Amid the controversy over the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony being held in Gujarat, actor Paresh Rawal has supported the decision. He said Gujarat is a part of India and there is nothing wrong with hosting such a major national event there.
Said national events should be held in every state
Speaking to ANI, Paresh Rawal said, “Is Gujarat in Bangladesh or Pakistan? It is also part of our own country. Why can’t this event be held in Gujarat?” He added that such programmes should be organised in different states across the country.
Raj Thackeray had objected to the venue
Paresh’s remarks come amid objections to shifting the National Film Awards ceremony from Delhi to Gujarat. MNS chief Raj Thackeray had criticised the decision, saying the move would diminish the importance of the prestigious national awards.
Paresh Rawal was a BJP MP from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency from 2014 to 2019.
Raj Thackeray questioned the decision to shift the ceremony to Gujarat
Raj Thackeray has questioned the decision to shift the National Film Awards ceremony from Delhi to Gujarat for the first time in its 72-year history.
Raj Thackeray wrote on X, “Why was this necessary in the first place? After attempts to diminish the importance of Mumbai, the country’s financial capital, is there now an attempt to gradually undermine the importance of Delhi, the national capital?”
He further wrote, “The question is straightforward: why are the National Film Awards being held in Gujarat? If the venue had to be changed, why not Mumbai? Dadasaheb Phalke laid the foundation of Indian cinema in Maharashtra. So why was the awards ceremony not held in Maharashtra? Films are made on a large scale in states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Cinema has even influenced politics in southern India. So why was Gujarat chosen?”
He went on to write, “It seems that people who have failed to achieve anything significant themselves are now trying to create a new history by changing names and places. Perhaps they fear that their political influence may eventually remain confined to Gujarat, which is why efforts are being made from now on to make Gujarat the centre of everything.”
Why is Gujarat being pushed to the forefront? – Raj Thackeray
Raj Thackeray questioned not only the National Film Awards but also the decision to hold the Commonwealth and the 2023 Cricket World Cup in Gujarat. He asked what Amit Shah wanted to tell the country through this. He had written,
The issue is not whether the ceremony is being held in Kevadia or Mumbai. The real question is why a magnificent tradition that has continued for 72 years is finally being broken. The National Film Awards have always been presented in the national capital, Delhi. Why was there suddenly a need to change this tradition? In the United States, the Oscars are always held in Los Angeles. Whether Trump, Bush or Obama was in office, none of them tried to move the awards ceremony to their home state. We will certainly raise our voice on this issue, but artists across the country will also have to come forward. Artists must ask why the glorious tradition of the National Film Awards is being broken.
Raj Thackeray is the chief of the regional political party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Sanjay Raut Appeals to Celebrities to Boycott the Ceremony
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had also questioned why the ceremony was being held in Gujarat. He said that it was not a programme related to Gujarat but the National Film Awards, so why had Gujarat been chosen as its location? He said it should have been held in the capital, as had been the practice for the past several years. He appealed to other celebrities not to attend the event and to boycott it.
Sanjay Raut is a Rajya Sabha MP. He is also the leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha.
Ceremony to be held in Gujarat instead of New Delhi
The National Film Awards ceremony has so far been held in New Delhi. Last year’s 71st National Film Awards ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi on 23 September 2025.
The tradition is now being changed for the 72nd National Film Awards. This time, preparations are under way to hold the ceremony outside Delhi, in Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar (Kevadia). It is being described as the first National Film Awards ceremony to be held outside Delhi.
The winners of the 72nd National Film Awards were announced on 18 July 2026. ‘Article 370’ won the Best Feature Film award. The film’s actress, Yami Gautam, was honoured with the Best Actress award, while the Best Actor award was jointly presented to Kartik Aaryan (‘Chandu Champion’) and Mammootty (‘Bramayugam’).
Likely to receive the award from President Murmu
According to a report by The Indian Express, President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to visit Gujarat on 22 September. She will attend the convocation ceremony of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and will then participate in a Brahma Kumaris programme in Padra. During the visit, she is also likely to travel to Ekta Nagar, where she may present the 72nd National Film Awards.
Why was Ekta Nagar chosen?
Ekta Nagar is located in Gujarat’s Narmada district and the Statue of Unity is its main attraction. Holding the National Film Awards ceremony here conveys a message of associating it with one of Gujarat’s major tourism destinations and a site linked to national unity. Aanand L Rai’s documentary ‘Statue of Unity-Symbol of Unity’ has also received an honour at the 72nd National Film Awards. It is based on the story of the development of the Statue of Unity and Kevadia.
