Mumbai, Aug 24 (PTI) 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. 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.

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"I'm happy for everybody who has won, my film and other films. 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.

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It is the seventh National Award for the director, who is elated to have been recognised in "all categories" one-by-one.

"After music and direction, screenplay and editing happened this time. So, I'm happy that these two categories for which I've not got (National award), they have awarded me for that. So, it's really wonderful," he said.

He previously won music director award for "Padmaavat”, best director award for “Bajirao Mastani”, best popular Film providing wholesome entertainment for “Mary Kom” and "Devdas" and best Hindi feature film for “Black”.

Bhansali, who is currently filming for his debut Netflix series “Heera Mandi”, plans to celebrate the National award win "with a simple dinner" with Bhatt and the rest of the team.

"The best way to celebrate is to work hard, which I'm (doing), I'm right now shooting ‘Heera Mandi'. I'm on the set,” 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 courtesan from Kamathipura during the 1960s.

Bhansali said he is glad that Bhatt won her maiden National Film Award for a film that he directed.

"I just spoke to her and told her, ‘Here was a girl, who said, ‘Sir do you see me in this role, I don't know, I'm very nervous.' Now, she is walking away with the National Award and I said to her, ‘Thank God, your first National Award is with me'.

"I'm too happy for that girl, she is a wonderful actor and deserves all this and much more for the hard work that she has put in, for all the focus she has put in, and for all the talent that she has in abundance," the 60-year-old filmmaker said.

The filmmaker is happy that Dsouza, Vashishtha and Prakash Kapadia were also recognised by the jury as their work was integral to the movie.

The director said it is assuring as an artist to know that one's work is being "seen, acknowledged, and appreciated" but he won't dwell on the moment for long.

"I don't get too many calls to celebrate and congratulate, so I think I'll keep congratulating myself for the next one or two hours and then forget about it, and move on," he said.

"Gangubai..." 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 above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)