72nd National Film Awards to be Conferred at Ekta Nagar on September 22
President Murmu will present the 72nd National Film Awards at Ekta Nagar on September 22, honouring films like 'Article 370' and artists across India.
The 72nd National Film Awards will be presented by President Droupadi Murmu on September 22 at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) in Gujarat, as announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The ceremony will bring together filmmakers, actors, technicians, and artists from across the country to celebrate the finest achievements in Indian cinema for 2024.
'Article 370' has been named Best Feature Film, while 'Bhangaar' won Best Non-Feature Film and 'Ram-Nami' was chosen as Best Documentary. Mammootty (for 'Bramayugam') and Kartik Aaryan (for 'Chandu Champion') will share the Best Actor award, with Yami Gautam winning Best Actress for 'Article 370'. Randeep Hooda will receive the Best Debut Director award for 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar'.
The awards span multiple languages, including Marathi, Santhali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tulu, and Garhwali. For the first time, a Santhali film will be honoured in the Non-Feature Film section. Popular films such as 'Kalki 2898 AD', 'Amaran', 'Pushpa: The Rule Part-02', 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3', and 'Stree 2' will also receive honours in various categories.
In the writing categories, Sanjeev Shrivastava has been named Best Film Critic, while the Best Book on Cinema award goes to Dr. Pradeep Kenchanuru's work on Kannada cinema, published by Mirror Pusthaka.
Instituted in 1954, the National Film Awards are India's most prestigious cinematic honours, recognising creative and technical excellence across feature and non-feature films. The ceremony at Ekta Nagar reflects the spirit of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat', and marks a policy shift to hold the awards in different parts of the country beyond the national capital.