The 72nd National Film Awards will be presented on Tuesday, September 22, in Gujarat, marking a landmark departure from tradition as the prestigious ceremony is hosted outside New Delhi for the very first time. The grand event will take place at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia, set against the backdrop of the iconic Statue of Unity, with President Droupadi Murmu presiding over the ceremony to hand out the honours.
The edition celebrates cinematic achievements for the year 2024, honouring 92 winners across Feature Film, Non-Feature Film, and Best Writing on Cinema categories. Veteran Kannada star Anant Nag will also be conferred with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 in recognition of his five-decade-long contribution to Indian cinema. Best Feature Film: Article 370 Best Actress: Yami Gautam (Article 370) Best Actor (Shared): Mammootty (Bramayugam) and Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) Best Debut Director: Randeep Hooda (Swatantrya Veer Savarkar) Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Kalki 2898 AD
Breaking a decades-long tradition of holding the awards in the national capital, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has initiated a decentralized model to take future editions of the National Film Awards to different states. Gujarat was chosen as the debut destination to host the event under the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.
