The ceremony’s not in Delhi. It’s in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat. A deliberate move by the government to highlight regional cinema and cultural diversity across India. Anant Nag gets the Dadasaheb Phalke Award; a 50+ year journey in Kannada and Indian cinema. Quiet legend. Big honour. Best Feature Film? ‘Article 370’. Best Actress? Yami Gautam. Best Actor? Shared; Mammootty (Bramayugam) & Kartik Aaryan (Chandu Champion). Surprising? Maybe. Well-deserved? Absolutely. And let’s not forget Randeep Hooda; Best Debut Director for ‘Swatantrya Veer Savarkar’. Yes, the actor-turned-director just made his mark. Big films like Kalki 2898 AD, Stree 2, Pushpa 2; they’re getting technical awards. Not best picture, but still recognition. Why does this matter? Because cinema isn’t just Bollywood. It’s regional, diverse, evolving; and today, it’s getting its due on a national stage, far from the usual glitz of Delhi. The real story? India’s film industry is bigger than any single city. And the government’s finally putting that on display.