Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan has expressed heartfelt gratitude to President of India Droupadi Murmu after receiving the National Award for Best Actor at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony held in Kevadia, Gujarat. The actor, honoured for his performance in the sports biopic 'Chandu Champion', shared the moment on social media on Friday, visibly moved by the President's personal acknowledgement of the film and its subject.

What the President Said

In a video shared by Aaryan on Instagram, President Murmu spoke about Murlikant Petkar, India's first Paralympic Gold Champion, on whose life 'Chandu Champion' is based. She congratulated the entire film team and Aaryan specifically for bringing Petkar's extraordinary story to the big screen.

Responding to her words, Aaryan wrote in the caption: 'Thank you to the Honourable President Draupadi Murmu Ji for your kind and encouraging words @presidentofindia. Emotional and proud moment for me and the entire Chandu Champion team.'

Kartik's Journey to the National Award

In a separate post from the ceremony, Aaryan reflected on a long road from a small town to India's highest film honour. He wrote: 'Looking back affectionately with a smile at that mumma's boy from Gwalior who dared to dream of becoming an actor from an environment, where people laugh at such dreams, and move forwards. Finally, I witnessed and lived the moment, still numb with excitement and nervousness. A dream of a small town boy, the dream of every actor in the country, the National Award for Best Actor. Chandu Nahi, Champiyon hai Main.'

He added that he would remain 'grateful and indebted' to director Kabir Khan and producer Sajid Nadiadwala for entrusting him with the role of Murlikant Petkar. Notably, Aaryan shared the Best Actor honour with Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty, who was recognised for his performance in 'Bramayugam'.

Other Key Winners at the 72nd National Film Awards

The 72nd National Film Awards recognised the best of Indian cinema from 2024 across multiple categories. 'Article 370' claimed the Best Feature Film honour, with Yami Gautam named Best Actress for the same film. Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Direction for 'Amaran', while Randeep Hooda received the Best Debut Director award for 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar'.

'Kalki 2898 AD' took home Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. 'Bhangaar' and 'Ram-Nami' were named Best Non-Feature Film and Best Documentary, respectively. In a landmark recognition, veteran actor Anant Nag was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024.

Significance of the Honour

For Aaryan, the award marks a defining shift in a career that began with commercial comedies before pivoting to more layered dramatic work. 'Chandu Champion', released in 2024, was widely praised for shedding light on Murlikant Petkar's largely unsung story in mainstream Indian consciousness. The President's personal mention of Petkar during the ceremony underscores the film's cultural resonance beyond box-office metrics.

With the National Award now on his mantle, all eyes will be on what project Aaryan chooses to follow up with — and whether this recognition translates into a sustained run in prestige cinema.