Hyderabad: 

Both the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, presented awards to celebrate new and legendary stars of the Telugu film industry in various categories. Receiving the Best Actor award, Allu Arjun took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message: "Humbled and grateful to receive the Gaddar Award for Best Actor for #Pushpa2. My heartfelt thanks to the Government of Telangana, The Honourable CM Sri @revanthofficial Garu, Deputy CM @bhatti_vikramarka Garu, Cinematography Minister @komatireddy__venkatreddy Garu, #DilRaju garu & all the Jury members for this honour and for celebrating cinema through such a wonderful initiative. Big love to my fans… this one's for you my Army. Also my warmest congratulations to all the talented winners from across the industry at the #GaddarTelanganaFilmAwards."

Allu Arjun, the iconic Telugu star, took to social media to express his profound thanks after winning the Best Actor Award at the Gaddar Telangana Film Awards 2024 for his explosive performance in Pushpa: The Rule (Pushpa-2). The dazzling awards ceremony took place at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, and it was historic as it was the first ever state-backed film awards ceremony since the formation of Telangana in 2014. This event was officiated by Chief Minister of Telangana A. Revanth Reddy, who aimed to refresh and commemorate the excellence of cinema from a memory of the late revolutionary balladeer Gaddar, who passed away in August 2023.

The 2024 Gaddar Telangana Film Awards were not only worthwhile for their merits, but were also a way to reignite a tradition of honouring cinema in Telangana that has been dormant for far too long. CM Revanth Reddy identified how cinema could be a part of his vision for the state to be a USD 3 trillion economy by 2047. He praised director SS Rajamouli for pushing the pan-India vision by encouraging the Hindi release of Pushpa-1.

The award recognises his compelling portrayal of Pushpa Raj, a complex character navigating the underworld of red sandalwood smuggling. His intense performance and gritty screen presence have been lauded as a turning point in his career. Director Atlee, known for his work in blockbuster Tamil and Hindi films, extended his congratulations to Allu Arjun on social media: "Congratulations @alluarjunonline sir, wishing for more to come. Love you, sir."

Other prominent winners included Nivetha Thomas, who was named Best Actress for 35: Chinna Katha Kaadu, Nag Ashwin for Best Director for his sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD, Mani Ratnam who was honoured with the Paidi Jairaj Film Award, and Nandamuri Balakrishna who received the NTR Film Award. Vijay Deverakonda was also presented with the Kantha Rao Award. The ceremony was attended by top industry personalities including Rajamouli, Sukumar, Suhasini, and Dil Raju, making it a star-studded tribute to the thriving Telugu film industry.

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