Media365
Mumbai: Actor Kartik Aaryan on Saturday expressed gratitude after winning the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the 72nd National Film Awards for his performance in ‘Chandu Champion’.
Kartik shared the prestigious honour with Malayalam superstar Mammootty, who was recognised for his performance in ‘Bramayugam’.
Taking to Instagram after the announcement, Kartik shared an emotional note, saying he was still coming to terms with the achievement.
“Still processing… Some moments are simply bigger than words, and this is one of them. A dream I’ve carried for years has finally come true. Forever humbled, forever grateful..Best Actor National Award #ChanduChampion,” he wrote on Instagram handle.
Directed and produced by Kabir Khan, ‘Chandu Champion’ tells the inspiring tale of a determined athlete. Kartik Aaryan portrays Chandu in this film, which is based on the life of Murlikant Petkar, India’s first Paralympic gold medalist in freestyle swimming. The film was released in 2024.
Kartik underwent a significant physical transformation and intensive training to portray the athlete on screen. His performance received widespread appreciation from audiences and critics upon the film’s release.
At the 72nd National Film Awards, Kartik and Mammootty were jointly honoured with the Best Actor in a Leading Role award for their performances in ‘Chandu Champion’ and ‘Bramayugam’, respectively.
‘Article 370’ won the Best Feature Film award, while Bhangaar was named Best Non-Feature Film and Ram-Nami received the Best Documentary award.
The awards were announced by Jayaraj, Chairperson of the Feature Film Jury, Aseem Sinha, Chairperson of the Non-Feature Film Jury, A Chandrasekhar, Chairperson of the Best Writing on Cinema Jury in the presence of Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan M.N., Joint Secretary (Films) and Dhirendra Ojha, Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau (PIB).
The National Film Awards are among India’s most prestigious honours in cinema, recognising excellence in feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema. The 72nd edition celebrated outstanding achievements across Indian languages and genres, with several films and artistes being honoured for their artistic and technical contributions.
