Keerthy Suresh is extremely delighted on winning the National Award for 'Mahanati'. The young actress played the role of Savitri, the legendary actress, in the iconic biopic.

"I thank my director Nag Ashwin and the film's producers. The making involved a lot of hard work and effort. Without the entire team, this award wouldn't have been possible. Thank you to all those who have said that I deserve the Award," Keerthy said. "I probably dreamt of an Award like this when I was a kid," she added.

She has dedicated the award to her mother, a former actress, and there is a reason for it. "My mother had done a Malayalam film for which she was expected to win the National Award for Best Actress. But she didn't win. I dedicate this Award to her today," the 'Sarkar' actress said.