Telugu cinema won big at the 69th National Film Awards announced on Thursday evening for films that were certified in 2021. S.S. Rajamouli’s RRR, which was certified in December 2021 before its worldwide release in March 2022 and director Sukumar’s Pushpa - The Rise led the pack as Telugu films bagged 10 awards. Actor Allu Arjun won the award for Best Actor (male) for his titular role in Pushpa - The Rise. Debut director Buchi Babu Sana’s Uppena was declared the Best Feature Film in Telugu language. Telugu writer Purushothama Charyulu won the award for best film critic.
Rajamouli’s RRR (Rise, Roar, Revolt), starring NTR Jr and Ram Charan, which bagged the first ever Academy Award for Best Original Song for an Indian film, with composer M.M. Keeravani and lyricist Chandrabose receiving the honours earlier this year, made its strong presence felt at the 69th National Film Awards.
