Actress Manasi Parekh, who won National Film Award for her performance in Gujarati film Kutch Express, penned a heartfelt and emotional note on her official Instagram account. The winners of the 70th National Film Awards were announced on Friday (August 16).
Manasi shared several stills from Kutch Express and revealed that Bad Newz director Anand Tiwari was the first person to congratulate her for the win. She also opened up about her struggling days.
“I completed 20 years as an actor this year and 16th August,2024 will be a day etched in my mind forever. My friend @anandntiwari was the first to send me a ‘Congratulations on your National award! So proud of you’ and I literally jumped out of my make up seat as I was getting ready for shoot. I couldn’t believe what he said and suddenly my phone was ringing and I was flooded with messages from people and media. I cried. I cried hard and loud. The kind of cry that my character Monghi in #Kutchexpress has when she realises her whole life has crumbled.”
Manasi added, “All my years of struggle, insecurities, auditions, waiting to be discovered, my lowest of lows just flashed by in my mind. The moments when I was told I wasn’t good enough, the times when I kept waiting for projects to happen. The moments when I held on, with conviction, with silent patience because of the one thought I have always had ‘I know I have it in me’. I cried as hard as I had when my doctor told me I had given birth to a baby girl. While I cried I realised moments of utter loss and utter happiness sometimes look like a lot of tears.”
The actress stated that it wasn’t just a National Award but she called it a feeling of validation, of being recognised and that of being valued.
Who Is Manasi Parekh? Know About National Film Award 2024 Winner & Kutch Express Actress
“It was the utter satisfaction an artist gets when their work is applauded. The same reaction my character Monghi has when she signs her first wall mural in the film. Real life and reel life just merged together in this one moment of time. And that moment will be etched in my heart forever ♥️ And today when I woke up and saw my name in all the leading National dailies with veterans like @bajpayee.manoj @rishabshettyofficial and @nithyamenen I realised this is what it feels like when dreams come true,” Manasi penned.
Manasi’s National Award win
Manasi won the prestigious award alongside Nithya Menen. For those unversed, Nithya also won the Best Actress award for her Tamil film Thiruchitrambalam.
Starring Manasi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Dharmendra Gohil, Darsheel Safary and Viraf Patel, the film released in January 2023. It was directed by Viral Shah and co-produced by Manasi.
The film is set in Kutch and revolves around a housewife named Monghi who lives happily, just as she dreamed. However, things take an intense turn when she discovers that her husband is having an extramarital affair.
