72nd National Film Awards: Anant Nag Gets Dadasaheb Phalke Award

President Droupadi Murmu gave away the 72nd National Film Awards on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, in Gujarat. It was the first time the ceremony had been taken out of the national capital. The site was picked for its link with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and with the idea of national unity, and the President said the choice suited an event that celebrates the country's cultural unity.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award

The evening's highest honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, went to the Kannada screen veteran Anant Nag. Accepting it, he recalled a childhood spent in an ashram, a move to Mumbai where the stage gave him his first role, and a run of nearly 50 plays before cinema claimed him. He later worked with the director Shyam Benegal, chose Kannada films and made Bengaluru his karmabhoomi. The same President had given him the Padma Bhushan a year earlier.

Who won what

• Best Actor in a Leading Role was shared by Mammootty for Bramayugam and Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion.
• Yami Gautam was named Best Actress for Article 370, and the same film was judged the Best Feature Film.
• Sanjay Mishra took Best Supporting Actor for Bhakshak, while Sachana Namidass (Maharaja) and Ropashree Varkady (Mithya) shared the supporting actress honour.
• Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Direction for Amaran.
• Kalki 2898 AD was the Best Popular Film, and Captain Miller won for a feature that promotes national, social and environmental values.

Smaller languages on a national stage

Languages outside the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution were heard too. Dholi, directed by Dinesh P. Bhonsle, was the Best Garhwali Film, and IMBU, directed by Shivadhwaj Shetty, the Best Tulu Film. Angen, a Santhali film by Ravi Raj Murmu, was judged the Best Debut Film of a Director. Randeep Hooda drew praise for stepping behind the camera for the first time with Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.

The entries

Chanchal Kumar, Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said the edition had drawn 400 feature films in 34 languages and 161 non-feature films in 24 languages, from which awards were given in 22 feature and 23 non-feature categories. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also spoke at the ceremony.