The 72nd National Film Awards were announced on July 18, 2026, in New Delhi, and Kannada cinema walked away with one of its strongest showings in recent years — all thanks to a single film. Here's the story behind Karnataka's wins this year.
Mithya Sweeps Three Awards
Mithya, directed by Sumanth Bhat and produced by Paramvah Studios & KRG Studios, wasn't just nominated — it swept three separate categories at this year's ceremony. It's a coming-of-age courtroom drama built around childhood grief, faith, gender, and a woman's fight within a patriarchal legal system. Director Sumanth Bhat called the recognition an unexpected surprise, and it's easy to see why: the film had already built a following on the festival circuit, but a national sweep like this is rare for a small, character-driven Kannada drama going up against big-budget entries from every other industry.
Best Kannada Feature Film: Mithya
The film itself was named Best Kannada Feature Film, the jury's top honour for the state's cinema this year. What makes this win stand out is that Mithya isn't a commercial spectacle — it's a quiet, emotionally layered story, and its win is a reminder that the National Awards jury tends to reward depth and craft over scale, especially in regional categories.
Best Supporting Actress: Roopashree Varkady
Roopashree Varkady picked up Best Supporting Actress (also reported as Best Actress in a Supporting Role) for her performance in Mithya. Her role added emotional texture to the film's central conflict — a woman navigating a legal system stacked against her — and the award reflects how much of the film's impact rested on her performance carrying that thread.
Best Child Artist: Athish Shetty
Athish S. Shetty won Best Child Artist for his role in Mithya as well, making it the third award for the same film. Child performances usually get overshadowed by the adult leads around them, so recognising Shetty separately says a lot about how central his character was to the film's exploration of childhood and belief.
A Kannada Book on Cinema Also Made the List
Beyond the film categories, a Kannada-language title also won Best Book on Cinema: Naaniruvude Nimagaagi Naadiruvude Nanagaagi: Kannada Cinemada Thathva Matthu Rajakeeya, written by Kenchanuru Pradeep Kumar Shetty and published by Mirror Pusthaka. It's a nice parallel win — the same year Kannada cinema shone on screen, a Kannada book about the philosophy and politics of Kannada cinema itself got national recognition too.
Three wins for one film, plus a book award — 2026 turned out to be Mithya's year, and by extension, a strong year for Kannada cinema at the National Film Awards.