Srikanth, the acclaimed biographical drama based on the life of visually impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla, emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 72nd National Film Awards by taking home the Best Hindi Feature Film honour. However, while many had expected Rajkummar Rao to win the Best Actor award for his widely praised performance, the honour was jointly awarded to Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion and Mammootty for Bramayugam. Producer Nidhi Parmar Hiranandani, however, refuses to view the outcome as a disappointment for Rajkummar Rao.
‘You can’t snub an actor of Rajkummar Rao’s calibre’
Speaking to News18, Nidhi Parmar Hiranandani said she would never describe Rajkummar Rao as having been “snubbed.” “I don’t think you can snub an actor of Raj’s calibre at all. That’s not possible,” she said, expressing confidence that the National Awards jury had its own reasons for selecting this year’s winners.
Nidhi, who also produced Srikanth alongside her husband and director Tushar Hiranandani, acknowledged that every filmmaker naturally hopes to see their cast and crew receive recognition.
She thanked Rajkummar Rao for delivering what she described as one of the finest performances of his career, adding that he brought Srikanth Bolla’s inspiring journey to life with remarkable authenticity.
At the same time, she congratulated Kartik Aaryan on his Best Actor victory. “Kartik has done a phenomenal job in Chandu Champion. But would we have wanted Raj to win? Definitely,” she said.
National Award was beyond expectations
Despite Srikanth receiving recognition during the awards season, Nidhi admitted she never imagined the film would go on to win a National Award. “We never imagined winning a National Award. But it didn’t bother me because it didn’t mean we had made a lesser film,” she said, adding that she never knew “how to play the game.”
She also revealed that the film not being selected as India’s official entry for the Oscars had initially left her disappointed. “That’s why the National Award was something we never imagined. But when we heard the news, we felt it was the highest honour,” she said, adding that the award belongs to everyone associated with Srikanth.
Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, Srikanth chronicles the extraordinary life of entrepreneur Srikanth Bolla and was widely appreciated for its inspiring storytelling and Rajkummar Rao’s nuanced performance.
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