November 14: Tamil films won seven awards at the 72nd National Film Awards for 2024, plus two special mentions in the feature section and one award in the non-feature section. Amaran led with three wins, including Best Direction for Rajkumar Periasamy, and Dhanush’s Raayan was named Best Tamil Film. The results were announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in July.
Key highlights
- Best Tamil Film: Raayan, directed by Dhanush.
- Best Direction: Rajkumar Periasamy for Amaran, which also won for background music and editing.
- Maharaja: Best Supporting Actress (shared) for Sachana Namidass and Best Action Direction for Anl Arasu.
- Captain Miller: Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values, and a special mention for Dhanush.
- Non-feature: Best Sound Design for Blue.
Every Tamil win
| Award | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Tamil Film | Dhanush (director) | Raayan |
| Best Direction | Rajkumar Periasamy | Amaran |
| Best Music Direction (background music) | G.V. Prakash Kumar | Amaran |
| Best Editing | R. Kalaivannan | Amaran |
| Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values | Arun Matheswaran (director) | Captain Miller |
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role (shared) | Sachana Namidass | Maharaja |
| Best Action Direction (stunt choreography) | Anl Arasu | Maharaja |
| Special Mention | Dhanush | Captain Miller |
| Special Mention | Suren G. (sound mix engineer) | Meiyazhagan |
| Best Sound Design (non-feature) | T.S. Hari Hara Sudhan | Blue |
Amaran’s sweep
Amaran was the most decorated Tamil film, winning for direction, background music and editing. G.V. Prakash Kumar’s background score and R. Kalaivannan’s editing were both recognised. Maharaja, with two awards, was the only other Tamil film with more than one win in the feature section.
Dhanush, twice over
Dhanush appears twice on the list: as the director of Raayan, the Best Tamil Film, and with a special mention for his performance in Captain Miller, which also won the award for promoting national, social and environmental values.
Our calculation
| Film | Awards (feature section) |
|---|---|
| Amaran | 3 |
| Maharaja | 2 (one shared) |
| Raayan | 1 |
| Captain Miller | 1, plus a special mention |
| Meiyazhagan | Special mention |
| Total awards | 7, plus 2 special mentions |
What it means for India and Asia
The awards show the range of Tamil cinema in 2024: a war biopic in Amaran, a revenge thriller in Maharaja, a period action film in Captain Miller and an actor-director’s crime drama in Raayan. Tamil films have a large audience outside India, especially in Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia, so national recognition also carries weight with audiences across South and Southeast Asia.
What to watch
- Tamil titles in the Indian Panorama at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, November 20–28.
- Entries for the next National Film Awards, for films certified in 2025.
Dhanush receiving the National Film Award for Best Actor for Aadukalam from then President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi in 2011 (file photo). Image: President’s Secretariat, GODL-India, via Wikimedia Commons. Photo source · Licence
Sources
The Entertainment Desk covers cinema from India, Asia and Hollywood: releases, box office, awards and festivals, reported from official announcements. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
