Kalki 2898 AD Wins Two National Awards as the Ceremony Moves Out of Delhi

Kalki 2898 AD walked away with two National Awards at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony held today, with President Droupadi Murmu handing over the honours. Director Nag Ashwin, producer Ashwini Dutt and Swapna Dutt were present to receive them on behalf of the team.

The Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan starrer was named Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Nitin Zihani took the production design honour for his work on the film. The winners were announced back in July, and today's ceremony was the formal presentation of those honours.

Vyjayanthi Movies called it a proud moment for everyone who worked on the picture. The banner said that seeing a film which began as a bold and ambitious idea receive this recognition is deeply satisfying, and credited the dedication and creativity of the full cast and crew for building a world audiences could step into. They thanked the National Awards jury and the fans, and confirmed that the next chapter of Kalki is already taking shape.

The ceremony itself broke a long tradition. For the first time in the history of the National Film Awards, the event moved out of Delhi, where it had been held at Vigyan Bhawan for close to seven decades. This year's edition took place at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia, Gujarat, with the Statue of Unity lit up and decorated as the backdrop.

Arrangements included a large pandal seating close to 1,000 guests and an air conditioned dome for over 1,000 VIP attendees. The awards celebrate Indian cinema from 2024, and veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for that year.

The Best Actor honour was shared between Mammootty for Bramayugam, his fourth win in the category, and Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion, which brought him his first National Award. Yami Gautam picked up her first National Award for Best Actress in Article 370, a film that reports say was also named Best Feature Film. The ceremony was reportedly streamed live from 3:00 PM IST for viewers watching at home.