National Film Awards leave Delhi for first time, Gujarat to host ceremony
The 72nd National Film Awards will be held in Gujarat's Ekta Nagar on September 22, marking the first time the ceremony moves out of Delhi.
In a historic first, the National Film Awards ceremony will move out of Delhi. The 72nd edition of the awards is scheduled to be held in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on September 22, with President Droupadi Murmu set to present the honours.
The venue change breaks a tradition that dates back to the first ceremony in 1954, which was held at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. This year, the event will take place in Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia, the site of the Statue of Unity — the world's tallest statue, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The 597-foot monument was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.
The winners for this year were announced in July. The Best Feature Film award went to Article 370, whose lead actor Yami Gautam was named Best Actress. Malayalam actor Mammootty and Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan will share the Best Actor honour for their performances in Bramayugam and Chandu Champion, respectively.
Actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda has been named Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, his directorial debut based on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Nag Ashwin's Telugu sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD will receive the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award, while the Tamil film Captain Miller, directed by Arun Matheswaran and starring Dhanush, has been named Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.
The September 22 ceremony is expected to bring together several of the year's biggest winners as the National Film Awards begin a new chapter outside the national capital.