'Article 370' wins Best Feature Film, 'Srikanth' named Best Hindi Film at 72nd National Film Awards
New Delhi, July 18
Actor Yami Gautam's action political thriller film 'Article 370' emerged as the biggest winner at the 72nd National Film Awards, taking home the prestigious Best Feature Film honour.
Set entirely in the scenic backdrop of Jammu and Kashmir, the film is based on the landmark revocation of Article 370, which guaranteed special constitutional privileges to the erstwhile state. In a bold move that few saw coming, the Centre, on August 5, 2019, revoked Article 370, effectively stripping the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir of its special privileges and splitting the region into two Union Territories--Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Helmed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, the film also stars Priyamani, Arun Govil and Kiran Karmarkar in key roles.
The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards were announced today at the National Media Centre in New Delhi.
The awards, which recognise excellence in Indian cinema, also saw several films and artistes across languages being honoured for their contributions to filmmaking.
Nag Ashwin's Telugu sci-fi epic 'Kalki 2898 AD' won the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, while Tamil film 'Captain Miller' received the Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values award.
In the technical categories, Shashwat Sachdev won the Best Music Director award for composing the music for 'Article 370'. R Kalaivannan was honoured with the Best Editing award for the Tamil film 'Amaran'.
The Best Direction award went to Rajkumar Periasamy for the Tamil film 'Amaran', adding another major accolade to the film's tally.
In the costume design category, Deepali Noor and Sheetal Sharma won the Best Costume Designer award for 'Pushpa: The Rule'.
Vijay Ganguly was honoured with the Best Choreography award for 'Stree 2', while Manas Choudhary won the Best Sound Design award for Kartik Aaryan-starrer 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3'.
The Best Hindi Film award went to 'Srikanth', directed by Tushar Hiranandani and starring Rajkummar Rao in the lead role.
In the regional cinema category, 'Mithya (Illusion)', directed by Sumanth Bhat, was named Best Kannada Film.
The National Film Awards, presented annually by the Government of India, honour artistic and technical excellence in Indian cinema across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema. The 72nd edition celebrated films certified during the eligibility period, recognising outstanding achievements across multiple languages and genres.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good that 'Srikanth' won Best Hindi Film. Rajkummar Rao is a phenomenal actor, and the story of a visually impaired industrialist is truly inspiring. But I feel 'Article 370' winning Best Feature Film is a bit too political—others like 'Kalki 2898 AD' were more original in their storytelling. My personal opinion though.
National awards should honour artistic merit, not just films that align with the government's narrative. That said, 'Article 370' was a well-made film with strong performances. But the political context will always overshadow its cinematic value for many. Wish the jury had been more balanced.
I'm not Indian, but I've watched 'Article 370' and found it gripping. The cinematography of Kashmir is stunning, and the political drama is intense. It's interesting to see how patriotic themes are celebrated in Indian cinema. Congrats to all winners! 🎬
Ecstatic for Shashwat Sachdev winning Best Music Director! The background score of 'Article 370' was hauntingly beautiful. Also, 'Stree 2' getting Best Choreography is well deserved—those dance numbers were full of energy! 🕺
Sad that regional films didn't get more recognition on the national stage. 'Mithya' winning Best Kannada Film is great, but films like 'Amaran' from Tamil cinema also deserved more categories. The National Awards should celebrate diversity, not just a few mainstream hits.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.