Mukesh Khanna on SRK winning the National Award: ‘He has been working hard for the past 40 years’

Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna defends Shah Rukh Khan receiving his first National Award, calling it well-deserved recognition for four decades of hard work, amid criticism from southern actress Urvashi.

Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan fans have been rejoicing after the actor finally received his first National Award after working tirelessly in Bollywood for the last 33 years.

However, southern actress Urvashi, who bagged the National Award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for her performance in Ullozhukku, raised questions regarding the fairness of the jury and the criteria used to honour SRK with the prestigious award.

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Veteran actor Mukesh Khanna was asked to comment on this during an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Speaking to IANS, Khanna pointed out that it is also political to say that the National Award should have been given to an actor from the South film industry.

The Shaktimaan actor said, “People who are saying that Shah Rukh Khan should not have received the award for this film (Jawan) but for Swades — remember A R Rahman received the Oscar for ‘Jai Ho’ and not for the various beautiful songs he created in the past.”

“Shah Rukh has been working hard for the past 40 years now — so what is wrong if he has received a National Award?” Khanna added.

Meanwhile, expressing his gratitude for receiving his primary National Award for Atlee’s directorial, SRK shared a video saying, “They know my obsession with cinema takes me away from them but they all bear it with a smile and allow me the time. So thank you very much for that. A National Award is not just about achievement. It’s a reminder that what I do matters. It tells me to keep going, keep working hard, keep creating and keep serving cinema. In a world full of noise, to be heard — truly heard — is a blessing.”

“And I promise to use this recognition not as a finish line but as fuel to continue striving, learning and giving life. This award is a reminder to me that acting is not just work, it’s a responsibility. It’s a responsibility to show the truth on screen,” King Khan added.