The 69th National Film Awards ceremony, celebrating the excellence of Indian cinema in the year 2021, is taking place at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The prestigious awards, whose winners were announced in September, are set to be presented by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.

The event is being broadcast live on the National Channel DD, and it was an emotional moment for the winners as they received their accolades. Waheeda Rehman was visibly moved upon being named the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, with R. Madhavan offering his comforting presence. Allu Arjun, who secured the Best Actor award for his role in 'Pushpa: The Rise,' was greeted with thunderous applause as he received the award from President Droupadi Murmu, with his wife, Sneha Reddy, capturing the proud moment from the audience. Allu Arjun, clad in a cream-colored suit and sporting spectacles, graciously accepted the National Award.

Kriti Sanon, celebrated for her portrayal of a surrogate mother in 'Mimi,' was honored with the Best Actress award. Joining her, Alia Bhatt also clinched the Best Actress award for her remarkable performance in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi.'

The producer and actor of 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect,' R. Madhavan, received a National Award, further elevating the audience's excitement. 'RRR' emerged as a big winner, securing six awards, with director Rajamouli and the Oscar-winning composer Keeravani among the recipients.

It's worth noting that the National Awards were delayed by a year due to pandemic-related disruptions. The distinguished winners include Allu Arjun, who was recognized as the Best Actor for his role in 'Pushpa: The Rise,' Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon, who jointly earned the Best Actress award for their respective performances in 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' and 'Mimi.' 'Rocketry: The Nambi Effect' was awarded the Best Feature Film, and 'The Kashmir Files' received the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Film on National Integration at the 69th National Film Awards.

Shoojit Sircar's historical drama 'Sardar Udham' also shone brightly, securing several awards. In addition to being named the Best Hindi Film, it also bagged accolades for Best Cinematography (Avik Mukhopadhyay), Best Audiography (Sinoy Joseph), Best Production Design (Dmitrii Malich and Mansi Dhruv Mehta), and Best Costume Design (Veera Kapur Ee). The legendary Waheeda Rehman is set to be honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Notably, Allu Arjun, along with his wife Sneha Reddy, Rajamouli and his wife Rama, and the 'RRR' team made a special trip to Delhi to receive these prestigious awards. Allu Arjun's achievement as the first Telugu actor to win a National Award for his outstanding performance in 'Pushpa: The Rise' marked a historic moment in Indian cinema.