Kartik Aaryan, Mammootty Share Top Acting Honour at 72nd National Film Awards

New Delhi, July 18, 2026 Recognising excellence across India's diverse film industry, the 72nd National Film Awards celebrated outstanding achievements in cinema by honouring performances and creative contributions from films certified during 2024. The awards highlighted both artistic merit and technical excellence, reflecting the strength of Indian filmmaking across multiple languages and genres. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the winners on Saturday, July 18, at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, with the event streamed live on PIB India's YouTube channel. Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty jointly won the Best Actor award for their performances in *Chandu Champion* and *Bramayugam*, respectively. The National Film Awards also recognise excellence across feature films, non-feature films, writing on cinema, direction, screenplay, music, cinematography, editing and several technical categories. This year's winners were selected by an 11-member jury chaired by acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj after reviewing entries from across the country. The 2024 film calendar featured a wide range of critically acclaimed and commercially successful releases. Internationally appreciated films such as *All We Imagine As Light* and *Laapataa Ladies* earned widespread recognition, while *Pushpa 2: The Rule*, *Stree 2*, *Hanu Man*, *Manjummel Boys* and *Premalu* emerged as major box-office successes. The awards also came after a year of strong performances from actors across the industry, with several names widely regarded as leading contenders. By recognising achievements across artistic and technical fields, the National Film Awards continue to celebrate the diversity, creativity and evolving excellence of Indian cinema.