Ajay Devgn was Tanhaji in the truest form, says director Om Raut on actor's National Award win

The 68th National Film Awards was announced yesterday and Ajay Devgn won the Best Actor award for his performance in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior. Tanhaji director Om Raut has now opened up about the appreciation the movie and Devgn has received.

"The film had the wholehearted support of Ajay Devgn Sir, who not only agreed to play the lead but also took the efforts to produce it. I'm happy the film has won the Best Film Award for Wholesome Entertainment at the 68th National Awards," Raut told IANS as reported by Times of India. 

Raut said that he congratulated Devgn for winning Best Actor and added that the actor was Tanhaji in the ‘truest form’. He also added that all this would be incomplete without a special mention for Saif Ali Khan, who played a crucial role in the historical action flick. The director also congratulated Nachiket Barve and Mahesh Sherla. Who won the National Film Award for Best Costume Design. 

The director further said that the award is for each and every one of the cast and crew who worked on the movie and called them all ‘unsung heroes’. 

Apart from Devgn, Suriya also won the Best Actor award for his performance in Soorarai Pottru, which also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. The Best Director award was won by the late Sachy for his action drama Ayyappanum Koshiyum. 

Tanhaji was released in January 2020, and was set in the 17th century where the titular hero is trying to win back the Kondhana fortress after it is passed on to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The movie received positive reviews following its release. The movie is now available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar.