The 71st National Film Awards press conference, where the winners were announced, was all the more special this year as Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji were honoured for the first time. The winners were announced on August 1, 2025, at the National Media Centre in New Delhi, and now the ceremony will take place on September 23, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
A close source told Bollywood Hungama, "The 71st National Film Awards will take place on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 4PM. As always, it will be held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The winners and jury members were informed about the time, date, and venue through an official letter and invitation. As per protocol, the invitees can avail themselves of flight tickets, accommodation, and pick-up and drop-off from Delhi airport; this has been mentioned in the letter."
Big Wins At The 71st National Film Awards
At the 71st National Film Awards, regional films took home major prizes, including Best Feature Film and Best Actor. Even the year before, regional films dominated categories that Bollywood once claimed as its own. But this year, Bollywood spectacularly reclaimed its lost ground.
Hindi films won across all major categories: Shah Rukh Khan bagged Best Actor for Jawan, along with Vikrant Massey for 12th Fail in the same category. Rani Mukerji took home Best Actress for Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, and 12th Fail, an inspiring real-life drama headlined by Vikrant Massey, won Best Feature Film.
Bollywood also secured awards for Best Popular Film (Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani), Best Choreography, Best Child Artist, Best Lyrics, and even Best Hindi Film (Kathal).
Malayalam film Aattam won Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing, while Kannada film Kantara won Best Popular Film and earned Rishab Shetty the Best Actor award.
In A Nutshell
The 71st National Film Awards ceremony is set to take place at 4 PM on September 23, 2025. It will be held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, and top winners such as Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukerji are expected to attend.