 2024, at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, where she honoured the winners for their contributions to Indian cinema. Among the highlights, she presented the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award to veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, celebrating his decades-long career.
President Murmu also awarded Rishab Shetty the Best Actor award for Kantara, while Nithya Menen and Manasi Parekh shared the Best Actress title for Thiruchitrambalam and Kutch Express. The Best Feature Film award went to Aattam, while Gulmohar was named Best Hindi Film. The President celebrated the diversity and achievements of Indian cinema across multiple languages and regions during the ceremony.
It was a deeply emotional moment as Mansi Parekh walked up to the stage to receive the Best Actress award at the 2024 National Film Awards. Overcome with emotion, she could barely hold back her tears. As she stood before the audience, the weight of her achievement seemed to sink in, and she broke down in front of the packed hall. President Draupadi Murmu, who presented the award, gently placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a comforting pat and quiet words of reassurance. Mansi, though visibly overwhelmed, smiled through her tears, her face beaming with gratitude.
Directed by Viral Shah, Kutch Express also features Ratna Pathak Shah, Dharmendra Gohil, Darsheel Safary and Viraf Patell in pivotal parts