Actor Rani Mukerji won the first National Film Award of her glittering career earlier this year. The actor won the Best Actress prize for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway at the 71st National Awards, which were given away last month at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. While Rani’s win was unanimously applauded, a few of her colleagues’ wins were criticised and even questioned. Over the years, many major awards have given rise to controversies over their choice of winners, and Rani feels an award’s value diminishes if it is questioned.

Rani on award wins and whether they matter

In a podcast with ANI, the actor said that winning the award after three decades was extra special. “We had the entire country and fans rooting for us,” she said, while talking about herself and Shah Rukh Khan, who also won his first National Award this year, “That is the most satisfying feeling because when you win an award and people say ‘she doesn’t deserve it’, there is no value of that award. But when you win an award and people say you deserve it and it is well-earned, that’s what makes me feel more fulfilled.”

In the same conversation, Rani also touched upon whether awards matter to actors. “Everything matters. I work for my audience. I am working so hard because I want to impress my audience. When I get an award, it makes them happy, and it makes them proud to be my fans. So, of course, winning an award makes it special for them,” she added.

Rani and SRK’s National Award win

Rani has won a number of Filmfare Awards for Best Actress, but this marked her first National Award win. Same is the case for Shah Rukh Khan who won Best Actor for Jawan. However, Shah Rukh’s win was mired in some controversy, when fans of Prithviraj Sukumaran questioned his win over their idol’s performance in the critically-acclaimed, The GOAT Life.