The announcement of the winners of the 72nd National Film Awards is expected to take longer than anticipated, with the selection process still underway. Government sources on Saturday indicated that the jury has not yet completed its deliberations, making it unlikely that the prestigious honours will be announced within the coming week.
The clarification comes after reports suggested that the winners could be declared in the next few days. However, government sources said the evaluation process remains incomplete, with the jury continuing its discussions before arriving at the final list of awardees.
According to the sources, scheduling constraints involving some jury members have also contributed to the delay.
"As per government sources, the jury's deliberations are still underway. A few members of the jury have prior commitments, and the process is expected to take some more time. Accordingly, the announcement is likely to take more than a week," the sources said.
The officials also appealed to media organisations to refrain from publishing unverified reports while the process is still in progress.
"Media outlets are requested to avoid speculative reporting until the process is concluded," they added.
The 72nd National Film Awards will honour films that received certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during 2024.
Regarded as India's highest recognition in cinema, the National Film Awards celebrate outstanding achievements across feature and non-feature films. The honours span a wide range of categories, including acting, direction, screenplay, music, cinematography, editing and several technical disciplines.
The official announcement is now expected only after the jury completes its deliberations and finalises the list of winners.
(With inputs from PTI)
