Ekta Nagar, September 2026 : The 72nd National Film Awards will be presented at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat on Tuesday, marking the first time that the prestigious ceremony is being held outside New Delhi. The move is part of the Centre’s decision to take the annual celebration of Indian cinema to different parts of the country.
President Droupadi Murmu will present the awards on September 22, honouring outstanding contributions and achievements in Indian cinema for the 2024 film year.
Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag will be conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema and a career spanning more than five decades. The award was announced earlier this month following the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee.
Instituted in 1954, the National Film Awards are among India’s most prominent honours for cinema. They recognise excellence in feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema, covering productions across the country’s diverse languages, regions and cinematic traditions.
Among the major honours for the 2024 film year, Article 370 has been selected as the Best Feature Film, while Bhangaar has won the award for Best Non-Feature Film. Ram-Nami has been named Best Documentary.
The Best Actor in a Leading Role award will be shared by Mammootty for Bramayugam and Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion. Yami Gautam has been named Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in Article 370.
Actor Randeep Hooda will receive the award for Best Debut Film of a Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. The awards also recognise films that have achieved both commercial success and critical attention.
- Kalki 2898 AD* has won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award, while Amaran has received the Best Direction honour for director Rajkumar Periasamy.
Captain Miller has been recognised as the Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values. Other films receiving honours across various categories include Pushpa: The Rule Part-02, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Stree 2.
The awards reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of Indian cinema, with films in Marathi, Santhali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tulu and Garhwali among those receiving recognition.
According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, a Santhali film will be honoured in the Non-Feature Film section for the first time in the history of the National Film Awards, further highlighting the growing representation of regional and indigenous languages.
The ceremony at Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia, is part of the ministry’s initiative to take the National Film Awards beyond the national capital. The government has said that hosting the ceremony in different states and cities will bring the celebration of Indian cinema closer to audiences across the country.
The initiative also seeks to showcase India’s linguistic, cultural and cinematic diversity while providing greater visibility to regional film industries.
The 72nd edition therefore combines recognition of the finest films and artistes from the 2024 film year with a new setting for one of India’s leading cinema award ceremonies. Filmmakers, actors, technicians and other members of the film fraternity are expected to attend the event in Gujarat.
