The announcement of the 72nd National Film Awards on July 18, 2026 was largely celebrated, but one decision has quickly become the centre of online debate.

The jury's decision to share the Best Actor award between Mammootty for ‘Bramayugam’ (2024) and Kartik Aaryan for ‘Chandu Champion’ (2024) has left film lovers asking one question: Was Aaryan really the best choice in one of the most competitive years for Indian cinema?

There is no disagreement over Mammootty's win. His daunting performance in ‘Bramayugam’ has been widely hailed as one of the finest of his career, earning praise for its restraint, screen presence and commanding portrayal. For many, his National Award was richly deserved.

The debate, however, has centred on Aaryan. Despite his receiving appreciation for his physically demanding performance in ‘Chandu Champion’, many viewers believe several equally compelling performances were left out of the final honours.

Social media has been flooded with comparisons, with fans questioning why actors like Prithviraj Sukumaran (Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life), Randeep Hooda (Swatantrya Veer Savarkar), Ajay Devgn (Maidaan) and Rajkummar Rao (Srikanth) were overlooked despite receiving widespread critical acclaim.

Others have argued that if the jury wanted to recognise a younger performer, Sparsh Shrivastava's breakthrough role in ‘Laapataa Ladies’ was equally worthy of consideration.

Some also pointed to Fahadh Faasil's electrifying performance in ‘Aavesham’, Karthi's understated turn in ‘Meiyazhagan’ and Diljit Dosanjh's portrayal in ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ as performances that deserved to be in the conversation.

The online debate has underscored just how fiercely competitive Indian cinema was in 2024.

From transformative performances to emotionally layered portrayals, the year produced an unusually deep pool of acting talent across languages, making the Best Actor race one of the toughest in recent memory.

The bottom line is that netizens aren't questioning Mammootty or Aaryan’s win; they're questioning everyone who didn't win.

Whether one agrees with the jury or not, the conversation itself shows the strength of Indian cinema in 2024.

Rarely has a single category produced so many performances that audiences felt were worthy of the country's highest cinematic honour.