The wait is finally coming to an end for cinema lovers. The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards, honouring the best films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2024, will be announced on Friday (July 3).
The much-awaited announcement will be streamed live by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through its official X (formerly known as Twitter) and YouTube channels, allowing audiences across the country to watch the results unfold in real time.
The selection process was carried out by an 11-member jury headed by acclaimed filmmaker Jayaraj, who had earlier served on the National Film Awards jury in 2012. The jury evaluated films from different Indian languages before finalising the winners across various categories.
This year's awards are expected to witness intense competition, with several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films in the race. Malayalam cinema has emerged as one of the strongest contenders after an impressive year, with Bramayugam, Manjummel Boys and Kishkindha Kaandam generating buzz.
The competition is equally strong across other industries. Among the Hindi contenders are Article 370, Srikanth and Chandu Champion. Tamil cinema is represented by Maharaja, Meiyazhagan and Amaran, while Telugu films such as Kalki 2898 AD, Lucky Baskhar and Devara: Part 1 are also expected to be in the spotlight.
Although the National Film Awards do not release an official list of nominees before announcing the winners, several performances have been discussed ahead of the results. Actors including Mammootty, Sivakarthikeyan, Vijay Sethupathi, Karthi and Sai Pallavi are among the names expected to be in contention for the top acting honours.
With excitement building across the Indian film industry, all eyes are now on the announcement to find out which films, filmmakers and actors will take home one of the country's highest cinematic honours.
