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70th National Film Awards: AR Rahman becomes first Indian music director to have seven trophies; Vishal Bharadwaj stands third
AR Rahman recently won his seventh national film award for his contribution as a music director in Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan - Part 1. Vishal Bhardwaj has five of them in the category.
The 70th National Film Awards were announced on Friday (August 16). South stars Rishab Shetty and Nithya Menen won the awards in the Best Actor category for Kantara and Thiruchitrambalam respectively. Manoj Bajpayee and Sharmila Tagore-starrer Gulmohar won the 'Best Hindi Film' award. Meanwhile, AR Rahman became the first Indian music director to be honored with seven trophies at the prestigious awards. Filmmaker-music director Vishal Bharadwaj now stands third on the list.
Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman bagged the trophy as Best Music Director (background score) for Mani Ratnam's 2022 Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan - Part 1 at the 70th National Film Awards. Before this, Rahman had six National Film Awards.
Reportedly, music maestro Isaignani Ilaiyraaja is the second music director to own most of them. Illaiyraaja has won five National Awards for music including his 2015 win for Tharai Thappattai. Vishal Bharadwaj is on the third spot to have these trophies.
Best known for directing movies like Omkara, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, and Rangoon, Bhardwaj now has nine National Film Awards. The filmmaker-music director has won five trophies in music direction and four in other categories. At the 70th National Film Awards, Bhardwaj won the trophy for Best Music Direction (non-feature film) in his 2023 directorial musical romance short film, Fursat.
AR Rahman won his first National Film Award in music direction for Mani Ratnam's 1992 film, Roja, followed by the Tamil movie, Minsara Kanavu in 1996. In 2001, Rahman bagged the national film award trophy for Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan. He was also honored with awards for movies like Kannathil Muthamittal, Kaatru Veliyidai, and Mom.
Before Fursat, Vishal Bharadwaj has previously won National Film Awards in music direction for movies like Haider, Ishqiya, Godmother, and 1232 KMS. He also bagged these trophies for Talvar (Best Screenplay and Best Audiography), Haider (Best Screenplay), Omkara (Special Jury Award), and The Blue Umbrella (Best Children's Film).
After his 9th win, Vishal Bharadwaj expressed his happiness over receiving the award at the 70th National Film Awards. While speaking to India Today, Bharadwaj called it the "greatest validation" of his work.
Congratulations to the winners!
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