Kabir Khan thrilled as Kartik Aaryan wins National Award for Chandu Champion
Rahul Kumar July 19, 2026 12:22 AM

Filmmaker Kabir Khan celebrates Kartik Aaryan's Best Actor win at the 72nd National Film Awards for 'Chandu Champion'. Khan called the honour a win for the entire team, adding that hard work and dedication truly pay off.

Filmmaker Kabir Khan has expressed his joy after actor Kartik Aaryan won the Best Actor in a Leading Role award at the 72nd National Film Awards for his performance in 'Chandu Champion', saying the honour is a victory for everyone associated with the film. Kartik shared the prestigious award with Malayalam superstar Mammootty, who was recognised for his performance in 'Bramayugam'.

'A Win For All of Us'

Reacting to the achievement, Kabir Khan said he was delighted to see Kartik's hard work being acknowledged at the highest level. "Yes, of course it's a win for all of us. I'm thrilled that Kartik got the National Award for his performance in 'Chandu Champion'. It shows that hard work and dedication truly pays off," Kabir Khan told ANI.

Directed and produced by Kabir Khan, 'Chandu Champion' tells the inspiring tale of a determined athlete. Kartik Aaryan portrays Chandu in this film, which is based on the life of Murlikant Petkar, India's first Paralympic gold medalist in freestyle swimming.The film was released in 2024. Kartik underwent a significant physical transformation and intensive training to portray the athlete on screen. His performance received widespread appreciation from audiences and critics upon the film's release.

72nd National Film Awards Highlights

At the 72nd National Film Awards, Kartik and Mammootty were jointly honoured with the Best Actor in a Leading Role award for their performances in 'Chandu Champion' and 'Bramayugam', respectively. 'Article 370' won the Best Feature Film award, while Bhangaar was named Best Non-Feature Film and Ram-Nami received the Best Documentary award.

The awards were announced by Shri Jayaraj, Chairperson of the Feature Film Jury, Shri Aseem Sinha, Chairperson of the Non-Feature Film Jury, Shri A. Chandrasekhar, Chairperson of the Best Writing on Cinema Jury in the presence of Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan M.N., Joint Secretary (Films) and Shri Dhirendra Ojha, Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau (PIB). The National Film Awards are among India's most prestigious honours in cinema, recognising excellence in feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema. The 72nd edition celebrated outstanding achievements across Indian languages and genres, with several films and artistes being honoured for their artistic and technical contributions. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

© Copyright @2026 LIDEA. All Rights Reserved.