The ceremony in Kevadia saw Yami Gautam win Best Actress for Article 370, Kartik Aaryan share Best Actor with Mammootty, and Dhanush earn his first director's National honour.
Yami Gautam walked onto the stage in Kevadia and lifted the Best Actress trophy for her work in the political thriller Article 370. President Droupadi Murmu handed her the award, and a visibly moved Aditya Dhar, the film’s producer‑director, stood beside her.
Article 370 also snagged the Best Feature Film honour, and Dhar collected that plaque moments later, a double celebration for the home‑grown project.
Mammootty received a standing ovation as he secured his fourth Best Actor prize, this time for the monochrome Malayalam drama Bramayugam. The veteran’s earlier wins date back to the late‑80s, making this a career‑spanning triumph.
Sharing the Best Actor accolade with Mammootty was Kartik Aaryan, praised for his portrayal of Murlikant Petkar in Kabir Khan’s biopic Chandu Champion. The role demanded a drastic physical overhaul and months of swimming drills, a commitment the actor embraced fully.
Dhanush’s night was a double‑header. He was named Best Tamil Film for Raayan, a gritty tale of a man dragged into crime while shielding his family. The same evening, he earned a Special Mention for his performance in Captain Miller, a period piece set before independence that also bagged a value‑based feature award.
Veteran Sanjay Mishra added a supporting actor trophy to his résumé for the Netflix crime drama Bhakshak, where he played cameraman Bhaskar Sinha. Mishra recalled learning of the win through a message that pointed him to the Press Information Bureau website – a poignant nod to his late father’s former job there.
Randeep Hooda’s Swatantrya Veer Savarkar fetched the Best Debut Director award, a biopic on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar that also featured Ankita Lokhande and Amit Sial. Meanwhile, the Hindi film Srikanth, starring Rajkummar Rao, was crowned Best Hindi Film, with producer Bhushan Kumar and director Tushar Hiranandani accepting on its behalf.
The 72nd edition broke tradition by moving out of New Delhi, setting up near the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. The shift added a fresh backdrop to an otherwise familiar ceremony.
And the buzz isn’t over. With the awards season still humming, filmmakers are eyeing upcoming releases that could ride this wave of recognition. The industry will be watching how these honours translate into box‑office clout and streaming deals in the months ahead.
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