Awards
72nd National Film Awards to be held in Gujarat on September 22
President to present honours in Ekta Nagar as Centre takes ceremony beyond Delhi
NEW DELHI: The National Film Awards are stepping out of Delhi. The 72nd edition will be presented by the President of India on September 22, 2026, at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat, marking a significant change in how the country’s premier cinema honours are hosted.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has decided to take future editions of the National Film Awards to different states and cities across India instead of holding the ceremony exclusively in the national capital.
The move is intended to bring the awards closer to India’s diverse film industries and reflect the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.
Instituted in 1954, the National Film Awards are among India’s most prestigious honours for cinematic excellence. Over more than seven decades, the awards have recognised creative and technical achievements across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema.
The 72nd National Film Awards will recognise films released during 2024 across languages, genres and formats.
‘Article 370’ has been named Best Feature Film, while ‘Bhangaar’ has won Best Non-Feature Film. ‘Ram-Nami’ has been selected as the Best Documentary by the jury.
The Best Actor in a Leading Role award will be shared by Mammootty for ‘Bramayugam’ and Kartik Aaryan for ‘Chandu Champion’.
Yami Gautam will receive the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for ‘Article 370’.
Actor Randeep Hooda has been named Best Debut Director for ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’.
Several popular films will also receive honours across different categories, including ‘Kalki 2898 AD’, ‘Amaran’, ‘Pushpa: The Rule Part-02’, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ and ‘Stree 2’.
The awards will also showcase the breadth of Indian filmmaking, with recognition for films across Marathi, Santhali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tulu and Garhwali, among other languages.
A Santhali film will be honoured in the Non-Feature Film section for the first time, underlining the awards’ expanding recognition of regional cinematic voices.
The wider list of winners also reflects the range of filmmaking traditions across India, from mainstream commercial cinema to regional and independent productions.
The awards also recognise contributions to writing on cinema.
Sanjeev Shrivastava has been named Best Film Critic.
The Best Book on Cinema award will go to Naaniruvude Nimagaagi Naadiruvude Nanagaagi: Kannada Cinemada Thathva matthu Rajakeeya, translated as I Stand for You, the State Stands for Us: Political and Philosophical Dimensions of Kannada Cinema.
The book was written by Dr Pradeep Kenchanuru and published by Mirror Pusthaka.
The decision to move the National Film Awards beyond Delhi gives the ceremony a wider national footprint while bringing the country’s leading cinematic talent together in different parts of India.
With Ekta Nagar hosting the 72nd edition, the awards are not just celebrating the films of 2024, but also signalling a new travelling chapter for one of India’s longest-running national honours.
