Actress Yami Gautam has been named Best Actress at the 72nd National Film Awards for her performance in the political action thriller Article 370, with celebrated filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma among the first to publicly celebrate her achievement. Varma, posting on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, offered an extended tribute to Gautam's decade-long perseverance and creative risk-taking that preceded the honour.

RGV's Tribute: Beyond the Award

Varma, known for his candid and often contrarian views on cinema, made clear that his admiration was directed less at the award itself and more at the road taken to earn it. “I don’t and never believed in the concept of awards, but I do believe in the power of recognition especially when it comes from many years of sincerity along with an unwavering commitment to one’s craft,” he wrote, addressing Gautam directly on the platform.

He added: “The National Award could certainly feel like an incredible honour to you, but I am personally more impressed with the journey that led you to it … the struggles, the perseverance, the risks, the faith and the refusal to give up, is what gradually built it up brick by brick towards this moment of the final construction and I am sure there will be many more buildings to come.”

Article 370: A Film Rooted in Conviction

Article 370 is based on the 2019 revocation of the special constitutional status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution of India. Varma noted that the film was “not merely a project” for Gautam but “a story you deeply believed in” — a conviction that reportedly shaped her decision to produce the film alongside starring in it.

The film proved to be the dominant title at the 72nd National Film Awards, sweeping 3 awards including Best Music, Best Actress, and Best Feature Film — a rare triple for a single production in a competitive year.

The Jury and the Selection Process

The awards were evaluated by an 11-member Central Jury chaired by acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Jayaraj, who oversaw the final selection after reviewing entries submitted from across the country. The jury process is administered by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), which organises the awards under a structured multi-stage review system.

Ceremony Details

The date for the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony has not yet been announced. Traditionally, the event is held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, where the President of India confers the awards on winners — a format followed at both the 70th and 71st editions. The ceremony is expected to follow the same protocol once the date is confirmed.

For Gautam, the recognition marks a significant inflection point in a career that has spanned over a decade across Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil cinema — and, as Varma suggests, this may be far from the final chapter.