Sharmila Tagore returned to acting after 13 years with Gulmohar, and she is over the moon that the film has been named as the Best Hindi Film at the 70th National Film Awards. The veteran actor says the national honour comes with huge prestige, adding that she is happy that people accepted her in a queer character, which was a ‘huge risk’ in her career.

Her co-star Manoj Bajpayee has got a special mention for the film. The awards were announced on Friday.

Sharmila reacts

The actor reveals she was sitting down for her lunch when her phone rang with the good news, and she has not stopped smiling since then.

“I am over the moon. I was just sitting down for lunch when I got a call to give me the news. I was so happy after the phone call. Since then I have not stopped smiling. I rang up Rahul (director), Manoj and everyone in the team to share the happiness,” Sharmila says with a pride in her voice, adding, “It is so nice that we all kept in touch and now we all are ringing each other to share the excitement”.

“It is wonderful that all of us got along so well and this film had such a beautiful journey. One has got many awards, but this is more like a collective experience of enjoyment. It feels like a wedding celebration. We are so happy. All of us are in it together. We are also so happy for Manoj”.

On her character

Sharmila played a gay character in Gulmohar, and is glad that audiences' accepted it. “It is fate that I did the film. Rahul came to me and I liked the project. I was nervous to do it. It is a part which I have never done… Audience accepted it… I have a persona who has done all the right things, and this one was something controversial. And that turned out to be a plus point because the younger generation accepted it. It has gone beyond expectation,” says the actor.

On getting the honour

In the past, Sharmila won the National Film Award in 1976 for Mausam and then in 2003 for Abar Aranye.

Talking about the national honour, the actor shares, “National award means a lot. It is an Indian award for all other languages… It matters much more… It is more important than other film awards. Those are also prestigious, but the National Film Award is the best award”.

With her comeback film getting a national award honour, does it mean one can expect more of her onscreen?

“Ohh definitely yes, it is a promise,” she laughs.

About the film

Directed by Rahul V Chittella, Gulmohar also stars Manoj Bajpayee, Simran and Suraj Sharma. Sharmila plays Kusum, the widowed matriarch of the Batra household, who is hiding more than one secret from her children and grandchildren in the film. The Batras all gather in the old family bungalow for one last Holi before the house is sold off.

In the family drama, the veteran actor plays a character who opens up to her granddaughter that like her, she too had fallen in love with a woman when she was younger. The film was released on Disney+ Hotstar in March last year.