In a historic ceremony held against the grand backdrop of the Statue of Unity in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, President Droupadi Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards, honouring cinematic excellence for the year 2024 across feature, non-feature, and writing categories. A total of 92 awardees were recognized during the event.
Legendary actor Anant Nag was honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema spanning over five decades. In the feature film section, the political thriller Article 370 bagged the Swarna Kamal for Best Feature Film. Director Randeep Hooda received the Best Debut Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, while Nag Ashwin Singireddy’s sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD won the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Rajkumar Periasamy received the Best Direction trophy for the Tamil movie Amaran. The Telugu film 35- Chinna Katha Kaadu took home the Best Children’s Film honour.
In the acting categories, the Best Actor in a Leading Role award was jointly presented to veteran actor Mammootty for Bramayugam and Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion. Yami Gautam won the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her performance in Article 370. Sanjay Mishra secured the Best Supporting Actor award for Bhakshak, while the Best Supporting Actress title was shared by Sachana Namidass for Maharaja and Ropashree Varkady for Mithya.
In the non-feature section, Marathi film Bhangaar won the Best Non-Feature Film award, while director Aanand L Rai won Best Direction for his work Statue of Unity – Ekta ka Prateek. In the writing on cinema categories, Sanjeev Shrivastava bagged the Swarna Kamal for Best Film Critic.
Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan expressed his deep gratitude upon receiving his first National Film Award for Chandu Champion. He described the honour as a milestone in his artistic journey.
Addressing the film fraternity, President Droupadi Murmu today highlighted the cultural strength and diversity of Indian cinema. The President emphasised the important role of cinema in reflecting India’s varied languages, traditions and social experiences. She said that films not only entertain audiences but also connect people across regions and help showcase India’s rich cultural heritage.
In his address, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw congratulated all the award winners and acknowledged the contribution of technicians, cinematographers and other members working behind the scenes. He also congratulated the winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, Anant Nag, and appreciated his contribution to the film world spanning more than five decades. The Minister said that the idea of taking the National Film Awards to different tourist destinations draws inspiration from India’s G20 presidency, when more than 200 meetings were held in over 60 cities across the country. Mr Vaishnaw invited all States and Union Territories to identify an important tourist destination in their respective regions so that they can host a future edition of the National Film Awards.
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