National Film Awards Move to Gujarat

The 72nd National Film Awards ceremony is set to break with decades of tradition, moving from New Delhi to Ekta Nagar in Gujarat for the first time in the event's 72-year history. President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to present the honours to 92 winners on September 22 at the foot of the Statue of Unity. This year's ceremony marks a significant departure from the longstanding practice of hosting the prestigious awards in the national capital, where venues like Vigyan Bhawan have been the traditional setting since the awards began in 1954. The move to Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia, aims to leverage the Statue of Unity, one of India's prominent landmarks, as a venue for major national events. The 72nd National Film Awards recognize achievements in Indian cinema for films released in 2024. Winners were announced in July. Among the major accolades, "Article 370" has been named Best Feature Film, with its lead star Yami Gautam receiving the award for Best Actress. The Best Actor prize will be shared by Mammootty for his role in "Bramayugam" and Kartik Aaryan for "Chandu Champion.