The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the winners of the 72nd National Film Awards on Saturday, July 18, recognising outstanding achievements in Indian cinema. The awards honoured films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) between January 1 and December 31, 2021.
The winners were chosen by an 11-member jury headed by renowned filmmaker Jayaraj. Having previously served on the National Film Awards jury in 2012, Jayaraj led this year’s evaluation of films and performances across categories.
Among the major honours, Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor award for their films Chandu Champion and Brahamayugam, respectively. Yami Gautam was named Best Actress for her performance in Article 370.
Malayalam cinema once again made a solid impact at the awards after an incredible year that saw films like Bramayugam, Manjummel Boys and Kishkindha Kaandam receive widespread appreciation.
The competition saw several acclaimed films across industries, including Hindi titles such as Article 370, Srikanth and Chandu Champion, Tamil releases like Maharaja, Meiyazhagan and Amaran, and Telugu films such as Kalki 2898 AD, Lucky Baskhar and Devara: Part 1.
The announcement was made at the National Media Centre in New Delhi and streamed live on PIB India’s YouTube channel. The National Film Awards are among India’s most prestigious achievements across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema, along with acting, direction, screenplay, music, cinematography, editing and other technical categories. This year’s winners strongly highlight the rich and evolving cinematic storytelling of Indian cinema.