'Badhaai Ho is a very special film, it's gratifying to win a National Award,' says Sanya Malhotra

Sanya Malhotra says she knew Badhaai Ho will be a special film owing to its subject matter. The film, which earned Surekha Sikri the National Award for Best Supporting Actress, and also nabbed the award for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment, saw Sanya play the female lead opposite Ayushmann Khurrana. [caption id=“attachment_5402241” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Sanya Malhotra. Image via Twitter[/caption] In a statement to Indo-Asian News Service, Sanya says that winning a National Award is “truly gratifying”. “When I heard the story of Badhaai Ho, I knew it would be a very special film because the subject was different. This was one of those films where I took no time to say yes. The amount of appreciation we have got from the audience and critics is unimaginable. That is why the National Award win is gratifying,” Sanya tells IANS.  She says that she got a similar feeling of gratification while working on Dangal. When the film was released, and witnessed unprecedented critical and commercial success, the “fact was satisfying that all of us that the story had inspired many girls.” Zaira Wasim, who recently bid adieu to the film industry, bagged the National Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2017 for Dangal. Ayushmann Khurrana, who played the male lead in the film, also won a National Award for Best Actor, but for Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun. Ayushmann congratulated his fellow actor Surekha on her win, writing, “Surekha Sikri ma’am, you’re the best!” Also featuring Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta, Badhaai Ho charts the journey of the Kaushik family, after a sudden pregnancy, hilariously disrupts the delicate balance in the middle-class household. Made with a meager budget of Rs 29 crore, Badhaai Ho went on to collect a total of Rs 221 crore upon its release. The film also won four awards at the 64th Filmfare Awards, including Best Actress (Critics) for Gupta, Best Supporting Actress for Sikri, and Best Supporting Actor for Rao.