The 72nd National Film Awards were presented on September 22, 2026, at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia, Gujarat, marking the first time the ceremony was held outside New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu presented the honours, with Article 370 winning Best Feature Film and Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty sharing the Best Actor award. A total of 92 winners were honoured across feature films, non-feature films, and writing on cinema categories for films released in 2024.
Article 370 Leads The Night With Three Awards
Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, emerged as one of the biggest winners of the evening. The political thriller, which tells the story of the planning and aftermath of the revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, won Best Feature Film, Best Actress for Yami Gautam Dhar, and Best Music Direction (Songs) for Shashwat Sachdev.
Yami Gautam received her first National Award for her role as NIA officer Zooni Haksar in the film. Her husband, Aditya Dhar, who co-produced and co-wrote the film, was by her side at the ceremony. Dhar also received the Best Feature Film award as the film’s producer.
“This is the biggest validation that any artiste in this country could receive. It’s the highest honour. I don’t think I’ll be able to express how I am feeling right now. I am still trying to soak in and smile but from inside, I could feel that energy of an absolute newcomer for whom everything is so big, new and so special. ‘Article 370’ gave me so much as an artiste and as an actor.” — Yami Gautam Dhar
Mammootty Wins Record Fourth Best Actor Award
Mammootty won his fourth National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in the Malayalam folk horror film Bramayugam, directed by Rahul Sadasivan. The veteran actor received a standing ovation from the audience as he walked on stage to accept the honour from President Droupadi Murmu.
The Padma Bhushan honouree has previously won the Best Actor award in 1990 for Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha and Mathilukal, in 1994 for Vidheyan and Ponthan Mada, and in 1999 for Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. With this win, he is now tied with Amitabh Bachchan, who also has four National Film Awards for Best Actor.
“It’s an inspiration to every performer to get recognised by the nation. Luckily, I am very fortunate to have my fourth National Award for Best Actor. It has been a long journey with a lot of people behind me or supporting me – my directors, my co-actors, my writer, and my producers.” — Mammootty to Doordarshan
Bramayugam also earned Shehnad Jalal the Best Cinematography award.
Kartik Aaryan Wins First National Award For Chandu Champion
Kartik Aaryan received his first National Award, sharing the Best Actor trophy with Mammootty for his performance in Chandu Champion. Directed by Kabir Khan, the sports biopic tells the story of Paralympian Murlikant Petkar. Aaryan’s physical transformation and commitment to the role were widely praised by critics.
Kartik Aaryan wore a black bandhgala kurta for the ceremony and was seen sitting together with Dhanush during the event.
Dhanush Takes Home Two Awards For Raayan And Captain Miller
Dhanush celebrated a double victory at the 72nd National Film Awards. He won Best Tamil Film for directing Raayan and received a Special Mention for his performance in Captain Miller. The win marked his first National Award as a director and his third as an actor, following wins for Aadukalam (2010) and Asuran (2019). Captain Miller also won the award for Best Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.
“This is my third National Award as an actor and my first National Award as a director. None of this would have been possible without my fans, the pillars of my strength. A first is always unforgettable. Winning my very first National Award as a Director for Raayan is a blessing I will cherish forever.” — Dhanush
Anant Nag Receives Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India’s highest honour in cinema. The 78-year-old actor has appeared in more than 300 films across a career spanning over five decades. He is widely known for his role in the television series Malgudi Days and has been a leading figure in Kannada cinema.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that Nag received the honour “for his contribution to Indian cinema and an illustrious cinematic journey that has inspired generations.”
Randeep Hooda Wins Best Debut Director
Randeep Hooda received the Best Debut Film of a Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, the biographical drama in which he starred as the titular character. Hooda also directed, co-wrote, and co-produced the film. The honour recognises his work behind the camera for the first time.
Full List Of Major Winners At The 72nd National Film Awards
The following are the key winners across feature film categories for films certified by the CBFC between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024:
- Best Feature Film: Article 370
- Best Actor: Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion), Mammootty (Bramayugam)
- Best Actress: Yami Gautam (Article 370)
- Best Director: Rajkumar Periasamy (Amaran)
- Best Supporting Actor: Sanjay Mishra (Bhakshak)
- Best Supporting Actress: Ropashree Varkady (Mithya), Sachana Namidass (Maharaja)
- Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Kalki 2898 AD
- Best Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values: Captain Miller
- Best Debut Film of a Director: Randeep Hooda (Swatantrya Veer Savarkar)
- Best Children’s Film: 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu
- Best Hindi Film: Srikanth
- Best Tamil Film: Raayan
- Best Telugu Film: Committee Kurrollu
- Best Malayalam Film: Feminichi Fathima
- Best Kannada Film: Mithya
- Best Bengali Film: Chaalchitra Ekhon
- Best Assamese Film: Juiphool
- Best Marathi Film: Mukkam Post Bombilwadi
- Best Gujarati Film: Maaran
- Best Odia Film: Lahari
- Best Music Direction (Songs): Shashwat Sachdev (Article 370)
- Best Background Music: GV Prakash Kumar (Amaran)
- Best Male Playback Singer: Abhay Jodhpurkar for “Gharat Ganpati” from Navasachi Gauri Mazi
- Best Female Playback Singer: Vaikom Vijayalakshmi for “Angu Vaana Konilu” from ARM
- Best Choreography: Vijay Ganguly for “Aaj Ki Raat” from Stree 2
- Best Action Direction: Anl Arasu (Maharaja)
- Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir for “Jaane Do” from Maidaan
- Best Screenplay (Original): Sukumar (Pushpa 2)
- Best Screenplay (Adapted): Yogesh Deshpande (Swargandharva Sudhir Phadke)
- Best Dialogue Writer: Venky Atluri (Lucky Baskhar)
- Best Cinematography: Shehnad Jalal (Bramayugam)
- Best Editing: R Kalaivannan (Amaran)
- Best Production Design: Nitin Zihani Choudhary (Kalki 2898 AD)
- Best Costume Design: Deepali Noor and Sheetal Sharma (Pushpa 2)
- Best Make-Up Artist: P Ravi Kumar (Committee Kurrollu)
- Best Sound Design: Manas Choudhury (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3)
- Best Non-Feature Film: Bhangaar
- Best Documentary: Ram-Nami
- Best Short Film: Hamasafar (Marathi)
Sanjay Mishra And Other Supporting Winners
Sanjay Mishra won the Best Supporting Actor award for his performance in Bhakshak, a crime drama starring Bhumi Pednekar. The veteran actor won the award after three decades since his last National recognition.
“I make a conscious effort to observe the world to observe the people around me only then I will stay grounded. I am a very simple guy but my characters are far from simple, and because of that it manages to reach out to so many people.” — Sanjay Mishra
Ropashree Varkady won Best Supporting Actress for the Kannada film Mithya, sharing the honour with Sachana Namidass for the Tamil film Maharaja.
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First Time Ceremony Held Outside Delhi
The 72nd National Film Awards ceremony was held at Ekta Nagar near the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat, a departure from the traditional venue of Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting plans to rotate the ceremony across different regions of the country. The event was streamed online for viewers across India and globally. The ceremony began at 3 PM IST on September 22, 2026.
The National Film Awards were instituted in 1954 and are among the most prestigious honours in Indian cinema, recognising excellence across feature films, non-feature films, and writing on cinema in multiple languages and regions.
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