President Droupadi Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22, 2026, and conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2024) on veteran actor Anant Nag. It was the first time the ceremony was held outside Delhi.
The function took place on the premises of the Statue of Unity, near the Wall of Unity. The President said the setting seemed to evoke the presence of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the architect of India's unity, blessing a festival that celebrates the country's cultural unity.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the awards are being taken to important tourist destinations across States and Union Territories. He said the idea was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of taking national events beyond conventional venues, much as G20 events were held across various States. The aim, he said, is to take the awards beyond a conference room and closer to people, and to explore how film and tourism can be brought together. He described Ekta Nagar, home to the world's tallest statue of Sardar Patel, as a globally recognised destination.
Future venues will be chosen through proposals. Vaishnaw said States and Union Territories are invited to identify their best tourism destinations, with the best facilities and a plan for 360-degree development, and the State whose proposal is selected will host subsequent awards. Chanchal Kumar, Secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, said the ceremony is envisaged to be held in other cities in coming years. The Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, thanked the Ministry for starting the tradition of holding the awards outside Delhi.
Vaishnaw also spoke of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), which he called a new talent pool, with around 380 students enrolled in 13 industry-driven courses. He said the Prime Minister has approved 15,000 Creative Labs across the country. He asked the film fraternity to help identify and nurture raw talent from small towns, and said suggestions are invited for WAVES 2027, to be held in October next year.
Kumar said 400 feature films in 34 languages and 161 non-feature films in 24 languages were received. Twenty-two feature film awards and 23 non-feature film awards were conferred.
The Best Actor award in a leading role was shared by Mammootty (Bramayugam) and Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion). Yami Gautam won Best Actress in a leading role for Article 370, which also took Best Feature Film. Sanjay Mishra won Best Actor in a supporting role for Bhakshak, while Best Actress in a supporting role was shared by Sachana Namidass (Maharaja) and Ropashree Varkady (Mithya). Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Direction for Amaran. Kalki 2898 AD was named Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and Captain Miller won the award for the film promoting national, social and environmental values. Randeep Hooda was recognised for his directorial debut, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
Films in languages beyond those in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution also won awards. Dholi, directed by Dinesh P. Bhonsle, won Best Garhwali Film, and IMBU, directed by Shivadhwaj Shetty, won Best Tulu Film. Angen, a Santhali film directed by Ravi Raj Murmu, received the Best Debut Film of a Director award.
The President said Anant Nag's acting is a synthesis of the finest elements of theatre and cinema, and described him as renowned for natural, restrained and authentic performances.
Accepting the award, Nag said he grew up in an ashram before being sent to Mumbai, where he got a chance to act in a play. Theatre became the foundation of his career, and he performed in around 50 plays before entering films, later working in films including those of Shyam Benegal. He said he consciously chose Kannada cinema and made Bengaluru his karmabhoomi. He recalled that the President had honoured him with the Padma Bhushan the previous year.
Murmu said women should participate in every regional jury, since a holistic human perspective in any field requires women's viewpoint. She said respect and sensitivity towards every team member should be part of the industry's work culture, and urged key representatives of the creative economy to ensure that workers, small-scale artists and assistants receive due respect and social security.
She also said popular artists strongly influence people, especially youth, and urged celebrities not to endorse products harmful to health, saying a true star spreads light, not darkness.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel called hosting the ceremony a matter of pride for the State and invited Indian and international filmmakers to shoot in Gujarat.
With reference to the 72nd National Film Awards, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following pairs:
Film : Award won
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: The 72nd National Film Awards were taken to Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, rather than being held in Delhi.
Statement-II: The Union Minister said the awards are being taken to important tourist destinations to bring them closer to people and to explore how film and tourism can be brought together.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
