72nd National Film Awards: Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam adjudged best actors; full list of winners

Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan and Yami Gautam bagged acting honours at the 72nd National Film Awards which were announced on Friday (July 18, 2026). The awards honour films that received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the 2024 calendar year.

Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the award for their performances in the Malayalam film, Bramayugam and the Hindi film, Chandu Champion respectively. The award marked the fourth one for Mammootty, who has previously clinched it for Oru Vadakkab Veeragatha and Mathilukal,Ponthan Mada and Vidheyan and Dr Ambedkar.

On the other hand, Yami Gautam won the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the political action-thriller, Article 370.

Article 370 also won the award for Best Feature Film. Directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale and produced by Aditya Dhar, the film tells a fictional story of covert operations in the backdrop of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019. Shaswat Sachdeva also won the National Film Award for Best Music Director for the movie.

Meanwhile, Nag Ashwin’s mythological sci-fi actioner, Kalki 2898 AD won the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Its star-studded cast includes Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan and Disha Patani.

The Tamil film, Amaran, bagged the award for Best Direction for Rajkumar Periyasamy. The Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi starrer told the story of real-life hero Major Mukund Varadarajan, an officer in the Indian Army’s Rajput Regiment. He is remembered as a fearless leader who prioritised his team’s safety and well being.

Randeep Hooda’s Swatantrya Veer Savarkar received the honour for Best Debut Film of a director. The biographical-drama ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’, tells the story of Hindutva idealogue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, exploring his early revolutionary activities and the torture he faced at the cellular jail. The film marks Hooda’s directorial debut, who also plays the titular role.

Tamil actor-filmmaker Dhanush got a special mention for his performance in the historical actioner, Captain Miller. Dhanush had won the Best Actor award for Aadukalam (2011) and Asuran (2019).

Allu Arjun’s starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule, directed by Sukumar, won two awards. Deepali Noor & Sheetal Sharma won the Best Costume Designer Award, and Sukumar was adjudged the winner in the Best Screenplay section.

Actor Sanjay Mishra bagged the honour of Best Supporting Actor for his role in Bhumi Pednekar’s Bhakshak, where he plays a loyal and seasoned cameraman, working alongside investigative journalist Vaishali Singh (Pednekar).

Here is the full list of awards:

Feature Film List

Special mentions: Suren G (II Meiyazhagan), Actor: Dhanush (Captain Miller),

Best Tulu Film: IMBU

Best Garhwali Film: Dholi

Best Telugu Film: Committee Kurrollu

Best Tamil Film: Raayan

Best Manipuri Film: Sunita

Best Odia Film: Lahari

Best Marathi Film: Mukkham Post Bombilwadi

Best Malayalam Film: Feminichi Fathima

Best Kannada Film: Mithya

Best Hindi Film: Srikanth

Best Gujarati Film: Maaran

Best Bengali Film: Chalchithra Ekhon

Best Assamese Film: Juiphool

Best Konkani Film: Mog Asum

Best Action Direction: Ani Arasu (Maharaja)

Best Choreography: Vijay Ganguly (Stree 2)

Best Lyrics: Manoj Muntashir (Jaane Do - Maidaan)

Best Music Direction: GV Prakash Kumar (Amaran), Shaswat Sachdev (Article 370)

Best Makeup: P Ravi Kumar (Committee Kurrolu)

Best Costume Design: Deepali Noor, Sheetal Sharma (Pushpa 2)

Best Production Design: Nitin Zihan Choudhary (Kalki 2898 AD)

Best Editing: R Kalaivannan (Amaran)

Best Sound Design: Manas Choudhury (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3)

Best Dialogues: Venky Atluri (Lucky Baskhar)

Best Screenplay: Yogesh Deshpande (Swargandharva Sudhir Phadke), Bandireddi Sukumar (Pushpa 2)

Best Cinematography: Shehnad Jalal (Bramayugam)

Best Playback Singer: Vaikom Vijayalakshmi (ARM - Angu Vaana Konilu), Abhay Jodhpurkar (Gharat Ganpati - Navsachi Gauri Mazi)

Best Child Artist: Riddhiman Banerjee, Topomoy Deb, Gitashree Chakraborty (Onko Ki Kothin), Arundev Pothula (35 – Chinna Katha Kaadu), Athish S Shetty (Mithya)

Best Actor in Supporting Role: Ropashree Varkady (Mithya), Sachana Namidass (Maharaja), Sanjay Mishra (Bakshak)

Best Actor in Leading Role: Yami Gautam (Article 370), Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion), Mammootty (Bramayugam)

Best Direction: Rajkumar Periasamy (Amaran)

Best Children’s Film: 35 – Chinna Katha Kaadu

Best Film Promoting National, Social, Environmental Values: Captain Miller

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Kalki 2898 AD

Best Debut Film: Swatantrya Veer Savarkar

Best Film: Article 370

Non Feature Films

Special Jury Mention: a) Chola Dora aur Sui (Hindi); Director: Jaymin Modi & Lokesh Ghai

b) Badra-Kali Natakam (Malayalam); Director: Ananda Jyothi (Jose Antony)

Best Script: Obur (Clouds, Hindi & Urdu); Script writer: Faraz Ali

Best Narrator/Voice Over: Little Planet: A Tale of Frogs (English); Narrator/Voice Over: Soundarya Jayachandran

Best Music Direction: Parat 41 Chaya Magavar (On the Trail of 41 degree, Marathi); Music Director: Shivpal Singh Kang

Best Editing: NDA (Hindi); Editor: Manvir Jasortia

Sound Design: Blue (Tamil); Sound Designer: TS Hari Hara Sudhan

Best Cinematography: Life in Loom (English, Tamil, Hindi, Assamese & Bengali); Edmond Ranson

Best Direction: Statue of Unity - Ekta Ka Prateek; Aanand L Rai

Best Short Film: Hamsafar (Marathi); Producer: Anuksha Motion Pictures & Entertainment; Direction: Abhijeet Arvind Dalvi

Best Animation Film: Touched as Water (Silent); Producer: JB Productions; Director & Animator: Joshy Benedict

Best Non-Feature Film Promoting Social and Environmental Values: Piplantari: A Tale of Eco Feminism (Hindi, Rajasthani & English); Producer: Johnsons Suraj Films International; Director: Suraj Kumar

Best Documentary: Ram-Nami (Hindi); Producer: BBP Studio Virtual Bharat Pvt Ltd; Director: Bharatbala Ganapathy

Best Art/Culture Film: Main Nida (Hindi); Producer: Sampreshan Multimedia Pvt Ltd; Director: Atul Pandey

Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction Film: Kakori (Hindi); Producer: KSR Brothers & Minti Mishra; Director: Kamlesh K Mishra

Best Debut Film: Angen (Invisible, Santhali); Director: Ravi Raj Murmu

Best Non-Fiction Film: Bhangar (Marathi & English); Producer & Director: Sumira Roy