The 72nd National Film Awards are to be presented on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar. In which state is Ekta Nagar located?

The correct answer is Article 370. The PIB backgrounder on the 72nd National Film Awards lists the Hindi film Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, as the Best Feature Film. The same film brought Yami Gautam the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Shashwat Sachdev won Best Music Direction for its songs.

Each of the other three films also won, but in a different category, which is exactly why they make tempting distractors. Amaran, a Tamil film, earned Rajkumar Periasamy the award for Best Direction. Kalki 2898 AD, in Telugu, was named Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Chandu Champion won Kartik Aaryan a share of the Best Actor award, which he holds jointly with Mammootty. When you revise an awards list, attach every film to its category, because examiners like to use the other winners of the same year as the wrong options.

The correct answer is Anant Nag. The Government of India announced on 16 September 2026 that the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 will be conferred on Anant Nag, a veteran of Kannada cinema. Born in Karnataka on 4 September 1948, he began his career in the Kannada film Sankalp, made his Hindi debut in Ankur and has acted in more than 300 films across six languages.

The other three names are recent recipients of the same award, but for earlier years. Mohanlal received it for 2023, Mithun Chakraborty for 2022 and Waheeda Rehman for 2021, so none of them is the answer for 2024. Questions on this award tend to pair the recipient with the award year, so it helps to memorise the last four winners in order. The award itself, the highest honour in Indian cinema, was instituted in 1969.

The correct answer is Devika Rani. The PIB backgrounder records that the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in 1969 and first presented to Devika Rani. The award commemorates Dadasaheb Phalke, who directed Raja Harishchandra in 1913, India's first full-length feature film, and who is honoured as the Father of Indian Cinema.

Nargis and Uttam Kumar also hold a place in the history of the National Film Awards, but for a different first: in 1968 they received the first Best Actress and Best Actor awards, which were then called Urvashi and Bharat. Waheeda Rehman did receive the Phalke award, but for the year 2021, so she was not its first recipient. That rules out options B, C and D. Questions on this award often ask for the first recipient and the year of institution together, so remember both: Devika Rani, 1969.

The correct answer is National Film Awards. The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting said the National Film Awards are being taken to India's best tourist destinations, inspired by the Prime Minister's approach of holding national events beyond conventional venues, much as G20 meetings were spread across States. He invited all States to propose their best tourism destination, with facilities and a plan for 360-degree development, and the selected State will host the next awards there.

The other awards are distractors from different fields: the Padma Awards are civilian honours announced on Republic Day eve, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are for performing arts, and the National Sports Awards honour athletes and coaches. The film awards are presented by the President, which is why Vaishnaw pointed out that the President and the film industry visiting a destination such as Ekta Nagar would draw attention to it.

The correct answer is Statue of Unity. Ashwini Vaishnaw said Ekta Nagar has gained recognition across the world as a highly attractive destination because it is home to the world's tallest statue, that of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He argued that when the President of India and leading film personalities visit such a place for the National Film Awards, more people learn about and experience the destination, which is the whole point of pairing the awards with tourism.

The other three are famous Gujarat sites but in different places: Sabarmati Ashram is Gandhi's ashram in Ahmedabad, Rani ki Vav is the UNESCO-listed stepwell at Patan, and Somnath Temple stands on the Saurashtra coast. Ekta Nagar is the township at Kevadia, on the Narmada, named for the "Statue of Unity" that rises beside the Sardar Sarovar Dam.