President Droupadi Murmu will present the 72nd National Film Awards at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on 22 September 2026, in a historic first — the ceremony is being held outside the national capital for the first time since the awards were instituted in 1954. The event recognises outstanding achievements in Indian cinema for the year 2024.

A Historic Venue Shift

The ceremony at Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia, marks a deliberate policy shift by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which has decided to rotate future editions of the National Film Awards across different Indian states and cities. The ministry has stated that the move is intended to bring the celebration of Indian cinema closer to diverse regions and highlight the country's rich linguistic, cultural, and cinematic plurality. This is the first tangible step in that direction.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award and Top Honours

Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India's highest film honour, in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema across a career spanning more than five decades. The government announced the award earlier this month on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee.

In the acting categories, Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan will jointly receive the Best Actor in a Leading Role award — Mammootty for 'Bramayugam' and Kartik Aaryan for 'Chandu Champion'. Yami Gautam has been named Best Actress in a Leading Role for 'Article 370', which has also been selected as the Best Feature Film.

Key Film Awards Across Categories

'Amaran' has received the Best Direction award for director Rajkumar Periasamy, while 'Kalki 2898 AD' has won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. 'Captain Miller' has been recognised as the Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.

'Bhangaar' has won the Best Non-Feature Film award and 'Ram-Nami' has been named Best Documentary. Actor-director Randeep Hooda will receive the Best Debut Film of a Director award for 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar'. Other commercially successful titles including 'Pushpa: The Rule Part-02', 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' and 'Stree 2' are also among the honourees.

A Milestone for Regional Cinema

This edition is notable for its breadth of linguistic representation, with films in Marathi, Santhali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tulu and Garhwali receiving recognition. Most significantly, a Santhali film will be honoured in the Non-Feature Film section for the first time in the history of the awards, according to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting — a milestone for one of India's tribal languages.

What to Expect at the Ceremony

Filmmakers, actors, technicians and other members of the film fraternity are expected to gather in Gujarat on Tuesday for the ceremony. The 72nd edition thus combines the recognition of a landmark crop of 2024 films with a structural change in how India's most prestigious cinema awards are presented — a combination that gives this edition an outsized significance beyond the individual winners.