Manoj Bajpayee on Monday expressed happiness over his best actor win at the 67th National Awards for his 2020 drama Bhonsle, saying, the film completed its journey with the coveted honour. Bajpayee shared the honour with Dhanush, who won the award for Vetri Maaran’s hit period-action film Asuran.

The win marked Manoj Bajpayee’s third National Award, after the best supporting actor win for Satya (2000) and a special jury award for Pinjar in 2005.

Director Devashish Makhija’s Bhonsle saw Manoj Bajpayee as a retired Mumbai police officer, who befriends a North Indian girl and her brother who are targeted among other migrants in the city. The film faced many hurdles to reach to screens, though, over the last few years, it received accolades at various international festivals. Bhonsle finally arrived home only in 2020 on streamer SonyLIV.

Manoj Bajpayee acknowledged the struggles of the Bhonsle team as he reacted to his National Award win. “I am very happy and thankful to each and every one who believed in this film, who believed in me, and thankful to my director Devashish Makhija and my co-actors Santosh and Ipshita, my producers Sandeep, Saurabh, Abhayanand and Piiyush. From the deepest of my heart, feeling thankful to each and everyone who has supported this film and supported me,” the actor said in a statement.

“I really think, this is not an award for me but for all of those guys who backed the film. Bhonsle completed its journey with this National Award, I am only feeling thankful and nothing else,” Bajpayee concluded.