Ever since his first win at the National Film Awards for his performance in director Atlee's Jawan, Shah Rukh Khan has been getting plenty of congratulatory messages but some criticism too. Many, including the actor's longtime collaborators Juhi Chawla, Kajol, and Karan Johar congratulated Shah Rukh on the achievement. However, Malayalam actor Urvashi questioned the basis for giving him the Best Actor award, while presenting Pookkaalam star Vijayaraghavan with Best Supporting Actor. Amid the controversy, actor Mukesh Khanna, known for his iconic role as Shaktimaan, backed Shah Rukh.

Speaking to IANS, Mukesh said that there is a political agenda behind the suggestion that a South Indian actor deserved the award over Shah Rukh Khan. Many regard the actor's achievement, despite his lack of wins for superlative performances in films such as Swades and Chak De! India, as a recognition of his overall body of work. Echoing the sentiment, Mukesh compared it to AR Rahman winning a Best Original Song Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire's 'Jai Ho' instead of his "many other beautiful compositions" before.

Mukesh also highlighted the contributions that Shah Rukh has been making to Indian cinema over the last four decades. “He’s been working hard for the past 40 years — so what’s wrong if he finally gets a National Award?” said the actor.