Here's what Newton director Amit V Masurkar has to say on winning National Award

Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who played the role of a CRPF officer in the film, won a Special Mention at the National Film Awards for his performance.

Amit V Masurkar whose film Newton won Best Hindi Film National Award, hopes that this victory opens up more doors for political cinema in India. The 65th National Film Awards were announced on Friday.

Thanking the jury for awarding Newton, Masurkar said in a statement: "I hope this award and the film's commercial success creates a bigger space for relevant political cinema. This wouldn't have been possible without an incredible cast, crew, and the love and support from the people of Chhattisgarh where we shot the film."

Rajkummar Rao-starrer Newton, which tells the story of a government clerk who tries to run a free and fair election in a conflict area in central India, was also the official selection as India's entry for the 90th Academy Awards. Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who played the role of a CRPF officer in the film, won a Special Mention at the National Film Awards for his performance.

Meanwhile, this year, two icons of Hindi cinema, Sridevi and Vinod Khanna have been awarded posthumously. It's Sridevi's first National Award for Best Actress. Vinod Khanna, who passed away last year, has been given Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The jury panel was headed by noted filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.