Key Points

Speaking on the sidelines of an event in Mumbai, Imtiaz Ali told IANS that it was a moment of pride. "No, no. If the country has honoured him, it's obviously a big thing. I would like to congratulate Shah Rukh Khan and all the people who got this big award. Thank you," he said, extending his warm wishes to all the recipients.

On August 1, Shah Rukh Khan won his first National Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film "Jawan." The controversy began when South actress Urvashi subtly questioned the merit behind SRK's National Award win. While she accepted the honour for Best Supporting Actress for "Ullozhukku," Urvashi hinted at a lack of fairness in the jury's decisions.

Without directly naming Shah Rukh, she reportedly raised concerns over what made Jawan worthy of Best Actor recognition, while veteran Malayalam actor Vijayaraghavan's powerful performance wasn't even considered in the lead category. Her remarks sparked debate online.

On the other hand, a section of netizens expressed surprise over Shah Rukh Khan's National Award win for "Jawan," questioning why it took 33 years for such an honour to come his way. Many pointed out that some of his most iconic performances -- in films like "Devdas," "Swades," "Veer Zaara" and "Chak De! India"-- went unrecognised. The actor's win sparked a debate about the timing and criteria behind the jury's decision.

Amid the rising criticism surrounding Shah Rukh Khan's National Award win, veteran actor Mukesh Khanna stepped in to defend the actor. He told IANS, "People who are saying that Shah Rukh Khan should not have received the award for this film (Jawan) but for Swades -- remember A R Rahman received the Oscar for 'Jai Ho' and not for the various beautiful songs he created in the past. Shah Rukh has been working hard for the past 40 years now -- so what is wrong if he has received a National Award?"

- IANS