Actor Allu Arjun, who bagged his first National Award for his portrayal in Sukumar's 2021 directorial venture Pushpa: The Rise, responds to the honour by penning a brief note on his social media handles. 

Talking to Instagram, Allu Arjun wrote, " A huge congratulations to all the national award winners across various categories and languages throughout the nation. Your accomplishments are truly commendable, and  I would like to express my gratitude for the love and wishes pouring in from all corners of the country. Feeling honoured and humbled by it all. Thank you for the love. Humbled" 

The Best Actor nod for Allu Arjun marks the first time an actor from Telugu cinema has won the top award. As the rugged man with the heart of a tiger, Arjun embodied a sense of animalistic determination in his titular role. It is to be noted that  Devi Sri Prasad has also won an accolade for the Best Music Director Award for the film.  

Meanwhile, the sequel of the 2021 film,  Pushpa 2: The Rule, has been developing in the production phase and is expected to a release in 2024.