Well, well, well, the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 just happened, and if you weren't watching, you missed a full-on Dhurandhar-fest! Seriously, this film didn't just win; it practically staged a coup, walking away with a mind-boggling 14 trophies. Yeah, you read that right – fourteen awards! That's a record-breaker, pakka.
But hold on, before you think it was a clean sweep for the action spectacle, the prestigious Best Film award went to the nuanced drama, Homebound. A bit of a surprise, maybe, given Dhurandhar's dominance, but a very well-deserved one, I'd say. It shows that even with all the fireworks, good storytelling still holds its ground.
Dhurandhar's Unstoppable Juggernaut
Let's be real, everyone expected Dhurandhar to do well, but 14 wins? That's just next level. Ranveer Singh snagged Best Actor (Male), and honestly, who's surprised? The man brings an unmatched energy to every role, and for a film like Dhurandhar, he was just perfect. Then there's Aditya Dhar, who won Best Director, once again proving why he's one of the sharpest minds in the business right now. And a huge shout-out to Akshaye Khanna for taking home Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male); he's always reliable, yaar, and truly elevates any scene he's in.
But where Dhurandhar truly steamrolled the competition was in the technical categories. We're talking Best Action (no surprise there, it was phenomenal!), Best Background Score, Best Choreography for 'Shararat' (that song was full paisa vasool!), Best Cinematography, Best Dialogue, Best Editing, Best Hairstyling and Make-Up, Best Production Design, Best Sound Design, and Best Special Effects. Honestly, it feels like the jury just went down the list and ticked off 'Dhurandhar' for almost everything. But then again, a film that strong, that technically brilliant, deserves its due. Even Best Costume had a nod for Smriti Chauhan for Dhurandhar, alongside Sheetal Iqbal Sharma for Chhaava.
Homebound, Haq, and the Rise of Saiyaara
While Dhurandhar was busy collecting trophies, Homebound quietly made its mark, not just with the Best Film win, but also with Shalini Vatsa winning Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) – a fantastic, understated performance. It also bagged Best Film Writing (Story and Screenplay), which is a huge win for Basharat Peer, Neeraj Ghaywan, and Sumit Roy. This shows that while big-budget spectacles get the glory, good old storytelling still reigns supreme.
Then there's Yami Gautam Dhar, who won Best Actor (Female) for Haq. Yami has been consistently delivering strong performances, and it’s great to see her get this well-deserved recognition for a film that also won Best Film for Gender Sensitivity. That's a double win for socially relevant cinema!
The music categories saw Saiyaara's title track dominate, winning Best Song, Best Playback Singer (Male) for Faheem Abdullah, and Best Playback Singer (Female) for Shreya Ghoshal. Faheem and Shreya did a phenomenal job, no doubt. But Gulzar winning Best Lyrics for Ul Julool Ishq? That's just pure class, isn't it? And speaking of Saiyaara, it also introduced us to some fresh faces, with Aneet Padda and Ahaan Panday winning Breakthrough New Actor (Female) and (Male) respectively. Plus, Shazia Iqbal got Breakthrough Debut Director for Dhadak 2. New talent getting their moment in the sun, always a good sign for the industry.
OTT Gems Shine Bright
And let's not forget the streaming space, which is churning out some real gold these days. The Chetak Screen Awards acknowledged this with dedicated OTT categories. Stolen was a big winner here, bagging Best OTT Film, Best Actor (Male) – OTT Film for the incredibly versatile Abhishek Banerjee (he's just killing it on OTT, man!), Best Director – OTT Film for Karan Tejpal, and Best Script – OTT Film. Meanwhile, Sanya Malhotra added another feather to her cap, winning Best Actor (Female) – OTT Film for Mrs.. Sanya, always a delight to watch.
So there you have it, the Chetak Screen Awards 2026. A night where Dhurandhar proved its box office might translates to award show glory, but also where films like Homebound, Haq, and Stolen reminded us that great content, whether on the big screen or small, always finds its audience and its recognition. What a year for Hindi cinema, yaar!
