The 69th National Film Awards ceremony took place at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today, where President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards. The winners of the National Awards for the year 2021, announced in August, included Allu Arjun (Best Actor), Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon (Best Actress), and the teams behind the movies RRR, Sardar Udham, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and The Kashmir Files, all of which received multiple awards. Rocketry: The Nambi Effect was recognized as the Best Feature Film, while the legendary actress Waheeda Rehman was honoured with the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India's highest film honor.

Alia Bhatt gracefully accepted her Best Actress award wearing her Sabyasachi wedding saree with b flowers in her hair. Accompanied by her husband Ranbir Kapoor, Alia expressed her gratitude on the red carpet, stating, "Today, the only word written on my forehead is gratitude." Alia's National Award-winning performance in and as Gangubai Kathiawadi was described by her as a "pinch me moment."

Similarly, Kriti Sanon wore a cream saree and adorned her hair with flowers as she shared the Best Actress award with Alia for her exceptional portrayal in the movie Mimi, where she played the role of a surrogate mother. Kriti expressed her feelings of being blessed and fortunate to have been given the opportunity to portray such a multifaceted character, sharing that it felt right even before she began filming.