Randeep Hooda and Kartik Aaryan Shine Big at the 72nd National Film Awards

The 72nd National Film Awards celebrated the finest achievements in Indian cinema, with Randeep Hooda and Kartik Aaryan emerging among the biggest winners of the year. The prestigious awards, which honour films certified in 2024, recognized outstanding performances and filmmaking excellence across the country.

One of the evening’s biggest highlights was Randeep Hooda winning the Best Debut Director award for his ambitious historical drama Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. The film, which he also headlined, marked his directorial debut and was praised for its scale, storytelling, and dedication to portraying the life of freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Reacting to the honour, Hooda described the award as a “personal victory” and admitted he was still trying to process the achievement.

Meanwhile, Kartik Aaryan received one of the highest honours of the night by winning the Best Actor award for his powerful performance in Chandu Champion. He shared the award with legendary Malayalam actor Mammootty, who was recognised for Bramayugam. Kartik’s portrayal of Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar earned widespread acclaim for its emotional depth, physical transformation, and inspiring storytelling.

The awards also saw Article 370 emerge as the Best Feature Film, while Yami Gautam won the Best Actress award for her performance in the same film. Director Rajkumar Periasamy was honoured as Best Director for Amaran, making this year’s ceremony one of the most diverse celebrations of Indian cinema in recent years.

The announcement sparked celebrations across the film industry, with actors, filmmakers, and fans congratulating the winners on social media. The recognition of both established stars and emerging filmmakers highlighted the growing diversity and creative excellence of Indian cinema.