New Delhi: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday announced the winners of the 72nd National Film Awards, celebrating excellence in Indian cinema for films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
Actors Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty shared the Best Actor award for their acclaimed performances in Chandu Champion and Bramayugam, respectively.
The winners were announced at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, with the ceremony streamed live on PIB India’s official YouTube channel.
The National Film Awards recognise outstanding achievements across feature films, non-feature films, and writing on cinema, in addition to honouring excellence in acting, direction, screenplay, music, cinematography, editing, and various technical categories.
This year’s winners were selected by an 11-member jury headed by acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj, which evaluated entries from across the country before submitting its recommendations to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The 2024 cinematic calendar featured several critically acclaimed as well as commercially successful films across multiple languages. Internationally celebrated titles such as All We Imagine As Light and Laapataa Ladies received widespread appreciation, while box office successes including Pushpa 2: The Rule, Stree 2, Hanu Man, Manjummel Boys, and Premalu emerged among the year’s biggest hits.
Several performances had been widely tipped as strong contenders for this year’s acting honours, including Prithviraj Sukumaran (Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life), Yami Gautam (Article 370), Shraddha Kapoor (Stree 2), Sai Pallavi (Amaran), Kani Kusruti (All We Imagine As Light and Girls Will Be Girls), and Alia Bhatt (Jigra).
The announcement marks one of the most prestigious recognitions in Indian cinema, honouring artistic excellence and celebrating outstanding contributions by filmmakers and artists across the country.
