New Delhi [India], August 1 (ANI): Actor Vikrant Massey has come a long way in his career. And now, on August 1, he achieved a milestone moment with the National Award win for his heart-touching performance in '12th Fail'.

On Friday, the winners of the 71st National Film Awards were announced at the National Media Centre in New Delhi. Announcing the names of the awardees, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker declared Vikrant the 'Best Actor'.

Vikrant shares this special honour with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who won the award for 'Jawan'.

A few hours after the announcement, Vikrant, in a press statement, expressed his happiness, dedicating the award to 'marginalised people.'

'...I dedicate this award to all the marginalised people in our society -- those who are often looked through, and those who are fighting the socio-economic paradigm of our country every single day,' he shared.

He described it as a 'privilege' to receive the award alongside Shah Rukh Khan.

'I want to thank the Honourable Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the NFDC, and all the esteemed jury members of the 71st National Film Awards for considering my performance worthy of this recognition. I also want to thank Shri Vidhu Vinod Chopra ji for giving me this opportunity. Today, if I may say so, a 20-year-old boy's dream has come true.I am eternally grateful to the audiences for honouring my performances and for recommending this film with such love. It is a privilege to be sharing my first National Award with an icon like Shah Rukh Khan,' Vikrant expressed.

Directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, '12 Fail' was released in October 2023. The film chronicles the life of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme poverty to become an IPS officer. It film puts the spotlight on his journey and how his wife, IRS officer Shraddha Joshi, was instrumental in his rise.

The news of Vikrant bagging the National Award also garnered a beautiful response from Manoj Kumar Sharma.

'Winning the National Award for Best Film and Best Actor by 12th Fail simply proves that our society truly values integrity and truth, and it holds the hope that our youth will continue to stand by these values,' he posted on Instagram.

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The 71st National Film Awards honour the best of Indian cinema from films released in 2023. (ANI)