72nd National Film Awards: 
The 72nd National Film Awards just announced their top acting honors, and honestly, the lineup feels like a beautiful love letter to pure cinematic passion. It’s a year that gave us the perfect mix of seasoned mastery and thrilling breakthroughs, with Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan sharing the Best Actor trophy, and Yami Gautam taking home Best Actress.
For Mammootty, this is a staggering fourth National Award—a testament to a legend who simply refuses to rest on his laurels. For Kartik and Yami, it’s a career-defining first. Let’s dive into the stories behind these incredible wins and why they feel so well-deserved.
Mammootty: A Legend Who Never Stops Experimenting
Winner: Best Actor | Film: Bramayugam
Can we just take a moment to appreciate Mammootty? In an era where mainstream cinema is increasingly relying on explosive CGI and massive green screens, he took a giant leap in the opposite direction with Bramayugam.
Shot entirely in black and white, this period folk-horror film is a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling. As the deeply unsettling Kodumon Potti, Mammootty didn’t need grand monologues to terrify us. Instead, he relied on a hauntingly sinister smile, minimal dialogue, and a screen presence that completely consumed the room. He recently won the Kerala State Film Award for this exact role, and adding a fourth National Award to his shelf just proves what we already knew: he is an unstoppable force who still has the hunger of a newcomer.
Kartik Aaryan: From the ‘Boy Next Door’ to a National Champion
Winner: Best Actor | Film: Chandu Champion
If you’ve followed Kartik Aaryan’s career, you know him best for his breezy, quick-witted romantic comedies. But with Chandu Champion, he completely stripped away his usual persona to give us something profoundly moving.
Sharing the Best Actor honor with a giant like Mammootty is no small feat, but Kartik earned every bit of it. He stepped into the shoes of Murlikant Petkar, India’s first Paralympic gold medalist, and delivered the performance of a lifetime. The film tracks a heartbreaking yet deeply inspiring journey—from a young man dreaming of Olympic glory to a soldier suffering a devastating injury during the India-Pakistan war, and finally, to a triumphant Paralympic swimmer. Watching Kartik pour his heart, soul, and physical endurance into portraying such resilience was deeply emotional. He didn’t just play a champion; he truly became one on screen.
Yami Gautam: Quiet Consistency Finally Gets its Crown
Winner: Best Actress | Film: Article 370
Yami Gautam is the kind of actor who has quietly, consistently built a resume of incredibly strong, performance-driven roles. It feels incredibly satisfying to see her dedication officially recognized with her very first National Award for Article 370.
Playing NIA officer Zooni Haksar, Yami was the undisputed anchor of the film. She brought a fierce, commanding energy to the screen, layered with a quiet emotional intensity that made you unable to look away. What makes this win even sweeter is a beautiful personal milestone: the film was co-written by her husband, Aditya Dhar. Since Aditya previously won a National Award for Best Debut Director for Uri: The Surgical Strike, the two now share a pretty spectacular family legacy of National Awards.
A Win for Storytelling
Ultimately, these three actors represent everything we love about the movies. Whether it’s terrifying us in a black-and-white horror tale, making us weep for an unsung hero, or keeping us on the edge of our seats in a geopolitical thriller, the 72nd National Film Awards reminded us of the sheer power of a great performance.
