On Friday, the National Awards honored Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Ayan Mukerji’s passion project, ‘Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva’, with three awards. The epic sci-fi film featured an ensemble cast, including Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, and Mouni Roy alongside Ranbir and Alia, as well as a stunning visual landscape.

The film gained recognition in several categories, clinching the Best Male Playback Singer award for Arijit Singh’s rendition of “Kesariya,” the Best Film in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comic), and the Best Music Director award for Pritam’s music. Reacting to the illustrious win, Alia Bhatt took to her Instagram story to share the winning poster and wrote, “Only love and light,” while filmmaker Ayan Mukerji expressed his gratitude.

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In his remarks following the awards, Mukerji expressed his deep appreciation for the entire team, both behind and on screen. He said, “It’s a special day for us. I am deeply grateful for the recognition ‘Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva’ has received at the National Awards. The music of the film holds a special place in all our hearts. Pritam Da’s compositions, coupled with Amitabh’s lyrics and Arijit’s voice, make me feel so proud and grateful! From the music to the visual effects, we poured a lot of love into making this film, and I thank the entire team for this fantastic collaborative effort, which continues to give us so much love.”

‘Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva’ is the first installment of Ayan Mukerji’s ambitious project to create an ‘Astra verse’ comprising three films that blend mythology with modern storytelling. Both fans and critics warmly received the first film, especially praising its spectacular visual effects. The makers are now working on the next two parts of the series, with ‘Brahmastra Part 2’ slated for release in 2026 and ‘Brahmastra Part 3’ expected to hit theaters in 2027.

While the film celebrates this milestone, the 70th National Film Awards were dominated by films from the southern part of the country. The Best Feature Film award went to ‘Attam’. The Best Actor award went to Rishab for ‘Kantara’, while Manasi Parekh and Nithya Menen shared the Best Actress award for ‘Kutch Express’ and ‘Thiruchitrambalam’, respectively.

Other notable wins included Neena Gupta and Suraj Barjatya, who received the Best Supporting Actress and Best Direction awards for ‘Uunchai’, and Pavan Raj Malhotra, who took home the Best Supporting Actor award for ‘Fouja’. Meanwhile, Pritam shared the Best Music Director Award with AR Rahman, who won for his composition in ‘Ponniyin Selvan Part 1’.