72nd National Film Awards: Why Telugu Cinema Had a Big Night With Kalki 2898 AD, Committee Kurrollu and More

The 72nd National Film Awards have once again highlighted the growing variety and technical strength of Indian cinema, and Telugu films have emerged as an important part of the winners' list.

While Article 370 won the Best Feature Film award and Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor honour, Telugu cinema made its presence felt across mainstream entertainment, children's cinema, production design, screenplay, costumes and regional cinema.

Among the major Telugu winners were Kalki 2898 AD, Pushpa: The Rule Part-02, Committee Kurrollu, 35-Chinna Katha Kaadu and Lucky Baskhar. The awards were announced in July 2026 for films certified during 2024, while the formal ceremony was held on September 22 in Gujarat.

Kalki 2898 AD Gets National Recognition Beyond Box Office Success

Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD received the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment.

This is significant because the film combined a large-scale futuristic world with elements inspired by Indian mythology. The National Film Awards recognition also extended to its visual craftsmanship, with production designer Nitin Zihani Choudhary winning Best Production Design.

The film therefore received recognition not only as a popular theatrical spectacle but also for the work involved in building its cinematic world.

Committee Kurrollu Wins Best Telugu Film

One of the most interesting Telugu wins was Committee Kurrollu, which was named Best Telugu Film.

Directed by Yadhu Vamsee, the film also received the award for Best Make-up, with P Ravi Kumar being honoured in the category.

The film's National Award recognition gives it a distinction separate from the awards received by larger commercial productions. Its win shows that the Telugu category was not limited to big-budget or star-driven cinema.

35-Chinna Katha Kaadu Gets Two Major Recognitions

35-Chinna Katha Kaadu also had a notable showing.

The film won Best Children's Film, while child artist Arundev Pothula shared the Best Child Artist honour.

Directed by Nanda Kishore Emani, the film's recognition across two categories makes it one of the Telugu titles that stood out beyond conventional commercial cinema.

Pushpa 2 Wins for Screenplay and Costume Design

The National Film Awards also recognised the craftsmanship behind Pushpa: The Rule Part-02.

The film won recognition for Best Screenplay, with Sukumar receiving the honour, and also won Best Costume Design, shared by Deepali Noor and Sheetal Sharma.

This is an important distinction: the film's awards were connected to specific creative departments rather than simply its commercial scale.

Lucky Baskhar Gets Recognition for Dialogue Writing

Venky Atluri's Lucky Baskhar added another Telugu win through the screenplay category.

The film received recognition for Dialogue Writing, with Venky Atluri named the awardee.

The recognition places emphasis on the writing component of the film, alongside the larger visual and technical achievements recognised elsewhere in the Telugu winners' list.

Telugu Cinema's National Award Winners at a Glance

Film	National Film Award Recognition
Kalki 2898 AD	Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
Kalki 2898 AD	Best Production Design
Committee Kurrollu	Best Telugu Film
Committee Kurrollu	Best Make-up
35-Chinna Katha Kaadu	Best Children's Film
35-Chinna Katha Kaadu	Best Child Artist – Arundev Pothula
Pushpa: The Rule Part-02	Best Screenplay
Pushpa: The Rule Part-02	Best Costume Design
Lucky Baskhar	Dialogue Writing recognition

The official National Film Awards list confirms these Telugu wins across the feature-film categories.

What Makes This Year's Telugu Winners Interesting?

The Telugu winners represent several different styles of filmmaking.

Kalki 2898 AD represents large-scale futuristic filmmaking and production design.

Pushpa 2 demonstrates the recognition given to screenplay and costume work within a major commercial franchise.

Committee Kurrollu represents regional storytelling and also earned recognition for make-up.

35-Chinna Katha Kaadu brought children's cinema into the spotlight, while Arundev Pothula's recognition added a performance award.

Lucky Baskhar, meanwhile, highlights the importance of dialogue and writing.

Taken together, the list covers commercial cinema, regional storytelling, children's films and technical craftsmanship rather than a single filmmaking style.

The Bigger National Film Awards Picture

The 72nd National Film Awards were based on films certified by the Central Board of Film Certification during January 1 to December 31, 2024.

At the national level, Article 370 won Best Feature Film, Yami Gautam won Best Actress for the same film, while Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared Best Actor for Bramayugam and Chandu Champion. Rajkumar Periasamy won Best Director for Amaran.

The awards also recognised films from several Indian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali and others. The National Film Awards' structure is designed to recognise both broad national categories and language-specific achievements.

Final Takeaway

The Telugu presence at the 72nd National Film Awards goes beyond one blockbuster.

Kalki 2898 AD brought recognition for popular entertainment and production design, Pushpa 2 was recognised for screenplay and costumes, Committee Kurrollu won Best Telugu Film and Best Make-up, while 35-Chinna Katha Kaadu and Lucky Baskhar added recognition in children's cinema and writing.

For Telugu cinema, the list is notable because it showcases different sides of the industry — from ambitious big-screen worlds to regional stories, children's films and behind-the-scenes craftsmanship.