Stars Gather in Kevadia as 72nd National Film Awards Get Underway

The 72nd National Film Awards ceremony is being held at Kevadia in Gujarat, drawing some of the biggest names in Indian cinema to the venue. Among those who arrived were Mammootty, Dhanush, Yami Gautam and Kartik Aaryan.

Mammootty, who is set to receive an award for his performance in Bramayugam, was dressed in a white bandhgala kurta. Kartik Aaryan opted for a black bandhgala kurta, and the two actors were seen seated together. Dhanush, who has won two honours this year, wore a traditional white dhoti with a half-sleeve shirt.

Dhanush's twin recognitions include a Special Mention for his acting in Captain Miller and the Best Tamil Feature Film award for Raayan, which he directed.

Filmmaker Aditya Dhar, director of Dhurandhar, accompanied his wife Yami Gautam, who will be honoured for her performance in Article 370. The couple was seen interacting with Mammootty.

President Droupadi Murmu will present the awards for outstanding achievements in Indian cinema for 2024. The National Awards, instituted in 1954, are among the country's most prestigious film honours and recognise excellence across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema, spanning a wide range of languages, regions and forms of filmmaking.

At this edition, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award will be conferred on veteran actor Anant Nag for his contribution to Indian cinema. Kevadia is known for the 182-metre Statue of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled on October 31, 2018.