Good cinema gets acknowledged and a pat on the back from a respectful jury always brings joy, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali said on Thursday after his lavishly-mounted period biopic Gangubai Kathiawadi won five National Film Awards, including Best Actress honour for Alia Bhatt.
Bhansali won two awards -- for best screenplay writer (adapted) along with Utkarshini Vashishtha and best editing for the film.
The film's other awards were for Best Dialogue Writer for Vashishtha and Prakash Kapadia and Best Make-up artist for Preetisheel Singh D'souza.
"I’m happy for everybody who has won, my film and other films, and everybody, who has won. Good cinema gets acknowledged and a pat on the back from the government, and nationally and from a respectful jury, it always brings you joy," Bhansali told PTI.
"As far as cinema is celebrated from all over India, it is a wonderful moment for all of us. I’m too happy," he added.
Bhatt shared the best actress award with Kriti Sanon, who won it for Mimi.
Gangubai Kathiawadi, which had its world premiere at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, was adapted from a chapter in Hussain Zaidi’s book “Mafia Queens of Mumbai”.
The magnum opus featured Bhatt in the title role of Gangubai, one of the most powerful, loved, and respected madams from Kamathipura during the 1960s.
The film's star cast also included Ajay Devgn, Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, Seema Pahwa, and Jim Sarbh.
At the National Film Awards, R Madhavan's Rocketry: The Nambi Effect won the best feature film honour and Telugu superstar Allu Arjun won the best actor for Pushpa.
The singer jokingly texted Clairo saying, "Let's f**k her up," sparking an online frenzy
Why Charli XCX jokingly declared war on Peppa Pig after one viral comment
Highlights
What started as a playful celebrity game has turned into one of the internet's most unexpected viral moments, with Charli XCX jokingly threatening to "f**k up" Peppa Pig after the beloved cartoon character appeared to dismiss singer Clairo.
The exchange quickly spread across social media, drawing reactions from fans and fellow musicians, while turning an unlikely clash between a pop star and a fictional children's character into a trending talking point.
Peppa Pig's viral remark sparked the joke
The playful exchange began during Peppa Pig's appearance in Pitchfork's Over/Under game, where the animated character rated a selection of music artists.
While expressing admiration for acts including PinkPantheress and The Beatles, Peppa responded to Clairo by saying, "I don't know her," a line widely recognised as a reference to Mariah Carey's famous response when asked about Jennifer Lopez.
The remark, accompanied by a knowing glance at the camera, quickly gained traction online.
Charli XCX rushed to Clairo's defence
After seeing the clip, Charli XCX privately messaged Clairo, writing, "Let's f**k her up," alongside a screenshot of the viral post.
Clairo later shared the exchange on social media, prompting thousands of reactions from fans, many of whom responded with pig and bacon-themed jokes.
PinkPantheress, whom Peppa had praised in the original video, also joined the conversation, posting a message supporting Clairo.
As the exchange continued, Clairo responded to the growing attention with humour, replying to posts before eventually telling followers, "ok that's enoughhhhh lolllllllllll."
Some fans joked that the viral moment was the perfect opportunity for the singer to announce new music, though Clairo replied that she did not have anything ready to share.
Her most recent album, Charm, was released in 2024, with its accompanying tour concluding in 2025.
Charli XCX keeps her focus on new music
While the online joke continued to gather momentum, Charli XCX did not publicly add to the exchange.
Instead, the singer has been focusing on promoting her upcoming album, Music, Fashion, Film, which is scheduled for release on July 24.
Although fans speculated that one of the track titles could be a playful nod to the viral exchange, there has been no indication that the album references the light-hearted social media moment.