The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards have been announced, celebrating the finest achievements in Indian cinema across feature, non-feature and technical categories. The awards recognise films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
The biographical drama Srikanth, starring Rajkummar Rao, won the Best Hindi Feature Film award. Based on the inspiring life of industrialist Srikanth Bolla, the film portrays the journey of a visually impaired entrepreneur who overcame immense challenges to build a successful business empire. Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, the film was praised for its powerful storytelling, emotional depth and uplifting social message.
In the acting categories, Kartik Aaryan won the Best Actor award for Chandu Champion, sharing the honour with Mammootty for his performance in Brahmayugam. Yami Gautam was named Best Actress for her role in Article 370.
In the non-feature film section, Ram-Nami received the Best Documentary award, while Main Nida won the award for Best Arts and Culture Film. Piplantri: A Tale of Eco Feminism was honoured for promoting social and environmental values, and the silent animated film Touched as Water won Best Animation Film.
Director Aanand L. Rai received the Best Director award in the non-feature category for Statue of Unity – Ekta Ka Prateek. The Marathi film Humsafar won Best Short Film, while awards for editing, cinematography, sound design, screenplay and music direction were presented across several languages.
The awards were announced after a brief delay due to jury deliberations. An 11-member jury, chaired by acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj, evaluated entries from across the country before submitting its recommendations to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The 72nd National Film Awards once again highlighted the diversity, creativity and excellence of Indian cinema across languages and genres.