After Kalki 2898 AD (2024) won two National Awards, including Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Production Design, director Nag Ashwin calls the wins “special”. The recognition marks his second National Award after he was previously honoured for Mahanati. Speaking about the honour, Ashwin says awards were not on his mind while making the film, but he always believed its production design deserved praise.

“Usually during making films, I don’t think of what awards it will get but for Kalki, I always felt that it should get in production design. We were doing some extremely impossible things and I’m very happy that it got that recognition,” says the filmmaker.

Reflecting on the win, Ashwin says the team shared the joy despite being in different places. “We were all in different places but overall I think we all felt an immense gratitude and joy for the recognition,” he says.

The film featured an ensemble cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone and Kamal Haasan, among others. Ashwin credits the film’s “great actors” for pushing him to be sharper and ensuring that the story and scenes were “up to the mark”.

“Rather than overpower the story, I feel it helped me be sharper on my feet and make sure that the story or the scenes really were up to the mark, to justify the great actors who were playing these roles,” he says.

Recalling the film’s most challenging sequences, Ashwin points to the climax featuring Ashwatthama (Amitabh) battling Bhairava (Prabhas) in Bujji, the three-wheeled AI car, as well as the Mahabharata portions. “It was really a complicated sequence because the action had proper story beats and had to keep improving. And also the Mahabharata sequences,” shares the 40-year-old.

Ashwin also feels the response to films across scales is encouraging. “It’s very exciting as stories now, whether they are small and intimate or larger than life, have somehow seemed to have found their own stable audience and I’m really hoping that this trend continues,” he says.

He adds that Kalki’s success has also inspired filmmakers to explore the genre, although that means he will have to reassess some of the ideas he originally developed years ago. “Kalki has inspired many more to follow this genre... what was original seven years ago while writing it, I’ll have to assess and reimagine sometimes,” he says.

With the film’s box-office success followed by National Award recognition, Ashwin says the focus for its sequel, Kalki 2898 AD – Part 2, will remain on the story rather than expectations. “After the box office success and now the award recognition, what we will strive to do is to still be honest to the story. And make a film that can stand the test of time,” he says.

For Ashwin, that honesty begins with the reason a filmmaker chooses to tell a story in the first place. “I feel the stories that directors want to tell... from inside... not because they need to make their next film or are trying to write something according to the trend. The want to make something should be blind and relentless. I feel only those work, at any point of time,” he concludes.

New Delhi: On a day Ekta Nagar in Gujarat's Kevadia - where 'Statue of Unity' holds centrestage - became the space for at the 72nd National Film Awards, information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said govt plans to take these awards to some of the best tourism destinations across states in the future.

He urged all states to send in their proposals of best tourist destinations, and prepare and execute 360 degree development plans in those areas. "The proposal of whichever state is selected, the next national film awards will be held at that tourist destination," he said.

Reflecting on PM Narendra Modi's vision when G20 summit was organised in India in 2023, Vaishnaw said that at that time too programmes related to the summit were held across different states. The same is being done with the film awards and, therefore, these are being organised and will be taken to different tourist destinations in the future, he said.

New Delhi: A film on the Statue Of Unity will receive a National Award in the shadow of the monument itself when the country’s top cinema honours make a rare journey out of Delhi this month.

The 72nd National Film Awards ceremony will be held at Ekta Nagar, formerly Kevadia, in Gujarat on September 22, with President Droupadi Murmu presenting the honours, officials said Monday.

The choice gives this year’s ceremony a distinctly symbolic setting. Ekta Nagar is home to the 597-foot Statue of Unity dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. Among those being honoured is filmmaker Aanand L Rai, who has won Best Direction in the non-feature category for Statue Of Unity: Ekta Ka Prateek.

The government has not yet publicly spelt out the reason for shifting the ceremony from Delhi or indicated whether taking the awards to different parts of the country will become a regular practice.

The move nevertheless breaks with a long-established pattern. Instituted in 1954, the National Film Awards have overwhelmingly been presented in Delhi, with Vigyan Bhawan hosting most ceremonies. They have, however, travelled outside the capital before. The 17th National Film Awards were presented at the University Centenary Auditorium in Madras, now Chennai, on November 21, 1970.

The winners of the 72nd edition, recognizing films of 2024, were announced in July. Article 370 was named Best Feature Film, with Yami Gautam winning Best Actress for the same film. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan will share the Best Actor award for Bramayugam and Chandu Champion, respectively.

Randeep Hooda won Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, while Rajkumar Periasamy was named Best Director for Amaran. Telugu science-fiction film Kalki 2898 AD won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and Tamil film Captain Miller was named Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.

