The 72nd Nationwide Movie Awards ceremony is about to interrupt with custom this 12 months. As a substitute of being held in New Delhi, the place the celebrated occasion has historically taken place, the ceremony shall be hosted in Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Gujarat, on September 22, 2026, in accordance with an official announcement made on Monday. The change of venue marks a big departure from the ceremony’s long-standing affiliation with Vigyan Bhawan within the nationwide capital. The choice has already sparked a debate on social media, with filmmaker Rahul Dholakia publicly questioning why Gujarat was chosen to host the occasion.
Rahul Dholakia questions shift of Nationwide Movie Awards to Gujarat
Reacting to the announcement, Rahul Dholakia took to X (previously Twitter) and questioned the choice to maneuver the ceremony to Gujarat. He wrote, “I’ve no explicit love misplaced for Delhi internet hosting the Nationwide Movie Awards, however I query the shift to Gujarat. Why Gujarat?.”The filmmaker subsequently prompt that if the awards ceremony was being moved out of Delhi, the honour may as an alternative have gone to a state with a big contribution to Indian cinema.Sharing one other put up, Dholakia wrote, “Why are you’re breaking the custom of presenting the award in one other metropolis/ state- then why not give that honor to a state that has contributed to cinema? Like Maharashtra or Kerela or Tamil Nadu. Even a metropolis like Hyderabad .. why go to Gujarat? #NationalFilmAwards.”
Netizens divided over Rahul Dholakia’s feedback
Dholakia’s posts triggered combined reactions on social media, with some customers questioning his criticism whereas others appeared to agree together with his argument.One person responded, “Simply go and search the situation of Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. That is very stunning location, do not deliver your politics right here. First go to that locality.”One other person appeared to assist Dholakia’s level, writing, “Precisely. The whole movie buzz is in Mumbai plus south India. The income flows from right here. What on earth has Gujarat contributed for them to get an opportunity earlier than these cities/areas?”Some reactions, nevertheless, took a extra political and significant tone, with one person making a disparaging remark about Gujarat and its residents. The contrasting responses have added one other layer to the dialogue surrounding the venue change, with the talk extending past the ceremony itself to questions on regional illustration and India’s movie business.
72nd Nationwide Movie Awards winners anticipated at ceremony
The 72nd Nationwide Movie Awards ceremony is anticipated to deliver collectively a number of outstanding names from Indian cinema. Among the many reported winners are Kartik Aaryan and Mammootty, who’ve been named Finest Actor, and Yami Gautam, who has been named Finest Actress. Aditya Dhar is among the many winners for Finest Movie, whereas Rajkumar Periasamy has been recognised as Finest Director. Randeep Hooda has additionally been named Finest Debut Movie of a Director. The ceremony will happen in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on September 22, 2026, marking the primary main departure in years from the Nationwide Movie Awards’ conventional Delhi venue.