At the 67th National Film Awards, Dhanush and Manoj Bajpayee were named Best Actors.

New Delhi: The Best Actor Award went to Manoj Bajpayee and Dhanush for their roles in the flicks 'Bhonsle' and 'Asuran,' respectively, at the 67th National Film Awards on Monday.

Dhanush earned the Best Actor Award for his portrayal in the film 'Asuran,' which also won Best Tamil Film. Vetrimaaran wrote and directed this historical action drama film, which is based on Poomani's novel 'Vekkai.' The narrative of the film was informed by the real-life Kilvenmani massacre in 1968.

Dhanush was accompanied by Aishwarya R Dhanush, his wife, and superstar Rajinikanth's daughter, at the occasion. Rajinikanth was also given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

Manoj Bajpayee, who previously received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor in 'Satya' and the Special Jury Award for his feature film 'Pinjar,' was honored in person for his work in Devashish Makhija's 'Bhonsle.'

The 'Family Man' star played the titular role, a retired cop who lives a peaceful existence in a colony inhabited by locals despite being diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor.

For the award ceremony, Manoj, who was dressed in a black shirt and trousers, spoke about receiving the award and said, "The National Award for 'Bhonsle' means a lot to us because it was a film that we wanted to make but couldn't because we couldn't get any funding for it. It took us four years to make it, so it means a lot to us. It's a poetic justice that 'Bhonsle' has gotten this award, and I share it with the director and the entire team."

"This is my third National Award, and every time I go there, it reminds me of my first one, which I received for 'Satya,' so it's a wonderful feeling to be recognized for works that are near to your heart," says the actor.

Aside from that, Kangana Ranaut won her fourth National Award for Best Actress for her roles in the films 'Manikarnika: Queen of Jhansi' and 'Panga.' For his role in 'Super Deluxe,' Vijaya Sethupathi won the Best Supporting Actor award.

The 67th National Film Awards, which were presented to the awardees by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, were originally scheduled for May of last year but had to be postponed owing to the COVID pandemic.