The announcement of the 71st National Film Awards on Saturday evening sparked an emotional outpouring from this year’s winners. From Kartik Aaryan’s disbelief over his first Best Actor honour to Yami Gautam’s heartfelt gratitude, Sanjay Mishra’s humility and Tushar Hiranandani’s personal reflections, the winners celebrated not just their achievements but years of passion, perseverance and dedication to cinema.Kartik Aaryan was left stunned when he learned he had won the National Award for Best Actor. “I was numb when I heard the news. Of course, I had hoped to win for Chandu Champion. We had all worked so hard on the film. But hoping is one thing, and actually winning is something else altogether. And to share the honour with the great Mammootty Sir… wow!”Yami Gautam got emotional after winning the Best Actress Award for Article 370. “Receiving the National Award for Article 370 is an honour I will cherish for the rest of my life. For fourteen years, I have simply tried to stay true to my craft, work with honesty and let my performances speak for themselves. This honour feels like the culmination of a journey filled with hope, perseverance, resilience and an unwavering love for cinema. It is a dream I have carried in my heart for years and today, I receive it with immense gratitude and humility.”Sanjay Mishra who won the National award for Best Supporting Actor is filled with gratitude. “As an actor, all you really hope for is to keep getting good stories and meaningful characters to play. And when that journey is recognised with an honour as prestigious as the National Film Award, there can be no greater feeling for an actor. I am deeply grateful for this recognition. Bhakshak is a very important film, and I would like to sincerely thank Pulkit, Red Chillies Entertainment and Netflix for bringing this story to audiences with such honesty and courage.”Director Tushar Hiranandani, whose Srikanth won the National Award for Best Hindi Film, was overwhelmed with emotion. “I’m honoured to receive what I believe is the highest recognition in Indian cinema—the National Award. What makes this even more special is that Srikanth wasn’t even nominated at the other popular award ceremonies, yet it has won the Best Hindi Film award at the National Awards. That makes this victory incredibly meaningful.”