Kamal Haasan Congratulates Mammootty on Historic Fourth National Award

Veteran actor‑politician Kamal Haasan took to X (formerly Twitter) on July 18, 2026, to shower congratulations on fellow cinema icon Mammootty. The Tamil stalwart noted that his friend had finally fulfilled a light‑hearted promise made years ago – to surpass Kamal’s own tally of National Film Awards.

“My dear @mammukka, congratulations on your fourth National Award. You once promised me you would overtake me in the number of National Awards. As always, you are a man of your word! Here’s to many more accolades, my friend,” Kamal wrote, adding a nod to all the winners of the 72nd National Film Awards.

The 72nd ceremony, presided over by jury chairpersons Jayaraj, Aseem Sinha and A. Chandrasekhar, saw Mammootty sharing the Best Actor (Leading Role) honor with Bollywood’s Kartik Aaryan for their respective films “Bramayugam” and “Chandu Champion.” Yami Gautam clinched Best Actress for “Article 370.”

In the same breath, Kamal also tipped his hat to the team behind his sci‑fi epic “Kalki 2898 AD.” “Special congratulations to @Nagashwin7, @vyjayanthifilms and the entire #Kalki2898AD family. Indian cinema is richer because of your excellence,” he posted, highlighting the film’s own National Award win.

Other highlights from the night included Rajkumar Periasamy taking Best Director for “Amaran,” “Srikanth” being named Best Hindi Film, and “Mithya” winning Best Kannada Film. Technical laurels went to Shashwat Sachdev (Best Music Direction – Songs for “Article 370”), G. V. Prakash Kumar (Best Background Score for “Amaran”), and Manas Choudhary (Best Sound Design for “Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3”).

The awards underscored the diversity of Indian cinema, from historical dramas like “Veer Savarkar” to commercial spectacles such as “Pushpa 2: The Rule.” For Mammootty, the fourth National Award not only cements his legacy but also fulfills a playful bet with a fellow legend – a story that has now become part of Bollywood‑Malayalam folklore.