72nd National Film Awards honour films certified by the CBFC during 2024.
Malayalam cinema leads with several acclaimed films among the expected top contenders.
Ministry will livestream the 72nd National Film Awards announcement across official digital platforms.
The 72nd National Film Awards will finally unveil this year's biggest winners, with filmmakers, actors and cinema fans waiting to discover which films will take home India's highest film honours. Covering films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during 2024, this edition has sparked considerable excitement, particularly because of the strong line-up of acclaimed films competing across multiple Indian languages.
72nd National Film Awards: Strong contenders across Indian cinema
This year's awards have generated widespread discussion thanks to the diverse range of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films in contention. Malayalam cinema enters the race with significant momentum following the success of films such as Bramayugam, Manjummel Boys and Kishkindha Kaandam.
Hindi cinema is represented by titles including Article 370, Srikanth and Chandu Champion, while Tamil films such as Maharaja, Meiyazhagan and Amaran are also expected to feature prominently. Telugu cinema, meanwhile, boasts major contenders including Kalki 2898 AD, Lucky Baskhar and Devara: Part 1.
Best Actor race expected to be closely watched
Although the National Film Awards do not publish an official list of nominees before announcing the winners, several performances have emerged as strong favourites based on critical acclaim. Actors including Mammootty, Sivakarthikeyan, Vijay Sethupathi, Karthi and Sai Pallavi are widely expected to be among the key contenders in the acting categories.
The selection process for this year's honours was overseen by an 11-member jury chaired by filmmaker Jayaraj, who previously served on the National Film Awards jury in 2012.
The 72nd National Film Awards winners will be announced this evening on July 3, with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting streaming the event live on its official X and YouTube channels, allowing audiences across India to watch the results unfold in real time.
