President Murmu presents Best Director Award to Rajkumar Periasamy for Amaran
Director Rajkumar Periasamy received the National Film Award for Best Direction for Amaran (2024) from President Droupadi Murmu at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on Tuesday, September 22. The Tamil filmmaker was recognised for directing the 2024 biographical war drama, which features actors Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi in the lead roles. The ceremony, being held outside New Delhi for the first time, honours films certified during 2024.
Amaran is based on the life of Major Mukund Varadarajan, an Indian Army officer who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra. The film follows Mukund’s journey from his early years and relationship with Indhu Rebecca Varghese to his career in the Army and his final mission in Kashmir. Sivakarthikeyan plays Mukund, while Sai Pallavi portrays Indhu, whose perspective becomes an important part of the film’s emotional narrative.
Released in October 2024, Amaran moves between the personal and military aspects of Mukund’s life. Rather than restricting the story to his final operation, the film establishes his relationship with Indhu, his decision to pursue a career in the Army and the progression of his professional life before reaching the events that led to his death in 2014.
For Periasamy, one of the central challenges of the film was bringing together these two strands. The film moves from a relationship drama into a military story and eventually into the combat sequence surrounding Mukund’s final mission. The transition allows the audience to know Mukund as a person before presenting him as a soldier, while Indhu’s account provides another perspective on the consequences of his decision to serve.
The director also chose to frame the military portions through the soldiers’ immediate experience rather than treating the action simply as spectacle. The Kashmir sequences build towards the encounter that becomes the film’s climax, while the earlier sections establish the circumstances and relationships that give that sequence its emotional context. The approach keeps the biographical material connected to the personal story running through the film. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rajkumar Periasamy (@rajkumarperiasamy)
Amaran received recognition in another major category at the National Film Awards, with G V Prakash Kumar winning Best Music Direction for Background Music. The film was therefore recognised both for its direction and for the music that accompanies its narrative.
The film’s National Award recognition follows its strong theatrical run and response after its October 2024 release. It was produced by Kamal Haasan, R Mahendran and Vivek Krishnani under Raaj Kamal Films International, Sony Pictures Films India and RKFI. The film was also recognised at several other award ceremonies following its release, with particular attention given to Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi’s performances and the film’s treatment of Mukund and Indhu’s relationship.
Periasamy’s win is among the major directing honours at this year’s National Film Awards. Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s Article 370 won Best Feature Film, while Yami Gautam was named Best Actress for the same film. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor award for Bramayugam and Chandu Champion, respectively. Kalki 2898 AD won Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, while Randeep Hooda received the Best Debut Film of a Director award for Swatantrya Veer Savarkar.
The 72nd National Film Awards mark a change in the location of the annual ceremony, with Ekta Nagar in Gujarat hosting the event instead of New Delhi. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced that future editions will also be taken to different states and cities. President Murmu presented the awards to filmmakers, actors, technicians and other members of the film industry at the ceremony.
For Periasamy, the National Award comes as Amaran becomes the film that has brought his work to a wider audience beyond Tamil cinema. The director, who had previously made Rangoon in 2017, returned to filmmaking with Amaran after a gap of several years. His next projects will now follow a film that has earned national recognition for both its direction and music.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Sep 22, 2026 17:27 ISTRead more | Amaran review: Sivakarthikeyan, Sai Pallavi film is an emotional tribute to army men
