President Droupadi Murmu presents 72nd National Film Awards in Ekta Nagar
President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 72nd National Film Awards for 2024 at Ekta Nagar. Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, while Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, and Yami Gautam won Best Actor honours.
The backdrop
Context you may need.
The National Film Awards are administered annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals in India to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements across Indian languages and regions. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award represents the nation's highest accolade in cinema, conferred for lifetime contribution to Indian film.
The record
Facts the coverage agrees on.
- The 72nd National Film Awards were presented on September 22, 2026.
- President Droupadi Murmu conferred the awards at Ekta Nagar.
- Anant Nag received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
- Mammootty secured his fourth Best Actor National Award.
How the coverage divides
Where the tellings part ways.
Coverage does not deeply divide on ideological lines, but rather splits across regional and personal emphasis. Mainstream outlets highlight individual celebrity narratives, personal struggles, and emotional reactions from actors like Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty. Meanwhile, specialist and indie outlets prioritize comprehensive winner lists, institutional details, and broader regional cinematic milestones.
Where the coverage agrees
President Droupadi Murmu presented the 72nd National Film Awards at Ekta Nagar.
Anant Nag received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, and Yami Gautam won Best Actor accolades.
The coverage
Every source, linked — with comparative analysis for each telling. Useful for UPSC/CLAT: note who centres which voice, and what each bucket of outlets foregrounds.
Reading the roster
The Hindu, Deccan Herald, and The Federal lead with comprehensive summaries of the major winners, highlighting the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Anant Nag. India Today and its digital platforms focus heavily on personal human-interest angles, such as Kartik Aaryan's emotional journey from Gwalior and his dedication to his parents. Regional specialist outlets like South First frame Mammootty's victory through the lens of milestone achievements, noting his record-equalling fourth win. Overall, the headlines collectively foreground celebrity personal milestones while backgrounding technical craft categories.
Mainstream vs indie framing
How high-volume nationals and legacy outlets tell it differently from digital-native and specialist press — not a quality judgment.
Mainstream legacy outlets and broadcast channels like India Today and NDTV frame the event primarily through individual star power, personal anecdotes, and emotional quotes from actors. Specialist and indie platforms like South First and The Federal foreground regional representation, career milestones, and exhaustive lists of winners across diverse categories. Both buckets celebrate the institution of the National Awards, but mainstream coverage leans toward human-interest celebrity profiles while indie coverage leans toward archival and comprehensive record-keeping.
72nd National Film Awards: Dadasaheb Phalke honour for Anant Nag; Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam receive Best Actor awards ↗
President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday (September 22, 2026) conferred the 72nd National Film Awards for 2024 on top talents of Indian cinema, with veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag receiving the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke…
Through this lens The Hindu provides a comprehensive, traditional news agency-style overview of the 72nd National Film Awards, highlighting the geographical symbolism of the venue at Ekta Nagar near the Statue of Unity. It systematically lists major winners across regional industries, balancing Kannada legend Anant Nag's Dadasaheb Phalke honour with wins for Malayalam, Hindi, and Tamil cinema.
Listed for coverage; not compass-scored in this edition.
Dream of small town boy: Kartik Aaryan celebrates National Award with a moving note ↗
Dream of small town boy: Kartik Aaryan celebrates National Award with a moving note Actor Kartik Aaryan celebrated his Best Actor National Award for Chandu Champion with an emotional note about his journey from Gwalior.
Through this lens India Today zeros in on Kartik Aaryan's personal narrative, foregrounding his emotional social media post about transitioning from a 'small-town boy' in Gwalior to a National Award winner. The piece heavily centres his quote about overcoming skepticism and his gratitude to director Kabir Khan, framing the win as a classic underdog triumph.
Listed for coverage; not compass-scored in this edition.
Kartik Aaryan dedicates first National Award to parents, calls them his 'world' ↗
Kartik Aaryan dedicates first National Award to parents, calls them his 'world' President Droupadi Murmu conferred Kartik Aaryan with his maiden National Film Award for Chandu Champion at Ekta Nagar.
Through this lens India Today's second piece contextualises Kartik Aaryan's win by evaluating it as a critical career pivot away from commercial rom-coms toward a demanding biographical drama. It adds depth by detailing Murlikant Petkar's actual military background, war injury, and historic Paralympic gold, alongside the physical rigor required for the role.
Listed for coverage; not compass-scored in this edition.
National Film Awards: Dadasaheb Phalke honour for Anant Nag; Yami Gautam, Mammootty best actors ↗
Through this lens Deccan Herald's headline-only curation highlights a regional-national balance, foregrounding veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag's apex Dadasaheb Phalke recognition alongside the prominent acting wins for mainstream and regional stars.
Listed for coverage; not compass-scored (full text unavailable to us).
In Pictures: Yami Gautam, Kartik Aaryan, Mammootty honoured at 72nd National Film Awards ↗
Through this lens Telegraph India's headline-only format relies entirely on visual framing, cueing readers to a photo-led curation of the ceremony's star-studded red carpet and awardees rather than text-heavy policy or biographical analysis.
Listed for coverage; not compass-scored (full text unavailable to us).
Full list of 72nd National Film Awards for 2024; President Murmu presents honours ↗
Full list of 72nd National Film Awards for 2024; President Murmu presents honours Hindi feature film 'Article 370', directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, received the Best Feature Film award President Droupadi Murmu on…
Through this lens The Federal functions primarily as an exhaustive reference list, setting itself apart by publishing the detailed breakdown of winners across technical and creative categories. It broadens the scope beyond the marquee acting prizes to document wins for screenplay, dialogue, cinematography, and regional children's films.
Listed for coverage; not compass-scored in this edition.
‘Will continue to work hard’: Mammootty after receiving fourth National Award ↗
Malayalam superstar Mammootty received the National Award for Best Actor for the fourth time on Tuesday, sharing the honour with Kartik Aaryan, at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony held at Ekta Nagar (Kevadia) in…
Through this lens South First centres entirely on Malayalam superstar Mammootty, capturing his reflections on securing a record-tying fourth National Actor award. Uniquely, the article highlights his spontaneous, instinctive creative process—detailing how he relies on screenplays over intense preparation and dismisses elaborate method acting.
Listed for coverage; not compass-scored in this edition.
On video
Listed, not compass-scored.
Video coverage is listed for completeness; it is not compass-scored in this phase.
For exam prep
UPSC and CLAT angles — syllabus hooks and answer prompts, not coaching notes.
GS I: Indian Heritage and Culture - Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. This topic is relevant for understanding how state patronage and national awards shape regional and pan-Indian cinematic culture.
- Examine the role of national civil awards in promoting linguistic diversity and cultural integration through Indian cinema.
- Discuss how state recognition systems can better balance mainstream commercial cinema achievements with regional art-house contributions.
Before you decide what you think
- How do you personally view the celebration of celebrity milestones alongside national civic honours, and does it influence your perception of cultural achievement?
- When reading about regional versus national film industries, do you notice any inherent bias in how you value cinematic excellence across different Indian languages?
- How might you structure a GS Paper I answer regarding the evolution of Indian cinema as a soft power tool using this event as a contemporary reference point?
- To what extent do you think institutional state awards genuinely reflect diverse cultural narratives across India's linguistic spectrum?
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Placements describe framing, not truth or virtue. Resolved scores are editor-checked; contested placements are marked provisional. Methodology · disagree with a placement? Tell us.