Sooraj R. Barjatya won the Best Director award at the 70th National Film Awards for his film ‘Uunchai’. Neena Gupta also received the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in the same film. The awards, announced on Friday in the national capital, celebrated the film’s exceptional storytelling and performances. The jury, including Rahul Rawail as Chairperson of the Feature Film Jury, Nila Madhab Panda for Non-Feature Films, and Gangadhar Mudalair for Best Writing on Cinema, recognized ‘Uunchai’ for its compelling narrative. The film tells the story of three friends, played by Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani, and Anupam Kher, who plan to summit Mount Everest. After the death of Danny Denzongpa’s character, they honor his wish by scattering his ashes at the summit, with Parineeti Chopra training them for the climb. This film marks Barjatya’s return to direction since his 2015 film ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’.