'Overwhelmed': Rani Mukerji dedicates her National Award to her late father

The ceremony was held at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Reacting to the honour, the actress said, "I'm truly overwhelmed to receive my first National Award in my 30-year journey as an actor. This honour means the world to me, and I want to dedicate it to my late father, who always dreamt of this moment for me. I miss him deeply today, and I know it’s his blessing and my mother’s constant strength and inspiration that guided me through the role of Mrs. Chatterjee."

"To my incredible fans, thank you for being by my side through every high and low. Your unwavering love and support has been my greatest motivation. I know how much this award means to all of you, and it brings me immense joy and happiness to see how happy you are," she added.

Rani won the award in the Best Actress category for her role in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.

The film was based on the real-life story of Sagarika Chakraborty, whose children were taken away by Norwegian authorities over cultural differences in parenting in 2011.

"This award is also a tribute to all the mothers around the world - their strength, courage and unconditional love. Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway is a story that moved me deeply because it captures the unbreakable spirit of an immigrant mother, fighting against all odds in a foreign land to protect her child.

"As a mother myself, this role was incredibly personal. Through this film, we tried to honour the spirit of motherhood and I hope it serves as a reminder of the quiet power women carry within them every single day," Rani said.

Along with Rani, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and actor Vikrant Massey won the National Award jointly in the Best Actor category for their roles in Jawan and 12th Fail respectively.

While SRK played the lead in the socio-political commentary Jawan, 12th Fail featured Vikrant as Manoj Kumar Sharma, who became an IPS officer battling poverty.