Guwahati: Assamese cinema earned national recognition at the 72nd National Film Awards, 2024, as Juiphool, written, produced and directed by Jadumoni Dutta, received the Rajat Kamal for Best Assamese Film. The winners were announced on Saturday.
Set against the backdrop of the conflict-affected Assam-Nagaland border, Juiphool tells the story of two mothers whose lives are shaped by prolonged unrest. In their villages, people stay alert through the night and rest during the day, reflecting the realities of living in a tense border region.
Assam also featured among the award winners through Life in Loom, a documentary that explores the lives and livelihoods of traditional weavers across seven Indian states. Cinematographer Edmon Ranson won the Best Cinematography award for the film, which spans Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Ladakh and Uttar Pradesh, and is presented in English, Tamil, Hindi, Assamese and Bengali.
Among the top honours, Article 370 was named Best Feature Film, while Bhangaar won Best Non-Feature Film and Ram-Nami received the Best Documentary award.
Yami Gautam was honoured with the Best Actress award for her performance in Article 370. The Best Actor award was shared by Mammootty for Bramayugam and Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion.
Randeep Hooda was recognised as Best Debut Director for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar. Several commercially successful films also secured awards, including Kalki 2898 AD, Amaran, Pushpa: The Rule, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Stree 2, highlighting the wide range of cinematic achievements celebrated at this year’s National Film Awards.