The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the winners of the 72nd National Film Awards on Saturday, with actor Yami Gautam receiving the Best Actress award for her performance in the film Article 370. The announcement was made at the National Media Centre in New Delhi and was streamed live through PIB India's official YouTube channel.
The National Film Awards are considered among India's highest honours in cinema, recognising outstanding contributions across feature films, non-feature films, and writing on cinema. The awards celebrate achievements in acting, direction, screenplay, music, cinematography, editing, and several other technical categories that contribute to filmmaking excellence.
The 72nd edition of the awards considered films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 and December 31, 2024. An 11-member jury headed by acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj evaluated entries from across the country before submitting recommendations to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
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Yami Gautam's win for Article 370 came amid strong competition from several acclaimed performances during the year. Other actors considered for the Best Actress category included Shraddha Kapoor for Stree 2, Sai Pallavi for Amaran, Kani Kusruti for All We Imagine As Light and Girls Will Be Girls, and Alia Bhatt for Jigra.
The 2024 film calendar featured a mix of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films across multiple languages. Internationally recognised titles such as All We Imagine As Light and Laapataa Ladies brought attention to Indian cinema globally, while popular releases including Pushpa 2: The Rule, Stree 2, Hanu Man, Manjummel Boys, and Premalu emerged as major box-office successes.
Along with the Best Actress honour, the complete list of winners across various categories was announced during the ceremony. The awards included major recognitions such as Best Actor, Best Feature Film, and the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, celebrating contributions to the growth and development of Indian cinema.
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