The 71st National Film Awards for 2023 were announced on August 1, 2025, in New Delhi, celebrating the best of Indian cinema. Among the big winners was Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail, which took home the prestigious Best Feature Film award.

12th Fail, based on the non-fiction book by Anurag Pathak, chronicles the inspiring journey of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme poverty to become an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The film, directed, produced, and written by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, stars Vikrant Massey in the lead role, along with Medha Shankr, Anant Joshi, Anshumaan Pushkar, and Priyanshu Chatterjee.

In addition to 12th Fail winning Best Feature Film, Vikrant Massey was honored with the National Award for Best Actor for his performance. Massey shared the award with Shah Rukh Khan, who won for his performance in Jawan. This marks the first National Film Award for both Massey and Khan.

Following the announcement, Vikrant Massey expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the NFDC, and the jury members for recognizing his performance. He also thanked Vidhu Vinod Chopra for the opportunity, calling the award a "20-year-old boy's dream come true". Massey dedicated the award to marginalized people in society, those who are often overlooked and fighting socio-economic paradigms. He also acknowledged it was a privilege to share his first National Award with Shah Rukh Khan.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 12th Fail faced tough competition, but its inspiring narrative and strong performances resonated with the jury. The jury, headed by filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, praised Vikrant Massey's performance as one with "raw honesty and emotional depth".

The 71st National Film Awards saw Hindi cinema dominate, winning many major awards. Rani Mukerji won Best Actress for her performance in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway. Sudipto Sen won Best Director for The Kerala Story. Karan Johar's Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani was named Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Meghna Gulzar's Sam Bahadur won Best Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values.

Other notable winners include Shilpa Rao for Best Female Playback Singer for Chaliya from Jawan, and P. V. N. S. Rohit for Best Male Playback Singer for Premisthunna from the Telugu film Baby.

The National Film Awards recognize films certified by the censor board between January 1 and December 31, 2023. The awards aim to honor the best of Indian cinema across languages and film industries.