Ashutosh Gowariker congratulates Shah Rukh Khan on his National Award win, fans say this one is for Swades

Ashutosh Gowariker, who served as the Feature Film Jury head at the National Awards this year, penned a heartfelt note for Shah Rukh Khan.

Published on: Sep 25, 2025, 20:02:34 IST

By Santanu Das

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Shah Rukh Khan won his first-ever National Award in the Best Actor category for his performance in Jawan. The actor drew loud cheers from the audience as he collected his award from the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, on September 23 in Delhi. Now, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, who served as Feature Film Jury head this year for the awards, has congratulated the star on his win. (Also read: Shah Rukh Khan said ‘Main to ye pehen raha hu’ after National Award win, Vikrant Massey says they were living the moment)

Ashutosh Gowariker had worked with Shah Rukh Khan in Swades.

What Ashutosh said about SRK

Posting a picture with Shah Rukh on his X account on Thursday, Ashutosh wrote in the caption, “What a journey we have had… each forging one's own path and today, to come together on this prestigious Dais, which is the highest award of our country, to honour your incredible craft! Congratulations Shah… @iamsrk #BestActor.”

For the unversed, Ashutosh directed Shah Rukh in the highly acclaimed drama Swades. Released in 2004, it is considered by many to be the best performance of Shah Rukh's career. The film also won two National Awards. Many fans also believed that Shah Rukh had deserved the National Award for Swades.

How fans reacted

Reacting to the picture, a fan commented, “Ashutosh sir, this one is for Swades. He didn’t deserve this long due, but I truly want to thank you for giving us a film that changed everything in Indian cinema. Eternal gratitude & lots of love.” Another said, “Swades got justice.” A comment read, “This one is for swades.”

Shah Rukh shared the Best Actor award with Vikrant Massey, who won for 12th Fail. Rani Mukerji won Best Actress for Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, while Mohanlal was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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