National Film Awards to move out of Delhi, ceremony to be held in Gujarat

The National Film Awards ceremony is set to move out of Delhi this year, with the 72nd edition scheduled to be held in Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22. President Droupadi Murmu will present the honours at the ceremony, officials said on Monday.

The move marks a departure from the awards' long-standing association with New Delhi. The first National Film Awards, held in 1954, took place at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan, which has hosted most editions of the ceremony over the years. However, the awards have occasionally been held outside the national capital. The 17th National Film Awards ceremony was held in Chennai in 1971.

Kevadia, now officially known as Ekta Nagar, is best known as the home of the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue. The 597-foot monument, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards were announced in July, with several major names from Indian cinema among the recipients.

'Article 370' was named Best Feature Film, while its lead actor Yami Gautam won the Best Actress award. Malayalam superstar Mammootty and Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan will share the Best Actor honour for their performances in 'Bramayugam' and 'Chandu Champion', respectively.
Actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda was named Best Debut Director for 'Swatantrya Veer Savarkar', his directorial debut based on the life of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Meanwhile, Telugu science-fiction epic 'Kalki 2898 AD' won the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Tamil film 'Captain Miller', directed by Arun Matheswaran and starring Dhanush, was named Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values. 
(With PTI inputs)