Treesha Thosar becomes youngest National Film Award winner at age four

Treesha Thosar won the National Award for Best Child Artist for Naal 2.

For most four-year-olds, a big day might mean a birthday party, a school performance or simply staying awake a little later than usual. For Treesha Thosar, it meant walking onto the stage at Vigyan Bhavan and receiving one of Indian cinema’s biggest honours from the President. The Marathi child actor has become the youngest recipient of the National Film Award for Best Child Artist, winning for her performance as Chimi, also known as Revati, in ‘Naal 2.’ And soon after her win, she received an unusual congratulatory message- from Kamal Haasan, the actor whose own record she had just broken.

Treesha Thosar was around three when she performed her role in Naal 2.

Who is Treesha Thosar?

Treesha Vivek Thosar is a Marathi child actor who made her mark with ‘Naal 2,’ directed by Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti and produced by Nagraj Manjule. She played Chimi, a young girl whose relationship with her family forms an important part of the film’s story. What makes her National Award win particularly striking is how young she was when she performed the role. Reports say Treesha was only around three when Naal 2 was shot. By the time she stood on the National Award stage, she was four. The award was announced at the 71st National Film Awards, where Treesha shared the Best Child Artist honour with Sukriti Bandireddi for Gandhi Thatha Chettu, Kabir Khandare for Gypsy, and fellow Naal 2 child actors Shrinivas Pokale and Bhargav.

The record she broke

Treesha’s win also rewrote a piece of Indian cinema history. Kamal Haasan had been among the youngest actors to receive the national honour. He was six when he won the President’s Gold Medal for his performance in the 1960 Tamil film Kalathur Kannamma. More than six decades later, Treesha surpassed that record by winning at four. Kamal did not miss the significance of the moment. After Treesha’s win, he posted a congratulatory message on X, telling the young actor that she had beaten his record. He applauded her talent and credited the elders in her family for supporting her. The exchange did not stop there. Kamal also spoke to Treesha over a video call. In the conversation, he encouraged her to keep in touch and continue working on her talent. The moment was later shared by Raaj Kamal Films International, which described it as a meeting between two child artistes who had both made their mark at a remarkably young age. Treesha’s appearance at the awards ceremony became one of the memorable moments of the event. She walked up to receive the honour in a white saree, drawing loud cheers from the audience even as some of the country’s biggest film stars were being recognised at the same ceremony. For Treesha, however, the significance of the moment seemed simpler.

Treesha Thosar won the Best Child Artist honour at the 71st National Film Awards.

After receiving the award, she spoke about being happy that President Murmu had congratulated her. She also shared pictures from the ceremony on social media, describing the experience as unforgettable and joyous. There is something striking about the gap between the scale of the achievement and the age of the person receiving it. Treesha is too young to have spent years chasing awards or building a conventional acting career. Her first major recognition has instead arrived at an age when most children are still discovering what they enjoy doing. And now, her name is attached to a record once held by Kamal Haasan. For the moment, though, Treesha remains the little girl who played Chimi in Naal 2- and the four-year-old who walked onto a national stage, collected her award and received an extraordinary congratulatory call from one of Indian cinema’s most celebrated actors.