Rani Mukerji dedicates National Award to her late father, writes: "he always dreamt of this moment'

Rani Mukerji with her National Award.

Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji, who bagged her first Best Actress National Award for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway, expressed gratitude and thanked her fans for the overwhelming love and support in her three decades long career.

Rani  dedicated her National Award to her late father and said he was the one 'who always dreamt of this moment.'

"I'm truly overwhelmed to receive my first National Award in my 30-year journey as an actor. This honour means the world to me, and I want to dedicate it to my late father, who always dreamt of this moment for me. I miss him deeply today, and I know it’s his blessing and my mother’s constant strength and inspiration that guided me through the role of Mrs. Chatterjee," Rani Mukerji said in her statement.

Further thanking her fans, the Kal Ho Naa Ho actress, said: "To my incredible fans, thank you for being by my side through every high and low. Your unwavering love and support has been my greatest motivation. I know how much this award means to all of you, and it brings me immense joy and happiness to see how happy you are. I share this award with my brilliant director Ashima, my producers Nikkhil, Monisha, Madhu, and everyone at Zee who brought this film together.

She also thanked the cast and crew of the movie, along with a special mention for the Awards jury

"Above all, I thank my entire cast and crew from Estonia and India without whom this film could not have been made, especially during the challenges of the COVID period. The entire team of Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway poured their hearts into this powerful story, and I’m deeply grateful to each one of them. A heartfelt thank you to the esteemed National Award jury for recognising our work. This film, and this moment, will always hold a special place in my heart.

"This award is also a tribute to all the mothers around the world - their strength, courage and unconditional love. Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway is a story that moved me deeply because it captures the unbreakable spirit of an immigrant mother, fighting against all odds in a foreign land to protect her child. As a mother myself, this role was incredibly personal. Through this film, we tried to honour the spirit of motherhood and I hope it serves as a reminder of the quiet power women carry within them every single day.

President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday conferred National Awards for acting to Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey and Rani Mukerji while Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke lifetime achievement award in a ceremony that doffed its hat to mainstream popular cinema.

There were whistles and loud cheers as Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh Khan  went up to receive their awards at the traditionally sober ceremony.

Mohanlal, recognised for a remarkable career spanning five decades and more than 360 films, got a standing ovation from the crowd gathered at the city's Vigyan Bhawan.

"I got to know that when Mohanlal's name was announced for Dadasaheb Phalke, there was wave of happiness among people. It shows that he has made a space for himself in countless people's heart," the president said in her address after the award ceremony. "

He has presented the softest of the soft and toughest of the tough emotions quite naturally," Murmu added in a speech in which she congratulated all the winners and touched on various issues, including the plurarity of Indian cinema, Indian sensibility and women-centric films. (With PTI  Inputs)