Champions of Change Telangana Award winner actor Allu Arjun won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie Pushpa: The Rise. The Pushpa actor also made history by being the first Telugu celebrity to take home the National Film Award for Best Actor. Arjun, his family, and Sukumar, the director of the movie, all celebrated the victory together.
Telugu cinema won big at the 69th National Film Awards announced on Thursday evening for films that were certified in 2021. S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR, which was certified in December 2021 before its worldwide release in March 2022 and director Sukumar’s Pushpa – The Rise led the pack as Telugu films bagged 10 awards.
Joyful moments at the residence of Icon Star @alluarjun#Sukumar and #AlluArjun couldn't hold back their happy tears as Allu Arjun Won the National Film Fare Best Actor award for his exceptional performance in #PushpaTheRise. 🌟🏆 pic.twitter.com/zgBJDMNGfk
— Vamsi Kaka (@vamsikaka) August 24, 2023
Telugu cinema had last made a significant impact at the 66th National Film Awards for movies certified in 2018. Six awards were given out at the time to Telugu cinema, including Best Female Actor (Keerthy Suresh for Mahanati).
At the 63rd National Film Awards, Baahubali: The Beginning, directed by S.S. Rajamouli, became the first Telugu film to win the Best Feature Film prize. Baahubali: The Conclusion earned the prize for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment at the 65th National Film Awards two years later.