Rani Mukerji calls her first National Award as Best Actress deeply personal

Rani Mukerji won her first National Award for 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway' after 30 years in films. She dedicated the award to all mothers and thanked her fans for their love and support.

In Short

• Rani Mukerji won first National Film Award for Best Actress
• She bagged the award for 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway'
• She thanked jury and film team for support

Actor Rani Mukerji bagged her first-ever National Film Award in a career spanning three decades, for her performance in 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway'. The 71st National Film Awards were announced in New Delhi, honouring excellence across Indian cinema with Rani Mukerji winning Best Actress award.

Reacting to the honour, Rani said, "I’m overwhelmed to have won the National Award for my performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway. Incidentally, this is the first ever National Award in my 30 year career."

She expressed gratitude to the jury and credited her team for the film’s success. "I thank the National Award jury for honouring my work I share this moment with the entire team of the film, my producers Nikkhil Advani, Monisha and Madhu, my director Ashima Chibber, and everyone who worked on this truly special project that celebrated the resilience of motherhood."

Rani described the award as a validation of her long-standing journey in cinema. "For me, this award is also a validation of my 30-year body of work, my dedication to my craft with which I feel a deeply spiritual connection and my passion for cinema and this beautiful film industry of ours," she added.

She dedicated the award to mothers everywhere, saying, "There is nothing like a mother’s love and her ferocity to protect her own a mother's love for her child is unconditional.. I realised this when I had my own. So, this win, this film feels deeply emotional and personal."
Rani concluded by thanking her fans for standing by her through the years. She said, "Your unconditional love and support is everything that I have ever needed Without you I would be a nobody today."

The film, inspired by the real-life story of an Indian mother fighting against a foreign system to reunite with her children, has earned widespread critical acclaim for Rani’s impactful portrayal.

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