For the first time in living memory, the National Film Awards aren't happening in Delhi. The 72nd edition is set for September 22 at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia, Gujarat, and that single change of address has turned into a full-blown talking point days before the event.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has framed this as a deliberate rotation policy, taking the ceremony out of the capital and into different parts of the country so more regions get a turn hosting one of Indian cinema's oldest institutions. Instituted in 1954, the awards have always doubled as a snapshot of the country's linguistic range, and this year is no different, with recognition going to films in Marathi, Santhali, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Tulu and Garhwali. A Santhali film features in the Non-Feature Film section for the first time ever.

But the venue itself has become the story. Critics have questioned why Gujarat specifically, and Paresh Rawal wasn't having any of it. Speaking to ANI, the actor pushed back hard. "Is Gujarat in Bangladesh or Pakistan? It is also a part of our own country. Why shouldn't this event be held in Gujarat?" he said, adding that he'd like to see such events spread across every state, not just concentrated in Delhi.

That clip has been doing the rounds online, and it's exactly the kind of soundbite that keeps a mild controversy alive for another news cycle. Whether the venue debate quiets down before September 22 or follows the ceremony into the room remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, the actual list of winners is stacked. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan share the Best Actor honour, for Bramayugam and Chandu Champion respectively, an unusual joint win at the top of the marquee category. Yami Gautam takes Best Actress for Article 370, which also picks up Best Feature Film. Randeep Hooda gets the Best Debut Director nod for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, his first outing behind the camera.

On the non-feature side, Bhangaar has been named Best Non-Feature Film, and Ram-Nami wins Best Documentary. Beyond the top honours, big commercial titles like Kalki 2898 AD, Amaran, Pushpa: The Rule Part-02, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Stree 2 also find mentions across various categories, which should keep both the arthouse crowd and the box-office watchers reasonably happy.

What's left now is logistics and optics. Kevadia is nowhere near as easy to reach for Mumbai's film industry as Delhi is, and it'll be worth watching how many of this year's winners actually show up in person versus sending representatives. September 22 will also be the first real test of whether shifting the ceremony out of the capital becomes a one-off or the new normal for how India hands out its biggest film honour.