The National Film Awards ceremony is set to move out of Delhi this year. The 72nd edition will be held in Kevadia, now known as Ekta Nagar, in Gujarat on September 22. President Droupadi Murmu will present the honours, officials said on Monday, September 7.
Ekta Nagar is home to the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The statue stands 597 feet tall and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.
National Film Awards leave Delhi after decades
The first National Film Awards ceremony was held in 1954 at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan, as per PTI. The venue has hosted most editions of the awards over the years.
However, the ceremony has been held outside Delhi on a few occasions. The 17th National Film Awards, for instance, took place in Chennai in 1971.
The decision to hold the 72nd edition in Gujarat marks a break from the usual tradition. The winners were announced in July.
Yami Gautam, Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan among winners
Article 370 has been named the Best Feature Film, while its lead actor Yami Gautam has won the Best Actress award. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan will share the Best Actor honour. Mammootty has been recognised for Bramayugam, while Kartik won for Chandu Champion.
Actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda has won the Best Debut Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, based on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
Prabhas-starrer Kalki 2898 AD will receive the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award. Meanwhile, Dhanush-starrer Captain Miller, directed by Arun Matheswaran, has been named Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.
Article 370 among biggest winners, followed by Pushpa 2
Article 370 won three awards in total. Shashwat Sachdev was recognised with the Best Background Music award. Srikanth, meanwhile, was named Best Hindi Film, while Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Director for the Tamil film Amaran.
Pushpa: The Rule 2 also picked up two honours. Deepali Noor and Sheetal Sharma shared the Best Costume Design award for the film.
The National Film Awards are among India’s top honours for achievements in cinema. The awards recognise work across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema.
For this edition, films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, were considered.
(With inputs from PTI)
Also read:
72nd National Film Awards Winners: Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam get top honours | Full list
