Sanjay Mishra on Staying Grounded for 72nd National Film Awards

A Simple Man Behind Complex Characters

"I am a very simple guy but my characters are far from simple, and because of that it manages to reach out to so many people, and touch so many life some extremely grateful for that," he added, drawing a distinction between his own personal disposition and the more layered, intriguing characters he has built his acting career on.

The Ceremony and Its Recipients

The 72nd National Film Awards, honouring Indian cinema from 2024, are being presented on September 22, 2026, in Kevadia, Gujarat. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, is conferring the awards, lending the ceremony its highest level of official recognition.

Best Feature Film and Best Actress

"Article 370" has been announced as the winner of Best Feature Film, while Yami Gautam has been named Best Actress for the film, giving both the film and its lead actress top honours at this year's ceremony.

A Shared Best Actor Honour

Malayalam cinema legend Mammootty has been honoured with the National Award for Best Actor for his work in "Bramayugam." He will share the award with Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan, who has been feted for his work in the sports biopic "Chandu Champion," marking a notable instance of the award being split between two actors from different film industries in the same year.

Direction and Debut Honours

Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Direction for "Amaran," while Randeep Hooda received Best Debut Director for "Swatantrya Veer Savarkar," recognising both an established filmmaker and a first-time director within the same ceremony.

Popular Entertainment and Non-Feature Categories

"Kalki 2898 AD" won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, a category recognising commercially successful cinema with broad audience appeal. "Bhangaar" and "Ram-Nami" were named Best Non-Feature Film and Best Documentary respectively, extending the ceremony's recognition beyond mainstream feature filmmaking into documentary and non-feature formats.

A Lifetime Achievement Honour

Veteran actor Anant Nag is also being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India's highest honour in cinema, recognising his lasting contribution to Indian film across a career spanning several decades, adding a significant lifetime achievement dimension to this year's overall list of honourees.