Telugu films made their presence fel at the 71st National Film Awards with several crowd pleasing movies winning laurels in different categories. Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Bhagavanth Kesari bagged the best Telugu film award for its strong social message. Other films which were recognised by the jury included Hanuman (Best Action Choreography and Best Animation) , Balagam ( Best Lyrics )and Baby(Best Screenplay). Sukumar’s daughter Sukriti Veni Bandreddi won the best child artiste award for her performance in Gandhi Thatha Chettu.

Reacting on the top honor, Hindupur MLA and actor Balakrishna who played the titular roles of Bhagavanth Kesari in the film stated that he is very proud with the recognition. He credited the success of national glory to his whole team and thanked the producers for bringing a message oriented film to the audience. He lavished praises on director Anil Ravipudi for writing such a honest and thoughtful script and also expressed his gratitude to the technical team for their efforts in making this film. He said the recognition in the form of national award will inspire the artists and technicians to bring more such beautiful films.

Anil Ravipudi also shared his happiness over this honour. He thanked the jury and the audience for appreciating the social message in the film. He dedicated the award to every daughter who dares to dream big and roar louder. He expressed gratitude to Balakrishna for his conviction in the script and also extended thanks to the entire team behind the film.

Bhagavanth Kesari is about a gallant circle inspector who turns a saviour to a girl who lost her father in a road accident. Happening actress Sree Leela appeared as Vijaya Lakshmi. The film released in 2023 and turned out to be a box office success. Balakrishna’s powerful performance and Sree Leela’s noteworthy acting skills helped the film garner positive response and the strong social message also struck a chord with the family audience. It was produced by Shine Screens banner.