Mumbai, July 18, 2026
The winners for the upcoming 72nd edition of the National Film Awards were announced on Saturday at the National Media Centre, and Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan and Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty shared the award for Best Actor.
While Mammootty bagged the award for his work in ‘Bramayugam’, Kartik was honoured for his work in the sports biopic ‘Chandu Champion’.
Actress Yami Gautam was announced as the Best Actress for her work in ‘Article 370’. The multi-starrer film ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ was announced as the Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
‘Srikanth – Aa Raha Hai Sabki Aankhein Kholne’, which starred Rajkummar Rao, was Best Hindi Film. The film, directed by Tushar Hiranandani, is based on visually-impaired industrialist Srikanth Bolla.
Director Sukumar was honoured with the National Award for Best Screenplay for ‘Pushpa 2’. Actor-director Randeep Hooda won the National Award for Best Debut Director for ‘Swatantryaveer Savarkar’
Being announced as the winner of the National Award for Best Debut Director for Swatantryaveer Savarkar
Music composer Shashwat Sachdev, who recently composed the soundtrack of ‘Dhurandhar’ and ‘Dhurandhar The Revenge’, was honoured with Best Music Direction for ‘Article 370’.
Best Production Design went to ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, while ‘Stree 2’ was feted with Best Choreography.
The 72nd National Film Awards recognise excellence in Indian cinema for 2024. The awards were announced by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
The awards were evaluated by an 11-member Central Jury chaired by acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Jayaraj, who oversaw the final selection process after reviewing entries from across the country.
The event is organised by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and features a structured jury system. The awards aim to celebrate the artistic and technical achievements of Indian cinema without public bias, maintaining a formal presentation.
While the date for the National Awards ceremony hasn’t been announced yet, the ceremony is expected to be held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where the President of India traditionally confers the National Film Awards on the winners. It has been the venue for recent editions, including the 70th and 71st National Film Awards.(Agency)
FOLLOW NOW
