72nd National Film Awards likely to move out of Delhi, Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar to Host ceremony

The 72nd National Film Awards will break with decades old tradition this year, with the prestigious awards ceremony moving out of New Delhi for the first time.

President Droupadi Murmu is expected to present the awards during her Gujarat visit later this month. According to reports, she is likely to travel to Ekta Nagar as part of the visit and present the National Film Awards there.

The ceremony is scheduled to be held on September 22 at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) in Gujarat, home to the iconic Statue of Unity. President Droupadi Murmu is expected to present the awards to the winners.

The 72nd National Film Awards were announced on July 18, honouring the best of Indian cinema for films released in 2024. In recent years, the awards ceremony has traditionally been held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, with the President conferring the honours.

 Article 370 won the Best Feature Film award, while Yami Gautam was named Best Actress. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor award.

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai won Best Direction in the non-feature category for Statue of Unity- Ekta Ka Prateek.

The decision to hold the ceremony at Ekta Nagar marks a significant shift in the tradition surrounding the National Film and also places the event against the backdrop of one of Gujarat’s most prominent landmarks.