72nd National Film Awards: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting officially announced the winners of the highly anticipated 72nd National Film Awards.
The announcements, which took place in New Delhi, honored the absolute best of Indian cinema for films certified during the 2024 calendar year.
According to media reports, an 11-member jury led by the acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj evaluated a highly competitive pool of entries before locking in the final winners.
The list reflects a beautiful balance between massive box-office blockbusters and deeply impactful artistic cinema across multiple Indian languages.
The Big Winners: Article 370 and Shrikant Clean Up
In the feature film category, the political thriller “Article 370” emerged as the biggest winner of the day, securing the prestigious title of Best Feature Film. The movie, which resonated deeply with audiences for its intense storytelling, also brought home one of the top acting honors of the night.
Meanwhile, the inspirational biographical drama “Srikanth”, starring Rajkummar Rao, was named the Best Hindi Film. According to official statements, the film was celebrated for its touching portrayal of industrialist Srikanth Bolla’s life journey.
On the commercial blockbuster front, the sci-fi epic “Kalki 2898 AD” clinched the award for Best Popular Film, proving that high-concept mass entertainers can also find favor with national juries.
Best Actor and Actress Categories Bring Big Surprises
The acting categories saw a historic and thrilling split this year.
Best Actor (Shared): Kartik Aaryan won his first-ever National Award for his physically grueling and emotionally moving performance in the sports drama “Chandu Champion”.
He shared the honor with veteran Malayalam megastar Mammootty, who stunned critics with his chilling performance in the black-and-white horror-thriller “Bramayugam”.
Best Actress: Yami Gautam took home the coveted Best Actress trophy for her powerful and commanding performance as an intelligence officer in “Article 370”.
Outstanding Supporting and Child Artistes
The jury also recognized incredible talent in supporting roles. Renowned actor Sanjay Mishra was honored for his performance in “Bhakshak”, while Sachana Namidass picked up an award for her role in the Tamil hit “Maharaja”.
Roopashree Varkady was also recognized for her stellar work in the Kannada film “Mithya”.
Additionally, the Child Artiste category celebrated the bright future of Indian cinema, sharing honors among young talents including Riddhiman Banerjee, Topomoy Deb, Gitashree Chakraborty, Arundev Pothula, and Atish S. Shetty.
Technical and Directorial Brilliance Recognized
Behind every great film is an exceptional technical crew, and the 72nd National Film Awards ensured these creators got their due spotlight.
Best Director: Rajkumar Periasamy won the top directing prize for the biographical war drama “Amaran”.
Best Action Direction & Editing: The hit thriller “Maharaja” secured wins for Anl Arasu (Action) and R. Kalai瀕annan (Editing).
Best Music Direction: The musical honors were split between GV Prakash Kumar for “Amaran” and Shashwat Sachdev for “Article 370”.
Best Choreography: Vijay Ganguly won for his infectious dance moves in the horror-comedy blockbuster “Stree 2”.
Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir was awarded for the soulful track “Jaane Do” from the sports drama “Maidaan”.
Other major technical awards included Manoj Choudhary winning Best Sound Design for “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3”, Shehnad Jalal winning Best Cinematography for “Bramayugam”, and Nitin Zihani Choudhary winning Best Production Design for “Kalki 2898 AD”.
Regional Cinema Shines Bright Across India
As always, the National Film Awards celebrated the rich linguistic diversity of Indian cinema. According to regional media updates, the winners for best films in their respective languages include:
Tamil: Raayan (Directed by Dhanush)
Telugu: Committee Kurrollu
Malayalam: Padminichi Fathima
Marathi: Mukkam Post Bombilwadi
Kannada: Mithya
Bengali: Chalachitro Ekhon
Notably, “Captain Miller” was honored with a special award as the Best Film Promoting National, Social, and Environmental Values.
Non-Feature Film Category Highlights
The non-feature and documentary segments showcased exceptional real-world storytelling. The bilingual Marathi and English film “Bhangar” won Best Non-Feature Film.
Acclaimed Bollywood filmmaker Aanand L. Rai won the Best Direction award in this category for his Hindi documentary “Statue of Unity: Ekta Ka Prateek”.
Furthermore, Joshi Benedict’s silent film “Touched as Water” won Best Animation Film, and Suraj Kumar’s “Piplantri: A Tale of Eco Feminism” was honored for its social and environmental messaging.
A Quick Snapshot of the 72nd National Film Awards
Best Feature Film: Article 370
Best Actor: Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion) & Mammootty (Bramayugam)
Best Actress: Yami Gautam (Article 370)
Best Hindi Film: Srikanth
Best Director: Rajkumar Periasamy (Amaran)
With such a diverse and well-deserved list of winners, the 72nd National Film Awards have once again highlighted that Indian cinema is thriving, not just in terms of box office numbers, but in rich, diverse storytelling.