A Celebration of Indian Cinema Excellence
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting officially announced the winners of the 72nd National Film Awards on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The prestigious awards, which honor artistic and technical excellence in Indian cinema, recognized films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) throughout the 2024 calendar year.
The announcement, made at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, highlighted the diverse achievements across India’s vibrant film industries. An 11-member Central Jury, chaired by acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Jayaraj, evaluated 161 films spanning 24 languages to determine the recipients of this year’s top honors.
Top Acting and Directorial Honors
The Best Actor category saw a shared victory between two industry titans: Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty and Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan. Mammootty was honored for his intense and widely praised performance as Kodumon Potti in the psychological horror film Bramayugam. Meanwhile, Kartik Aaryan received the award for his transformative portrayal in the sports biopic Chandu Champion, marking a significant milestone in his career.
Yami Gautam secured the Best Actress award for her role in the political drama Article 370, a film that also earned recognition for its music direction by Shashwat Sachdev. Randeep Hooda was awarded Best Debut Director for his work on Swatantryaveer Savarkar, further diversifying the list of celebrated talent.
Major Film and Technical Recognitions
The science-fiction epic Kalki 2898 AD was named the Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. The film, noted for its ambitious futuristic world-building and scale, also took home the award for Best Production Design. In the regional cinema category, the Best Hindi Film award went to Srikanth – Aa Raha Hai Sabki Aankhein Kholne, directed by Tushar Hiranandani and starring Rajkummar Rao, which recounts the inspiring life story of industrialist Srikanth Bolla.
The jury also recognized achievements in choreography and sound, with Stree 2 winning Best Choreography, and the Tamil drama Meiyazhagan receiving a special mention for sound mixing. Director Sukumar was honored with the National Award for Best Screenplay for his work on the highly anticipated sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule.
Looking Ahead
Organized by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), the National Film Awards remain the highest tier of recognition for the Indian film industry. While the winners have been revealed, the date for the formal award ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, where the President of India is expected to confer the trophies, has yet to be finalized.