By taking the ceremony to Ekta Nagar, the Centre is also placing one of its premier cultural events at a location increasingly projected as a national destination built around Patel, unity and state-led tourism development.

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Mumbai: The MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) has criticized the Centre for holding this year’s National Film Awards ceremony in Gujarat instead of Delhi.

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged politicians from Gujarat were diverting national events to the state because they feared losing power. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray accused the govt of promoting Gujarat and diminishing Mumbai’s stature.

UBT MP Sanjay Raut asked whether the awards were a “Vibrant Gujarat” event. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule said the national capital alone should host such functions.

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This year, the National Film Awards ceremony will break with convention and move outside Delhi for the first time in decades. The last time this happened was in 1970, when the event was held in Chennai instead of at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said the annual awards will now be held in different parts of the country: a move aimed at taking the ceremony beyond the national capital. And for the 72nd edition, the National Film Awards will be held in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on September 22.

Sources say arrangements are underway to take guests from Delhi to Kevadia for the event.

Before the announcement that the awards will have a new venue every year, some questioned the selection of Gujarat for the ceremony.

Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia wrote in a post on X, “I have no particular love lost for Delhi hosting the National Film Awards, but I question the shift to Gujarat. Why Gujarat? Why are you breaking the tradition of presenting the award in another city/ state – then why not give that honor to a state that has contributed to cinema? Like Maharashtra or Kerala or Tamil Nadu. Even a city like Hyderabad... why go to Gujarat?”

Later, in an official statement, the I&B Ministry specified that the event would be hosted in various cities. “In a major policy initiative, it has been decided by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to hold National Film Awards in various parts of the country taking it beyond the National Capital,” the statement said.

Winning the National Award for choreographing Aaj Ki Raat from Stree 2 is a milestone Vijay Ganguly says he never expected. While he hoped the song would connect with audiences, he did not anticipate it becoming one of the year’s biggest party anthems.

“When we choreograph, we always hope our work reaches the maximum number of people. But every song has its own fate. Sometimes you’ve done great work, but the song gets cut from the film or never reaches people. For instance, we had shot for a very beautiful song in Chhaava with Vicky (Kaushal) but in the end it got edited. With Aaj Ki Raat, we knew we had done a good job, but we had no idea it would connect with so many people. We just did our job and hoped it worked. And it did.”

He believes the song’s appeal came from its music and the way the choreography carried the same energy visually. “The audio was so good that everyone — from children to older people — connected with it. Once kids connect with a song, it becomes huge because they keep playing it everywhere.”

Ganguly also credits Tamannaah Bhatia for the song’s success. “Tamannaah definitely played a huge role because what people ultimately see is the performer. If she hadn’t performed the way she did, the song wouldn’t have reached where it has today. The biggest credit goes to her.”

Vijay’s father, filmmaker Anil Ganguly, had won two National Awards. “My father had won two National Awards Best Story for Kora Kagaz (1975) and Best Feature Film in Hindi for Tapasya (1976). This is the third one coming into the house, but my first. It’s the biggest honour in the country.”

Actor Dhanush has finally addressed the criticism surrounding his recent National Film Awards wins. While he received the Special Mention for Captain Miller, it was Raayan (both 2024) winning the Best Tamil Film that sparked widespread debate online.

Speaking at an event on Sunday, the actor admitted that there were stronger Tamil films released that year, but urged people not to overlook the effort he put into making the film. He said, “That year, there were definitely better films than that one (Raayan). The fans of those films expressed their love, and I fully respect them.”

He also recalled missing out on National Awards for acclaimed performances in Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam (2005), Pudhupettai (2006), 3 (2012), Mayakkam Enna (2011), Vada Chennai (2018), Karnan (2021), and Raanjhanaa (2013). “You all told me I’d win again, but I didn’t,” he said.

Requesting people to celebrate his latest recognition, Dhanush added, “Some things simply fall into place on their own, no matter how hard you try; that is exactly how it happened for me. I got the opportunity. Regardless of how the film itself turned out, the effort I put into it was genuine. As a Tamilian, I have received two more National Awards; don’t brush this aside, celebrate it.”

He also quoted actor Ajith Kumar while encouraging his supporters to stay positive: “Just like our Thala Ajith Sir said, no one can defeat you until you admit defeat yourself. What do you say, baby? If you’re bad, I’m your dad.”

Vijay Ganguly says he never saw coming. The choreographer, who once had no interest in dancing, admits he is still processing the honour.

“I was just numb for five minutes. I couldn’t believe it. When messages started pouring, I realized, okay, this is really happening. I’m still processing it,” he says.