Director Rajkumar Periasamy was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Direction for Amaran (2024) by President Droupadi Murmu at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on Tuesday, September 22. The Tamil filmmaker received the award for helming the 2024 biographical war drama starring Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi. The ceremony, being hosted outside New Delhi for the first time, recognises films certified during 2024.
Amaran is inspired by the life of Major Mukund Varadarajan, the Indian Army officer who was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra. The film traces Mukund’s life from his childhood and relationship with Indhu Rebecca Varghese to his Army career and his final mission in Kashmir. Sivakarthikeyan portrays Mukund, while Sai Pallavi plays Indhu, whose viewpoint forms a key part of the film’s emotional narrative.
Released in October 2024, Amaran explores both the personal and military dimensions of Mukund’s life. Instead of focusing solely on his final operation, the film establishes his relationship with Indhu, his decision to join the Army and the evolution of his professional journey before arriving at the events that culminated in his death in 2014.
One of Periasamy’s key challenges was connecting these two sides of the story. The narrative gradually shifts from a relationship-driven drama to a military film before reaching the combat sequence centred on Mukund’s final mission. This structure gives viewers an understanding of Mukund as an individual before portraying him as a soldier, while Indhu’s perspective highlights the personal consequences of his choice to serve.
The director also presented the military sections from the soldiers’ immediate point of view instead of treating the action merely as spectacle. The Kashmir portions gradually lead towards the encounter that serves as the climax, while the earlier parts establish the relationships and circumstances that add emotional weight to those events. This approach keeps the biographical elements closely linked to the personal story at the heart of the film.
Amaran also secured another major National Film Award, with G V Prakash Kumar winning Best Music Direction for Background Music. The film was thus recognised for both Periasamy’s direction and the music supporting its narrative.
The National Award recognition comes after Amaran enjoyed a successful theatrical run and strong audience response following its October 2024 release. The film was produced by Kamal Haasan, R Mahendran and Vivek Krishnani under Raaj Kamal Films International, Sony Pictures Films India and RKFI. It also received recognition at several other award functions, particularly for the performances of Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi and its portrayal of Mukund and Indhu’s relationship.
Periasamy’s award is one of the significant directing honours at this year’s National Film Awards. Aditya Suhas Jambhale’s Article 370 won Best Feature Film, with Yami Gautam receiving the Best Actress award for the same film. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan jointly won Best Actor for Bramayugam and Chandu Champion, respectively. Kalki 2898 AD was named 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 also represent a shift in the venue of the annual ceremony, with Ekta Nagar in Gujarat hosting it instead of New Delhi. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has said future editions will also be organised across different states and cities. President Murmu presented the awards to filmmakers, actors, technicians and other members of the film industry during the ceremony.
For Periasamy, the National Award marks a significant milestone as Amaran takes his work to audiences beyond Tamil cinema. He had earlier directed Rangoon in 2017 before returning to filmmaking with Amaran after several years. His upcoming projects will now follow a film that has received national recognition for both its direction and music.
