70th National Film Awards: Watch Thiruchitrambalam star Nithya Menen's first reaction after receiving the Best Actress award

The much-awaited 70th National Award Films event was held in New Delhi on October 8, 2024. Nithya Menen received the Best Actress award from the President for her mesmerizing performance as Shobana in the Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam. The actress exuded vintage vibes in a silver-white silk saree paired with a red blouse and a simple makeover.

In her first media interaction after the ceremony, the actress expressed joy and gratitude over winning her first National Award, describing the moment as special. She said, “It's wonderful and absolutely special—a very important moment in our lives as artists when we receive such validation.” She then dedicated the award to her co-stars and the entire team, especially ‘Dhanush, Prakash Raj sir, and Bharathiraja sir’.

Nithya Menen in Thiruchitrambalam

Nithya Menen received the award for her role of Shobana, a cheerful character in Thiruchitrambalam. In the movie, Nithya Menen plays the role of Dhanush’s childhood friend and later his love interest. The film explores the main character's life and his difficult relationships with his father, along with the highs and lows of love.

Also read: Rishab Shetty on Kantara's success at 70th National Awards: 'Never imagined...'

Notably, Thiruchitrambalam also won the Best Choreography with Jani Master and Satish Krishnan winning the awards. However, Jani Master's award was suspended due to his involvement in the recent sexual harassment case.
The other winners from the Tamil film industry included Mani Ratnam for Best Tamil Film - Ponniyin Selvan 1. A R Rahman also won for Best Music Direction and Ravi Varman for Best Cinematography, both for Ponniyin Selvan 1.

When Nithya Menen responded to trolls who questioned her National Award win

After the National Film Awards were announced this year, many netizens felt that Sai Pallavi’s performance in Gargi was more deserving of the award than Nithya Menen's in Thiruchitrambalam. The OK Kanmani actress later addressed the critics with a note, expressing gratitude for the award and responding to the criticism. In a heartfelt note, she emphasized that a strong performance doesn't always require significant weight changes, prosthetics, or drastic physical transformations. She further stated, “ While those elements can enhance a performance, they don’t define it. I have consistently aimed to demonstrate this, and your support has enabled me to do so successfully.” She expressed sincere thanks to both the regional and central juries of the National Awards 2024 for recognizing and honoring the film.

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