President Murmu Honours Cinema's Best as National Film Awards Debut in Gujarat

The 72nd National Film Awards were presented at Kevadia in Gujarat on Tuesday, marking the first time the ceremony has been held in the state. President Droupadi Murmu, addressing the gathering on the premises of the Statue of Unity, congratulated the awardees and said the venue seemed to carry the blessing of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of India's unity.

Veteran actor Anant Nag was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema's highest honour, for his contribution to the growth and development of the industry. The President recalled having honoured him with the Padma Bhushan last year and described his acting as natural, restrained and authentic, calling it an ideal for future generations of artists.

In her address, Murmu said films from every language and region reflect the image of India, and that Indian cinema captures the dreams, traditions, struggles and future possibilities of its people. She noted that those associated with films made in various languages and regions were present at the ceremony.

Among the films she singled out were Article 370, which she said presents a vivid account of the serious challenges to the country's unity and their solutions; Bhangaar, a non-feature film that explores unseen dimensions of life and death; Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, described as an artistic tribute to Savarkar's life story; Bhakshak, which raises awareness about women's safety; and the Santhali film Angen, whose national recognition she said encouraged cultural diversity and social inclusion.

The President also praised the jury for selecting films that address significant issues concerning society and the nation, and stressed that women's participation should be ensured on every regional jury, arguing that a holistic human perspective can only emerge by including women's viewpoints.

Addressing the creative economy, she asked those present to ensure that labourers, small artists, assistants and struggling contributors receive respect and social security, reiterating a request she made at the previous ceremony. She further urged popular film artists not to endorse products harmful to health, saying that a true star spreads light rather than darkness.

Anant Nag received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award earlier in the day. Randeep Hooda took the Best Debut Film of a Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, while Yami Gautam was honoured for Article 370 and Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion. Mammootty received his fourth National Film Award for his performance in Bramayugam, and Rajkumar Periasamy was named Best Director for Amaran.

Article 370 won Best Feature Film, and Kalki 2898 AD was named Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Srikanth was named Best Hindi Film, Raayan Best Tamil Film, Feminichi Fathima Best Malayalam Film and Committee Kurrollu Best Telugu Film.

Instituted in 1954, the National Awards recognise excellence across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema, spanning a wide range of languages, regions and forms of filmmaking. The Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue at 182 metres, was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, 2018.