Our Bureau
Mumbai
Political thriller Article 370 and Tamil biographical war drama Amaran emerged as the biggest winners at the 72nd National Film Awards, announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday, with the honours celebrating the best Indian films certified in 2024. Article 370 won the coveted Best Feature Film award, while Amaran secured multiple technical and creative honours, reaffirming the growing prominence of regional cinema on the national stage.
Yami Gautam was named Best Actress for her performance in Article 370, adding to the film’s triumphant run. The Best Actor award was shared by Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion and Mammootty for the Malayalam film Bramayugam. Rajkumar Periyasamy won Best Director for Amaran, which also earned awards for Best Editing and Best Music Direction, making it one of the ceremony’s most decorated films.
Among other major honours, Kalki 2898 AD received the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, while Captain Miller was recognised as the Best Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values. Hindi biographical drama Srikanth was adjudged Best Hindi Film, and Randeep Hooda won Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
Supporting acting honours went to Sanjay Mishra for Bhakshak, while Ropashree Varkady (Mithya) and Sachana Namidass (Maharaja) shared the Best Supporting Actress award. The awards also recognised excellence across regional cinema, documentaries, children’s films and technical categories, reflecting the diversity of Indian filmmaking.
The awards, selected by an 11-member jury chaired by filmmaker Jayaraj, honoured films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification during 2024. The results highlighted a strong blend of commercial success and artistic achievement, with films from multiple Indian languages receiving national recognition.
