Hyderabad, March 20 -- At the Telangana Gaddar Film Awards held on March 19, Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit lauded Telugu cinema for its "scale and soul," before joining Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to present the prestigious NTR National Film Award to Megastar Chiranjeevi, in one of the evening's most celebrated moments.

Opening her speech with a warm Telugu greeting, "Namaste Hyderabad, Andaru baagunnara" (Hello Hyderabad, how are you all), Madhuri quickly connected with the audience before continuing in English.

She expressed deep admiration for Telugu cinema, highlighting its unique ability to balance large-scale spectacle with emotionally grounded storytelling.

"The way Telugu films combine grandeur with relatable human stories is t...