The 72nd National Film Awards brought together some of Indian cinema's prominent actors, filmmakers, singers and technicians as awards were presented across feature and non-feature film categories.
The ceremony was held in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on September 22, where President Droupadi Murmu presented the honours for notable contributions and achievements in Indian cinema. Awards were given across 22 feature-film categories and 16 non-feature-film categories, according to the information provided.
Among the prominent names receiving recognition were Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam, Rajkumar Periasamy and Randeep Hooda. Films including Article 370, Amaran, Srikanth and Kalki 2898 AD were also among the notable winners.
Here is a look at the major winners from the ceremony.
Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan Share Best Actor Honour
The Best Actor award was shared by two performers. Mammootty received recognition for his performance in Bramayugam, while Kartik Aaryan was honoured for Chandu Champion.
Both films featured markedly different characters and storytelling styles, making the shared acting honour one of the notable announcements from this edition of the awards.
Meanwhile, Yami Gautam won Best Actress for Article 370.
Her recognition was part of a strong showing for the film, which received honours in multiple categories.
Article 370 Wins Best Feature Film
Article 370 emerged as one of the major award-winning titles at the ceremony.
Apart from Yami Gautam's Best Actress recognition, the movie was named Best Feature Film. Shashwat Sachdev was also honoured for music direction for songs in the film.
The multiple awards placed Article 370 among the most prominent titles at the 72nd edition.
Rajkumar Periasamy Wins Best Director for Amaran
Filmmaker Rajkumar Periasamy received the Best Director award for the Tamil film Amaran.
The movie also earned recognition for its music. G.V. Prakash Kumar received the award for Best Background Music for his work on Amaran.
With awards for both direction and background score, Amaran was another film that secured recognition in more than one major category.
Srikanth Named Best Hindi Film
Srikanth, featuring Rajkummar Rao, received the Best Hindi Film honour.
The film added another significant award to the list of Hindi-language winners at this year's ceremony.
Actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda, meanwhile, was recognised as Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
Kalki 2898 AD Receives Popular Film Honour
The science-fiction film Kalki 2898 AD was recognised in the Best Popular Film category.
The film had attracted considerable attention for its large-scale production and ensemble cast, and its National Film Award added another distinction to its record.
Dhanush also received a Special Mention for Captain Miller, according to the winners' information provided.
Playback Singing and Music Winners
Music and playback singing were also recognised during the awards.
Abhay Jodhpurkar received the Best Male Playback Singer award for Gharat Ganpati, while Vaikom Vijayalakshmi was named Best Female Playback Singer for A.R.M.
Shashwat Sachdev received the music direction honour for the songs of Article 370, while G.V. Prakash Kumar was recognised for the background score of Amaran.
Major Winners at the 72nd National Film Awards
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Actor | Mammootty – Bramayugam; Kartik Aaryan – Chandu Champion |
| Best Actress | Yami Gautam – Article 370 |
| Best Director | Rajkumar Periasamy – Amaran |
| Best Feature Film | Article 370 |
| Best Hindi Film | Srikanth |
| Best Debut Director | Randeep Hooda – Swatantrya Veer Savarkar |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Abhay Jodhpurkar – Gharat Ganpati |
| Best Female Playback Singer | Vaikom Vijayalakshmi – A.R.M |
| Best Music Direction – Songs | Shashwat Sachdev – Article 370 |
| Best Background Music | G.V. Prakash Kumar – Amaran |
| Best Popular Film | Kalki 2898 AD |
| Special Mention | Dhanush – Captain Miller |
Non-Feature Films Also Receive Recognition
The National Film Awards also recognise documentaries, short films and other non-feature productions.
According to the supplied winners' list, Bhangar received the Best Non-Feature Film award, while Ram Nami was recognised as Best Documentary.
Anand L. Rai received the direction honour for the documentary Statue of Unity: Ekta Ka Prateek. Kakori was recognised in the biographical/historical film category, while Bhadra Kali Natakam received a Special Mention.
A Wide Range of Indian Cinema Honoured
The 72nd National Film Awards highlighted work spanning multiple Indian languages, genres and filmmaking disciplines. Recognition was not restricted to actors and directors, with singers, composers and non-feature filmmakers also receiving honours.
For performers including Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan and Yami Gautam, the ceremony brought major acting recognition, while films such as Article 370, Amaran, Srikanth and Kalki 2898 AD featured prominently across the announced categories.
The awards once again showcased the range of contemporary Indian cinema, with mainstream productions, regional-language films, documentaries and other non-feature works represented among the honours.
