PANAJI
Goan filmmaker Aditya Suhas Jambhale's film Article 370 has won the Best Feature Film award at the 72nd National Film Awards while its lead star Yami Gautam was named best actress. The honour marks a significant achievement for the Goan filmmaker and the State's film fraternity.
Veteran Malayalam actor Mammootty and Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan shared the best actor award for “Bramayugam” and “Chandu Champion” respectively.
This is Jambhale’s third National Award after he had earlier won Best Director (Non Feature Film) for Aba Aiktyana and Best Non Feature Film for Karvaas.
The recognition places Jambhale among India’s most accomplished filmmakers and highlights the growing contribution of Goan talent to the national cinema landscape.
Film enthusiasts and industry voices in Goa hailed the achievement as a moment of pride.
“Aditya has shown that Goan filmmakers can compete at the highest level. His success will inspire the next generation,” said a local film critic.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the winners at a ceremony in New Delhi, underscoring the importance of regional voices in shaping Indian cinema.
For Goa, Jambhale’s win is more than an individual triumph and a reminder that the State’s creative community continues to make its mark on the national stage.
Chairperson of the 11-member central jury, Malayalam filmmaker Jayaraj, said the film “centres on the mission to fully integrate Jammu and Kashmir into Indian union. Emphasising a unified and indivisible nation, it highlights the battle against local corruption and dismantling of a conflict economy”.
Released in February 2024, months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the film drew political attention over its portrayal of the constitutional change.
On Gautam's role, Jayaraj said the actor delivered “a nuanced performance that portrays a law enforcement agent's unwavering pursuit of truth and justice with sensitivity, courage and compassion… a performance that leaves a profound and lasting impact”.
Actor-filmmaker Randeep Hooda won the best debut director award for “Swatantrya Veer Savarkar”, his first directorial venture in which he also plays Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The Hindi biographical drama traces Savarkar''s life, including his years as a revolutionary in London, his incarceration in the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and his later political career.
