Kartik Aaryan Reacts To National Award Win: 'A Dream I've Carried For Years...'

The 72nd National Film Awards were announced on July 18, 2026, to celebrate outstanding achievements by several films and artistes. They were honoured for their artistic and technical contributions to the world of cinema. Interestingly, Kartik Aaryan shared the prestigious Best Actor in a Leading Role award for Chandu Champion with Malayalam superstar Mammootty (who was recognised for his work in Bramayugam).

Needless to say, Kartik is on cloud nine right now. He took to his official Instagram account to pen an emotional note. The actor also shared a sweet video of his parents celebrating his big win.

In the caption, Kartik Aaryan wrote, “Still processing… Some moments are simply bigger than words, and this is one of them. A dream I’ve carried

for years has finally come true. Forever humbled, forever grateful. Best Actor National Award #ChanduChampion.”

Take a look:

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A post shared by KARTIK AARYAN (@kartikaaryan)

The winners were announced by Feature Film Jury Chairperson Jayaraj, Non-Feature Film Jury Chairperson Aseem Sinha, and Best Writing on Cinema Jury Chairperson A. Chandrasekhar. The announcement was made in the presence of Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan M.N., Joint Secretary (Films), and Dhirendra Ojha, Principal Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

Meanwhile, Chandu Champion is a 2024 Hindi biographical sports drama based on the life of India’s first Paralympic gold medallist, Murlikant Petkar. Directed by Kabir Khan, who also co-wrote and co-produced the film with Sajid Nadiadwala under the Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment banner, it features Kartik Aaryan in the titular role.

Shot across London, Wai, Jammu, and Kashmir between July 2023 and January 2024, the film hit theatres on June 14, 2024. While it earned praise for Kartik Aaryan’s transformative performance, Kabir Khan’s direction, and its visual storytelling, the film failed to make a mark commercially, collecting Rs 88.73 crore worldwide. It later received four nominations at the 70th Filmfare Awards, with Aaryan taking home the Best Actor trophy.