72nd National Film Awards Winners 2026: Article 370, Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, and Yami Gautam Win Big
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting officially announced the highly anticipated 72nd National Film Awards in New Delhi. Celebrating the absolute pinnacle of Indian cinema, this year’s prestigious awards honored the films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024.
Chaired by the acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj, the 11-member national jury filtered through hundreds of competitive submissions across multiple languages, cementing the 72nd National Film Awards winners in the history books.
The extensive 72nd National Film Awards winners list represents a grand celebration of cinematic excellence, highlighting an unprecedented balance between massive box-office blockbusters and hard-hitting independent cinema. From the high-stakes political drama of Article 370 to the spine-chilling artistic mastery of Bramayugam, Indian cinema showcased its diverse narrative strength.
Major Highlights: Article 370 and Amaran Dominate the Night
The political thriller Article 370 turned out to be the biggest champion of the event, walking away with the coveted Best Feature Film award. The film’s leading lady, Yami Gautam, secured the prestigious Best Actress title for her deeply intense, stellar portrayal of an intelligence officer.
In a historic move, the Best Actor trophy was shared by two stalwarts from completely different cinematic universes. Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan won his first-ever National Award for his grueling physical transformation and emotional performance in the sports biopic Chandu Champion. He shared the honor with the legendary Malayalam megastar Mammootty, who stunned critics worldwide with his terrifyingly brilliant performance in the monochrome horror-masterpiece Bramayugam.
Meanwhile, filmmaker Rajkumar Periasamy was rightfully named Best Director for helming the emotional and patriotic biographical war drama Amaran. On the commercial front, Nag Ashwin’s futuristic sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD took home the crown for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
72nd National Film Awards Winners List (Feature Films Category)
Below is the complete, officially verified 72nd National Film Awards full winners list across all major technical, acting, and writing categories.
Main & Acting Categories
| Award Category | Winner Name | Winning Film / Language |
| Best Feature Film | Aditya Suhas Jambhale (Dir) | Article 370 (Hindi) |
| Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment | Nag Ashwin (Dir) | Kalki 2898 AD (Telugu) |
| Best Director | Rajkumar Periasamy | Amaran (Tamil) |
| Best Actor (Shared) | Kartik Aaryan & Mammootty | Chandu Champion & Bramayugam |
| Best Actress | Yami Gautam | Article 370 (Hindi) |
| Best Supporting Actor | Sanjay Mishra | Bhakshak (Hindi) |
| Best Supporting Actress (Shared) | Rupashree Warkade & Sachana Namidass | Mithya & Maharaja |
| Best Debut Film of a Director | Randeep Hooda | Swatantrya Veer Savarkar (Hindi) |
| Best Children’s Film | Shiva Nirvana (Prod/Dir) | 35 – Chinna Katha Kaadu (Telugu) |
| Best Child Artist (Shared) | Arundev Pothula, Riddhiman Banerjee, Tapomoy Dev & Geetashree Chakraborty | 35 – Chinna Katha Kaadu & Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan |
| Best Film Promoting National, Social, & Environmental Values | Arun Matheswaran (Dir) | Captain Miller (Tamil) |
Writing & Screenplay Awards
- Best Original Screenplay: Sukumar (Pushpa 2: The Rule – Telugu)
- Best Adapted Screenplay: Yogesh Deshpande (Swaragandharva Sudhir Phadke – Marathi)
- Best Screenplay (Dialogues): Venky Atluri (Lucky Bhaskar – Telugu)
Music & Technical Excellence
- Best Music Direction (Songs): Shashwat Sachdev (Article 370)
- Best Music Direction (Background Score): GV Prakash Kumar (Amaran)
- Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir (“Jaane Do” – Maidaan)
- Best Male Playback Singer: Abhay Jodhpurkar (Gharat Ganpati)
- Best Female Playback Singer: Vaikom Vijayalakshmi (ARM)
- Best Cinematography: Shehnad Jalal (Bramayugam)
- Best Editing: R Kalaivannan (Amaran)
- Best Production Design: Nitin Zihani Choudhary (Kalki 2898 AD)
- Best Costume Design: Deepali Noor & Sheetal Sharma (Pushpa 2: The Rule)
- Best Action Direction (Stunt Choreography): Ani Arasu (Maharaja)
- Best Choreography: Vijay Ganguly (Stree 2)
- Best Sound Design: Manas Choudhury (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3)
- Best Makeup: P Ravi Kumar (Committee Kurrollu)
72nd National Film Awards Regional Language Winners
The regional distribution of awards highlights the sheer power of South Indian cinema, alongside phenomenal entries from the East and West.
