Manoj Bajpayee bagged the award for Best Actor for ‘Bhonsle’, along with Dhanush for his performance in ‘Asuran’ at the 67th National Film Awards that were announced on March 22.

In ‘Bhonsle’,  a 2020 drama film, Manoj plays the role of a retired Mumbai police officer, who befriends a North Indian girl and her brother who are targeted among other migrants by local politicians.

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Bajpayee made a mark with movies such as ‘Satya’, ‘Zubeidaa’ and ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. 

Dhanush character’s in ‘Asuran’ is that of both father and son, who fight their oppressors to reclaim their dignity and right to livelihood.

The South Indian actor made his Bollywood debut in Raanjhanaa in 2013 opposite Sonam Kapoor. He played the role of an obsessive one-sided lover in the film and won Best Male Debut Award.

The National Awards were initially going to be held in May last year but were delayed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The awards are for films from the year of 2019.

The awards are given out by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation that comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.