Actor-producer Suriya received the Best Actor award for his performance in the 2020 film, Soorarai Pottru, at the 68th National Film Awards held at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday, September 30. The leading Tamil actor accepted his award from Droupadi Murmu, President of India, at the ceremony organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, which comes under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Speaking to news agency ANI after receiving his first-ever National Award, Suriya expressed his joy and excitement and said, "It's a huge honor. Truly grateful to the National Film Award jury and the Government of India. Lot of emotions running through my mind. I have a lot of people to thank. Definitely, it should start with my director Sudha Kongara. During the Covid times, it was definitely devastating and disturbing, but this film, I believe, gave a lot of hope to everyone and that's the feedback we got. This is Sudha's 10-year-old baby. We feel we've come a full cycle with five National Awards for Soorarai Pottru. We couldn't have asked for more. And, almost after 13 years, a Tamil film getting the Best Feature Film award is very, very special." 

Suriya continued his statement by saying, "I was waiting for something like this and Sudha again brought it back to me. Again, the love, and respect, which I was waiting a really, really long time, Sudha again gave that to me. I'm truly grateful and thankful to Sudha. And, of course, the entire team, it was like a meditation - all three years of filming was almost like a meditation for us. And, my wife, she always shines her light on me. Few of them will still remember Kaakha Kaakha and how it came to be. Again, Jyotika was the one who first put her heart into this film before I could put my mind to it. That's how this film started. So, I was very happy to see her taking the Best Film award from the President of India. So, a lot of memories, my daughter and son were there, my appa and amma, they were there, and I was able to make them a part of this wonderful occasion. So, I'm definitely getting goosebumps. This is truly a moment which I'll never forget."