Ceremony in Ekta Nagar to stream live on DD National’s YouTube channel from 1.30pm UAE time.
Dubai: The 72nd National Film Awards will be presented today, Tuesday, September 22, with viewers in the UAE able to watch the ceremony live from 1.30pm.
President Droupadi Murmu will present the honours at Ekta Nagar, formerly known as Kevadia, in Gujarat, with the Statue of Unity providing the backdrop. Around 92 winners will be recognised for their contributions to Indian cinema in 2024.
The ceremony marks the first time the National Film Awards have been held outside Delhi.
When and how to watch
The ceremony begins at 3pm India time, which is 1.30pm in the UAE.
DD National will stream the ceremony live on its YouTube channel, allowing viewers to watch online from anywhere.
When: Tuesday, September 22, 1.30pm UAE time
Where: Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, streaming live on DD National’s YouTube channel
Price: Free to watch online
Why this year is different
The National Film Awards have traditionally been held in the capital. This year, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has moved the ceremony to Gujarat as the first step in a plan to rotate it between different states and cities in future editions.
The government has framed the move around the idea of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, which translates as “One India, Great India”. Other states could host the ceremony in the coming years.
The big winners
The winners were announced in July by an 11-member jury chaired by Malayalam filmmaker Jayaraj.
Article 370 won Best Feature Film, while its lead actor, Yami Gautam, was named Best Actress for her performance in the film.
The Best Actor award is shared by Mammootty, who won for the Malayalam film Bramayugam, marking his fourth National Award, and Kartik Aaryan, who was honoured for the Hindi sports biopic Chandu Champion.
Tamil film Amaran also picked up several honours, including Best Direction for Rajkumar Periasamy, Best Music for GV Prakash Kumar and Best Editing for R Kalaivanan.
Elsewhere:
- Kalki 2898 AD won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.
- Randeep Hooda won Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
- Sukumar won Best Screenplay for Pushpa 2.
- Stree 2 won Best Choreography.
- Srikanth was named Best Hindi Film, while Feminichi Fathima won Best Malayalam Film.
- Sanjay Mishra won Best Supporting Actor for Bhakshak.
- Best Supporting Actress was shared by Ropashree Varkady for Mithya and Sachana Namidass for Maharaja.
- Dhanush received a Special Mention for Captain Miller.
Anant Nag to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Veteran actor Anant Nag will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India’s highest official honour in cinema.
Following the announcement, he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for changing the way the award is decided.
“It was a very special category, you know; it was given nepotism and favouritism, and everything was there in this award-giving, as well. But Modi changed it. Modi was the only person who asked people to please recommend the name they had in their mind. That was the first time he brought it out into the public,” he told PTI.
He said the honour had come as a surprise.
“Well, I didn’t anticipate that I would be given this Phalke Award, as such. So, I’m trying to come to terms with it. I would dedicate it to the people of Karnataka, and then thank Mr Modi, our dear Prime Minister, for this, because he tweeted it and announced this particular award. So I’m grateful to him, and grateful to this country which has provided me this opportunity.”
