The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards have been announced, celebrating some of the finest performances and films released across Indian cinema during 2024. Declared by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the awards once again highlighted a mix of blockbuster entertainers, meaningful dramas and critically acclaimed regional films. This year’s honours belonged to several standout names, with Article 370, Amaran, Kalki 2898 AD and Chandu Champion emerging among the biggest winners. The awards recognise films that received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the 2024 calendar year.
One of the biggest stories of the day was Article 370 taking home the Best Feature Film award while Yami Gautam earned the Best Actress honour for her performance. In the Best Actor category, the jury chose to recognise two acclaimed performances, with Mammootty winning for Bramayugam and Kartik Aaryan being honoured for Chandu Champion. Their victories reflected the diversity of Indian cinema, where commercial entertainers and content-driven films continue to receive equal appreciation.
Major honours celebrate performances across Indian cinema
Rajkumar Periasamy was named Best Director for Amaran, adding another prestigious recognition to the film’s successful run. Randeep Hooda also received a major career milestone after winning Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Veteran actor Sanjay Mishra was honoured as Best Supporting Actor for Bhakshak, while Ropashree Varkady and Sanchana Namidass shared the Best Supporting Actress award for Mithya and Maharaja respectively.
Several commercial successes also found a place among the winners. Kalki 2898 AD won the award for Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and was also recognised for its Production Design. Pushpa 2: The Rule continued its award-winning journey with honours for Best Screenplay and Best Costume Design, while Captain Miller was recognised for promoting national and social values.
Full list of winners at the 72nd National Film Awards
- Best Feature Film: Article 370
- Best Actor: Mammootty (Bramayugam), Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion)
- Best Actress: Yami Gautam (Article 370)
- Best Director: Rajkumar Periasamy (Amaran)
- Best Debut Director: Randeep Hooda (Swatantrya Veer Savarkar)
- Best Supporting Actor: Sanjay Mishra (Bhakshak)
- Best Supporting Actress: Ropashree Varkady (Mithya), Sanchana Namidass (Maharaja)
- Best Feature Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Kalki 2898 AD
- Best Film Promoting National, Social Values: Captain Miller
- Best Child Artist: Riddhiman Banerjee, Gitashree Chakraborty, Tapomoy Deb (Onko Ki Kothin), Arundev Pothula (Chinna Katha Kaadu), Athish S. Shetty (Mithya)
- Best Cinematography: Bramayugam
- Best Screenplay: Pushpa 2: The Rule
- Best Script: Obur (Clouds) – Faraz Ali
- Best Dialogue Writer: Lucky Bhaskhar
- Best Production Design: Kalki 2898 AD
- Best Make-Up Artist: Committee Kurrollu
- Best Costume Design: Pushpa 2: The Rule
- Best Music Direction (Songs): Article 370
- Best Music Direction (Background Score): Amaran
- Best Lyrics: “Jaane Do” – Maidaan
- Best Male Playback Singer: Abhay Jodhpurkar
- Best Female Playback Singer: Vaicom Vijayalakshmi
- Best Choreography: Vijay Ganguly for “Aaj Ki Raat” (Stree 2)
- Best Sound Design: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3
- Best Editing: Amaran
- Best Action Direction: Maharaja
- Best Assamese Film: Juiphool
- Best Bengali Film: Chalchitra Ekon
- Best Gujarati Film: Maaran
- Best Hindi Film: Srikanth
- Best Kannada Film: Mithya
- Best Konkani Film: Mog Asum
- Best Malayalam Film: Feminichi Fathima
- Best Manipuri Film: Sunita
- Best Marathi Film: Mukkam Post Bombilvadi
- Best Odia Film: Lahari
- Best Tamil Film: Raayan
- Best Telugu Film: Committee Kurrollu
- Best Garhwali Film: Dholi
- Best Tulu Film: Imbu
- Special Mention: Suren G (Meiyazhagan), Dhanush (Captain Miller)
Ceremony to honour India’s finest filmmakers
The National Film Awards continue to be regarded as one of the country’s highest cinematic honours, recognising excellence across mainstream and regional industries alike. This year’s winners showcase the growing strength of Indian storytelling, with films from multiple languages earning recognition in both artistic and technical categories. The awards also underline the increasing balance between commercial success and critical acclaim, as several box office hits found a place alongside independent and regional productions. The winners will receive their awards from the President of India at a special ceremony in New Delhi later this year.
