Ekta Nagar: President Droupadi Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards in Gujarat on September 22, honouring Indian films certified in 2024 and conferring the Dadasaheb Phalke Award on veteran actor Anant Nag. The ceremony brought together mainstream cinema, regional filmmaking, documentaries and writing on film on one national platform.
Anant Nag received Indian cinema’s highest lifetime honour after a career spanning more than five decades and more than 300 films across six languages. The actor, associated especially with Kannada cinema and remembered nationally for work including Malgudi Days, was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2025.
Major winners at the 72nd National Film Awards
Article 370 was named Best Feature Film, while Yami Gautam won Best Actress in a Leading Role for the same film. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared Best Actor in a Leading Role for Bramayugam and Chandu Champion respectively.
Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Direction for the Tamil film Amaran. Kalki 2898 AD received Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and Randeep Hooda won Best Debut Film of a Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Sanjay Mishra received Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Bhakshak.
Among non-feature films, Bhangaar was named Best Non-Feature Film and Ram-Nami won Best Documentary. The Santhali film Angen, directed by Ravi Raj Murmu, won Best Debut Film of a Director in the non-feature section, marking a notable expansion of linguistic representation.
Anant Nag’s five-decade journey
Born in Karnataka in 1948, Anant Nag began acting in the early 1970s. His Kannada debut came with Sankalp, while Ankur introduced him to Hindi cinema audiences. Over time he moved between art-house films, popular cinema and television without being confined to one genre.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in 1969 and first presented to Devika Rani. It recognises an outstanding lifetime contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. For the 72nd edition, the honour includes a Swarna Kamal, a shawl and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.
Why the ceremony in Gujarat matters
This edition was held in Ekta Nagar rather than New Delhi. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has said future editions will also move to different states and cities. That change can bring national institutions closer to regional film communities and widen public engagement with the awards.
The awards themselves cover feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema. The 72nd edition recognised work in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Santhali, Tulu and Garhwali, among other languages. That diversity is central to the awards’ public purpose: artistic excellence is judged across linguistic markets, not only by box-office reach.
How winners are selected
Separate juries assess feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema. Feature entries go through regional panels before a central jury makes the final decision. Jayaraj chaired the Feature Film Jury for this edition, Aseem Sinha chaired the Non-Feature Film Jury, and A. Chandrasekhar chaired the jury for writing on cinema.
The 72nd National Film Awards also show how Indian cultural coverage intersects with broader public life. Readers following national institutions can also see our India coverage and recent reporting on India’s policy and trade developments.
Awards beyond celebrity
The most visible acting awards attract attention, but technical, documentary and regional categories are essential to the institution. They can direct audiences toward films with limited theatrical reach and give creators credibility for future projects. The ceremony’s strongest signal is therefore broader than a single winner: Indian cinema’s national record includes independent and regional work alongside large productions.
Sources / References
- President’s Secretariat / PIB: award ceremony, 22 September 2026
- PIB factsheet: winners, jury and award structure
- Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: ceremony background
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