National Film Awards shift to Gujarat's Ekta Nagar for first time
The 72nd National Film Awards will be presented in Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Gujarat, on September 22 — the first time the ceremony leaves Delhi.
In a historic first, the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony will be held outside Delhi, at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat's Kevadia, on September 22. President Droupadi Murmu will present the honours at the venue, which is home to the 597-foot Statue of Unity, a monument dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and inaugurated in 2018.
The move breaks a tradition dating back to 1954, when the first National Awards were presented at Vigyan Bhawan in the capital. Most subsequent editions have been hosted at the same venue.
The awards for this year's edition were announced in July. The feature film "Article 370" has been named Best Feature Film, with its lead actor Yami Gautam winning the Best Actress award. The Best Actor prize will be shared by Malayalam cinema veteran Mammootty, for his role in "Bramayugam", and Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan, for "Chandu Champion".
Actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda has been recognised with the Best Debut Director award for "Swatantrya Veer Savarkar", a biopic on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The Telugu science-fiction epic "Kalki 2898 AD" will receive the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, 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.