Mumbai, Aug 16 (IANS) The director of 'Brahmastra: Part One-Shiva'--Ayan Mukerji has expressed gratitude as the movie has bagged three awards at the 70th National Film Awards for the year 2022 on Friday.

Music Composer Pritam has won the award for 'Best Music Direction', while Arijit Singh won the 'Best Male Playback Singer' for the song 'Kesariya'. The film has also won the award for 'Best Film in AVGC' (Animation, Visual Effects Gaming & Comic).

Speaking about the same, Ayan said in a statement: "It’s a special day for us. I am deeply grateful for the recognition 'Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva' has received at the National Awards. The music of the film holds a special place in all our hearts."

"Pritam Da's compositions, coupled with Amitabh's lyrics and with Arijit's voice, is something I feel so proud and grateful for. From the music to the visual effects, we poured a lot of love into making this film, and I thank the entire team for this fantastic collaborative effort which continues to give us so much love," he added.

The Jury of the National Film Awards was composed of filmmakers and film personalities from across the Indian cine-world. The awards were announced by Rahul Rawail, Dr. Nila Madhab Panda, and Gangadhar Mudaliar.

The fantasy action-adventure film, written and directed by Ayan, is produced by Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Hiroo Yash Johar, Namit Malhotra and Mukerji (in his debut production) – under Dharma Productions, Starlight Pictures and Prime Focus in association with Star Studios, along with Ranbir Kapoor and Marijke DeSouza.

The film starred an ensemble cast including Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna. The movie draws inspiration from Hindu mythology, revolving around Shiva (Ranbir), an orphan musician with pyrokinetic powers who discovers that he is an astra, a weapon of enormous energy.

Meanwhile, Ayan, who is the son of Bengali film actor Deb Mukherjee, is known for writing 'Swades', directing 'Wake Up Sid', and 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'.