Shah Rukh Khan ‘100% Should Have Got The National Award For Swades', Says Anupam Kher

When superstar Shah Rukh Khan won the National Award for Best Actor for Jawan (2023), his fans, colleagues, critics, and admirers congratulated him and celebrated his win. However, many have said that he should have won the honour back in 2005 for his role in Swades (2004). No doubt he deserved the award for Jawan, but Swades was also one of his best performances. Actor Anupam Kher, reacting to Shah Rukh's National Award win, told PTI that he "went unrecognised" for his work in many films, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Kher played Khan's father in Aditya Chopra-directed 1995 film.

Anupam Kher on Shah Rukh Khan's National Award win

Shah Rukh received his first National Award after over three decades in his career. "I am very happy for him, and personally happy that he finally got it after 40 years. You can imagine his disappointment — for Swades, he 100% should have got the National Award. So many other performances, like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, went unrecognised. Each time, he must have felt upset. So I am really glad he has finally received it," the veteran actor told the news agency.

He added, "It is a very good thing because it is different from that narrative that you should do a special kind of film (to get a national award). I was very happy to see Karan Johar, Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh Khan sitting together. It was a star-studded blockbuster National Award this year."

At the recently held 71st National Film Awards in New Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu honoured Shah Rukh with the award. He shared the Best Actor award with Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail. Rani Mukerji won the Best Actor (Female) award for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.