Srikanth-starrer Mahathma has bagged the Best Film award, presented by Chennai Telugu Association. The award was announced on the occasion of Ugadhi, the Telugu New Year's Day.

The film, which was released on October 2009, was a commercial success. It touched upon an intense subject, where the hero was seen in the role of a street rowdy, who gets transformed by the Gandhian message.

Directed by Krishna Vamsi, the film was produced by CR Manohar, for whom it was a debut production. The producer not only made money from its success, but also got laurels for producing a "hard-hitting, message-oriented movie."

Reacting to the announcement, a happy Manohar said that the award was definitely a boost to make more such meaningful cinema.