'Was determined to win it for my mother', 66th National Film Awards winner Keerthy Suresh dedicates the honour to Menaka

South actor Keerthy Suresh won her first National Film Awards at the 66th edition for her incredible performance in the film Mahanati in which she played the role of legendary actor Savithri. The film also won the Best Feature Film in Telugu yesterday. Keerthy is a popular South actor who has worked in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu languages. When The Hindu asked Keerthy about this amazing win, she stated, "Never expected the award. It is overwhelming. I am on cloud nine."

She went on tell the daily, "As soon as I agreed to do the role, I began working hard to learn as much I could about her. I watched her films and many clippings because I had to recreate her on screen. I also read a couple of articles about her and a few excerpts from a book on her although I am not a good reader." Keerthy further said, "I must thank Savitri amma’s daughter Vijaya Chamundeswari amma for helping me perfect her mother’s mannerisms and behaviour. Her support was immense and crucial. It was teamwork and I am grateful to each member of the cast and crew."

The beautiful actor dedicated the award to her mother and veteran actor Menaka. Keerthy spoke about how her mom deserved the National Award for her debut Malayalam film Oppol. She said, "Although the film won several awards, my mother, who played the protagonist, did not get it. She used to talk about it when I was a kid. I was determined to win it for her and I am glad I have been able to do it."