‘Why Not Maharashtra, Kerala Or Tamil Nadu?’ Rahul Dholakia Objects To National Film Awards Shift To Gujarat

Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia has questioned the decision to move the National Film Awards ceremony from Delhi to Gujarat. He argued that if the decades-old tradition of hosting the ceremony in the national capital was being changed, the honour could instead have gone to a state or city with a significant contribution to Indian cinema, such as Maharashtra, Kerala, or Tamil Nadu.

Rahul Dholakia took to X (formerly Twitter) to react to the decision. He said that he had no particular preference for Delhi as the venue, but questioned why Gujarat had been chosen. “I have no particular love lost for Delhi hosting the National Film Awards, but I question the shift to Gujarat.

Why Gujarat?” he wrote. ALSO READ| Surabhi Vanzara Says She Isn't Afraid Of Trolls After 'India's Got Latent 2' Appearance: 'Mummy Ji Trained Me' He went on to question why the tradition was being broken without choosing a place with a stronger cinematic legacy.

“Why are you breaking the tradition of presenting the award in another city/state - then why not give that honour to a state that has contributed to cinema? Like Maharashtra or Kerala or Tamil Nadu. Even a city like Hyderabad...

why go to Gujarat?” he further wrote, ending his post with the hashtag #NationalFilmAwards. I have no particular love lost for Delhi hosting the National Film Awards, but I question the shift to Gujarat. Why Gujarat?

Why are you are breaking the tradition of presenting the award in another city/ state- then why not give that honor to a state that has contributed to… Dholakia is himself a National Film Award recipient. He won the Best Director award in 2007 for Parzania, a film set against the backdrop of the 2002 Gujarat riots.

For the first time in the history of the National Film Awards, the ceremony is moving out of Delhi. Vigyan Bhawan, which hosted the first National Film Awards ceremony in 1954 and has been the venue for most editions since, will not host this year's event.

The 72nd National Film Awards ceremony will instead be held in Kevadia, Gujarat, home to the Statue of Unity. President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to present the honours at the ceremony on September 22. ALSO READ| Kangana Ranaut Reacts To CM Vijay's Statement; Asks 'When Will Character Lynching Of Women Stop?' Article 370, directed by Aditya Suhas Jambhale, won Best Feature Film, and its lead actor Yami Gautam was named Best Actress.

The Best Actor award will be shared by Mammootty for his performance in Bramayugam and Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion. Randeep Hooda won Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Nag Ashwin's Telugu blockbuster Kalki 2898 AD won the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

Arun Matheswaran's Tamil thriller Captain Miller - headlined by Dhanush - won recognition for promoting national, social, and environmental values. Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia questioned the move from Delhi to Gujarat, arguing that if the tradition was broken, the honour should go to a state with significant contributions to Indian cinema, such as Maharashtra or Kerala.

The 72nd National Film Awards ceremony will be held in Kevadia, Gujarat, which is home to the Statue of Unity. This marks the first time the event is held outside Delhi. No, the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony marks the first time in its history that the event will be held outside Delhi.

Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi has traditionally hosted most editions since 1954. President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to present the honours at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony. The event is slated for September 22. Arfa Javaid is Deputy News Editor at ABP Live English, where she leads the Entertainment & Lifestyle desk.

She covers stories across beats and is an award-winning poet. Her off-hours look like a stack of non-fiction and a cat with strong opinions about personal space.