- Article 370 won three major awards at the 72nd National Film Awards including Best Feature Film
- Yami Gautam Dhar won Best Actress for her role in Article 370
- Dhurandhar films were not selected as India’s Oscar entries due to cultural representation concerns
The 72nd National Film Awards are set to take place today in Gujarat's Kevadia, which has been renamed Ekta Nagar. Article 370 emerged as one of the biggest winners at the 72nd National Film Awards, taking home three major honours - Best Feature Film, Best Actress for Yami Gautam Dhar, and Best Music Direction (Songs) for Shashwat Sachdev. Article 370 producer and writer Aditya Dhar was seen arriving for the ceremony with his wife, actor Yami Gautam who has bagged the Best Actress award for the same film.
"We are here for Article 370. Hopefully we come next year also," said Aditya Dhar, ahead of the 72nd National Film Awards.
"It feels great. This is the biggest validation any artist can receive. I think it is the highest honour that's presented to you by your country. I don't think I will ever be able to express how I'm feeling right now. I'm still trying to soak it in," said Yami Gautam while speaking to DD.
Dhurandhar Losing Out On The Oscar Race
Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar and its sequel Dhurandhar: The Revenge were among the films considered by the jury to represent India at the 2027 Academy Awards. But despite the two films being among the year's biggest Hindi releases, neither made it to the final selection. One of the Jury member Vivek Vaswani has now revealed why.
Vaswani told NDTV jury did not consider Dhurandhar or Dhurandhar: The Revenge to be Oscar contenders. He also said the films did not represent Indian culture in the way the jury was looking for while deciding India's official submission.
The voting numbers offer another insight into the jury's decision. When asked how many votes Dhurandhar received out of the 14-member jury, Vaswani said the film got only four votes.
The comments come after the Film Federation of India announced Marathi film Gondhal as India's official entry for the 2027 Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category. Directed and written by Santosh Davakhar, Gondhal emerged from a field comprising 14 Hindi films, four Marathi films, four Telugu films, three Gujarati films, three Tamil films, one Malayalam film one Nepali film and one film from Nagaland.
The jury's final three films were Gondhal, Angh and Maine Vaapas Aayunga, with Gondhal eventually being selected.
Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, featured Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Arjun Rampal, Rakesh Bedi and Sara Arjun. The first part arrived in theatres in December 2025, followed by the second instalment in March 2026.
What Is Article 370 About?
Directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, Article 370 is a political action thriller inspired by the 2019 revocation of the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.
The film follows NIA officer Zooni Haksar as she undertakes a high-stakes mission against terrorism while the government prepares for one of the country's most significant constitutional decisions.
Box Office Performance
Released worldwide on February 23, 2024, Article 370 was made on a reported budget of around Rs 20 crore and went on to gross over Rs 110 crore worldwide, making it a commercial success.
The film received praise for its direction, storytelling and Yami Gautam Dhar's performance.
ALSO READ | 72nd National Film Awards Live Updates: President To Honour Anant Nag, Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam