New Delhi: Bollywood’s King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, has won the National Film Award for his role in the film Jawan, a major milestone in his illustrious career.

According to Indian media, the 71st National Film Awards were announced in India and after a stellar career spanning three decades, Shah Rukh Khan’s performance in the film Jawan has won him his first National Film Award for Best Actor, a long-awaited achievement and an emotional milestone for one of India’s most popular stars.

He is finally taking home his first National Film Award after a stellar career spanning 33 years, an honour that was long overdue, as he was often overlooked despite his career-best performances.

Shah Rukh Khan, known as the King of Bollywood, started his career in 1992 with the film Deewana and soon became one of the country’s most loved and successful actors.

Despite working in several critically acclaimed and blockbuster films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Swades, Chak De India and My Name Is Khan, this Indian National Award had remained out of his reach until now. In 2010, Shah Rukh surprised the audience with his role as Rizwan Khan, a man with Asperger’s syndrome and living in a post-9/11 world, in My Name Is Khan.

This performance earned him global acclaim and several international awards, however, the National Film Award for Best Actor went to Amitabh Bachchan for the film Paa, where he played the role of a child with progeria.

It took him many years to win the National Film Award, but winning this award confirms what audiences have long believed: Shah Rukh Khan is not only a beloved superstar but also one of the best actors of Indian cinema.