72nd National Film Awards | ‘Raayan,’ ‘Amaran’ bag top honours; ‘Meiyazhagan’ and ‘Maharaja’ miss marquee categories
The 72nd National Film Awards recognized several Tamil films, with 'Raayan' winning Best Tamil Film and 'Amaran' securing multiple top honors including Best Direction. Several other highly-regarded films missed out on major categories, though they received recognition in technical fields.
Why it matters
These awards serve as a significant cultural benchmark for the Indian film industry, influencing commercial success and artistic recognition.
The 72nd National Film Awards , which honoured films that received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during the 2024 calendar year, were announced today, July 18, 2026. The evening saw many Tamil films, actors and technicians bag top honours.
The evening saw actor-director Dhanush’s film Raayan win the Best Tamil Film award. Produced by Sun Pictures and directed by Dhanush, the neo-noir revenge drama set in Chennai also featured SJ Suryah, Sundeep Kishan, Dushara Vijayan, and Kalidas Jayaram. Meanwhile, Dhanush himself got a Special Mention for his performance in his period actioner Captain Miller . Interestingly, the Arun Matheswaran directorial also won the award for Best Film Promoting National, Social, Environmental Values.
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