The National Film Awards are set to take a historic turn this year as the country’s prestigious cinema honours will be presented outside Delhi for the first time in their 72-year history. The ceremony will take place at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, formerly known as Kevadia, on September 22, with President Droupadi Murmu scheduled to present the awards.
The decision brings one of India’s most prominent film events to Gujarat, placing the spotlight on the state’s landmark tourist destination and the Statue of Unity.
A New Setting for a Long-Standing National Tradition
Since the awards were instituted in 1954, Delhi has remained the principal venue for the National Film Awards ceremony. Vigyan Bhawan, in particular, has been associated with several editions of the event.
This year, however, the ceremony will move away from the capital and take place at Ekta Nagar. While the government has not announced whether the change will lead to a wider practice of rotating the ceremony among different cities, the shift itself marks a significant departure from the established tradition.
The awards have ventured outside Delhi in the past. One notable instance came in 1970, when the 17th National Film Awards were presented at the University Centenary Auditorium in Madras, now Chennai.
Gujarat’s Statue of Unity to Provide the Backdrop
Ekta Nagar is best known for the Statue of Unity, the towering memorial dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Standing 597 feet tall, the monument was inaugurated in October 31, 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has since become one of Gujarat’s major tourism landmarks.
Hosting the National Film Awards in a location associated with Patel gives this year’s event a distinctive national backdrop, bringing together Indian cinema and one of the country’s most recognisable symbols of national unity.
‘Article 370’ Takes the Top Feature Film Honour
The awards will also recognise several prominent performances and films from across the Indian film industry.
‘Article 370’ has been selected as the Best Feature Film, while its lead actor Yami Gautam has received the Best Actress honour.
The Best Actor award will be jointly presented to Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan. Mammootty is being recognised for his performance in the Malayalam film ‘Bramayugam’, while Aaryan has been honoured for his role in ‘Chandu Champion’.
The awards will also recognise films for their broader entertainment and social value.
The Telugu science-fiction film ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ has been chosen for the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
Meanwhile, Tamil filmmaker Arun Matheswaran’s ‘Captain Miller’, starring Dhanush, has won the honour for Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.
Actor Randeep Hooda will add another milestone to his career with the Best Debut Director award for ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’. The film, in which Hooda also stars, is based on the life of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
A Ceremony With a Wider National Footprint
The move to Ekta Nagar gives the 72nd National Film Awards an identity beyond the usual award-night setting. It places the country’s leading cinematic honours alongside one of Gujarat’s most prominent national landmarks.
With President Droupadi Murmu presenting the awards on September 22, the event is expected to bring together leading names from Indian cinema at a venue that has become closely associated with the idea of national unity.
For the National Film Awards, the Gujarat ceremony represents more than a change of location — it marks a rare break from decades of convention.
Also Read: Gulf Of Kutch May Be More Than A Stopover For Dolphins, Survey Finds
