National Film Awards 2026 highlights: Mammootty gets standing ovation; Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam win Best Actor awards | Bollywood

National Film Awards 2026 highlights: The stage was set for a significant evening in Indian cinema as the 72nd National Film Awards were presented in Kevadia, Gujarat, on Tuesday.Instituted in 1954, the National Film Awards are among the country's most prestigious honours for cinema, recognising excellence across Feature Films, Non-Feature Films and Writing on Cinema. The awards celebrate filmmaking across languages, regions and formats.President Droupadi Murmu presented the honours for outstanding achievements in Indian cinema in 2024. The ceremony started at 3PM and was streamed live on YouTube.Kevadia, known for the 182-metre Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, will host the ceremony. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world's tallest statue on October 31, 2018.