- Best Hindi Film: Srikanth
- Best Tamil Film: Raayan
- Best Telugu Film: Committee Kurrollu
- Best Malayalam Film: Feminichi Fathima
- Best Kannada Film: Mithya
- Best Marathi Film: Mukkham Post Bombilwadi
- Best Bengali Film: Chalchithra Ekhon
- Best Gujarati Film: Maaran
- Best Odia Film: Lahari
- Best Assamese Film: Juiphool
- Best Konkani Film: Mog Asum
- Best Tulu Film: IMBU
- Best Garhwali Film: Dholi
- Best Manipuri Film: Sunita
Special Mentions (Feature Film Category)
- Dhanush for his powerhouse performance in Captain Miller.
- Suren G for masterful Sound Mixing in Meiyazhagan.
72nd National Film Awards Winners List (Non-Feature Category)
The non-feature film segment featured 161 intensely competitive submissions. These films captured raw real-world stories, cultural history, and deep social messages.
| Award Category | Winner Name | Winning Work |
| Best Non-Fiction Film | Jurors’ Selection | Bhangar |
| Best Direction | Aanand L Rai | Statue of Unity |
| Best Short Film | Independent Production | Hamsafar |
| Best Documentary Film | Independent Production | Ram-Nami |
| Best Animation Film | Creative Studio | Touched as Water |
| Best Script | Faraz Ali | Faraz Ali |
| Best Voiceover / Narration | Soundarya Jayachandran | Little Frogs |
| Best Music Direction | Shivpal Singh Kang | On the Trail of 41 |
| Best Cinematography | Edmond Ranson | Life in Loom |
| Best Sound Design | Hari Hara Sudhan | Blue |
| Best Social/Environmental Film | Environmental Jury | Piplantri |
| Best Art/Culture Film | Cultural Jury | Main Nida |
| Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction | Historical Panel | Kakori |
| Best Debut Film of a Director | Independent Director | Angen |
Special Mentions (Non-Feature Film Category)
- Chola Dora Aur Sui (Directed by Jaymin Modi & Lokesh Ghai)
- Badra-Kali Natakam
Breakdown of Key Wins: Why They Deserved It
The Rise of Article 370
Article 370 didn’t just win over the jury; it completely dominated the political drama landscape. By winning Best Feature Film and getting Yami Gautam her historic Best Actress title, the film solidified its status as a masterclass in modern storytelling. 72nd National Film Awards Winners 2026, It managed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats while handling sensitive, real-world events with immense narrative discipline.
Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan’s Contrast
The Best Actor tie perfectly encapsulates the beautiful diversity of the 72nd National Film Awards.
- Kartik Aaryan put his heart, soul, and extreme physical training into Chandu Champion, bringing the real-life resilience of Murlikant Petkar to life.
- On the flip side, Mammootty’s win for Bramayugam proves that age is just a number. Playing an eerie, power-drunk antagonist in a black-and-white film, his artistic risk paid off massively, proving why he remains one of the greatest actors Indian cinema has ever seen.
South Cinema’s Technical Domination
Whether it was the massive scale of Kalki 2898 AD winning Production Design or the adrenaline-pumping world of Pushpa 2 taking home Costume Design and Original Screenplay, South Indian cinema proved once again that its technical and visual ambition is unmatched.
Conclusion
The 72nd National Film Awards successfully brought the entire country together under the umbrella of creative storytelling. By honoring everything from intense independent regional blockbusters to big-budget cinematic marvels, the event proved that the Indian film industry is currently experiencing its golden age of experimental and diverse content.
