The 72nd National Film Awards were held in recognition of some of the best films in Indian cinema that were certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2024. This year’s winners showcased the variety and creativity of the Indian film industry, from great performances to blockbusters and regional cinema.
Article 370 Wins Best Feature Film
Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale and produced by Aditya Dhar, was awarded the National Award for Best Feature Film. The film was also recognized for its music and was one of the biggest winners of the ceremony.
Mammootty Earns His Fourth National Award
Actor Mammootty, who had appeared in numerous films, won the Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role in Bramayugam. The award added to his impressive body of honors, making him one of India’s most renowned actors.
Kartik Aaryan Wins for Chandu Champion
Kartik Aaryan won the Best Actor award along with Mammootty for the role of Paralympic champion Murlikant Petkar in Chandu Champion. The accolade was an important one in the actor’s career.
Yami Gautam Takes Home Best Actress
Yami Gautam bagged the Best Actress for the Leading Role for her role in Article 370. Her acting in the political thriller also played a key role in making it the Best Feature Film winner.
Kalki 2898 AD Wins Best Popular Film
The award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment was given to Nag Ashwin’s sci-fi film Kalki 2898 AD. The film also took home the Best Production Design award, which was a testament to its space-panning scale and world-building.
Amaran Takes Best Direction
Director Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Director for Amaran, a biographical drama based on Major Mukund Varadarajan. The movie also won Best Music Direction (GV Prakash Kumar) and Best Editing awards.
Pushpa 2 Earns Multiple Honors
Pushpa 2: The Rule won two National Awards. Sheetal Sharma and Deepali Noor were adjudged Best Costume Design, and director Sukumar got the Best Screenplay for the blockbuster sequel.
Randeep Hooda Wins for Directorial Debut
Swatantrya Veer Savarkar got the Best Debut Film of a Director award for Randeep Hooda. The actor directed and acted in the biographical drama on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Dhanush Receives a Special Mention
Actor-Filmmaker Dhanush got a ‘Special mention’ in the Captain Miller movie. The historical action film also won the Best Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values.
Regional Cinema Continues to Shine
The awards were for exemplary performances in various Indian languages. Regional filmmakers did not disappoint as the winners were Feminichi Fathima (Malayalam), Raayan (Tamil), Committee Kurrollu (Telugu), Srikanth (Hindi), Mithya (Kannada), and Juiphool (Assamese).
Other Notable Winners
Sanjay Mishra had won the Best Supporting Actor for Bhakshak, and Roopashree Varkady (Mithya) along with Sachana Namidass (Maharaja) were tied for Best Supporting Actress. In various categories, Suren G (Meiyazhagan) got a Special Mention while films Maharaja, Stree 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Lucky Baskhar, and Maidaan got recognition.
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