Chetak Screen Awards: Dhurandhar leads with 24 nods; Saiyaara and Homebound follow ahead of April 5 ceremony

The Indian Express Group’s Screen Academy has unveiled the full slate of nominees across 31 categories for its upcoming Chetak Screen Awards ceremony on April 5, celebrating the best of Hindi cinema and OTT from 2025.

Aditya Dhar’s spy thriller Dhurandhar received the highest number of nominations at 24, with Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara earning 17 and Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound picking up 15. The nominations span theatrical and OTT releases, reflecting the breadth and evolution of contemporary Indian storytelling.

A rigorous, merit-first process

Having been established in 1995, the Screen Awards are anchored in editorial integrity and governed by the Screen Academy, an independent, not-for-profit body of more than 50 acclaimed filmmakers, artistes, and cultural voices. Over 95% of Academy members participated in the evaluation process, with an average of 38–40 members scoring each category using a trimmed mean (Olympic) methodology to ensure fairness and neutrality.

To further strengthen the process, Professor Priya Jaikumar, Chair of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, developed a detailed scoring rubric for Academy members.

For the first time in 20 years, a film award show will be broadcast live. With a special partnership with YouTube, Screen Awards will offer open access to global audiences in line with The Indian Express Group’s digital-first approach. It will also be broadcast live on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony Liv.

Nominees

Best Action

• 120 Bahadur
• Chhaava
• Deva
• Dhurandhar
• Jaat

Best Actor (Female)

• Triptii Dimri – Dhadak 2
• Yami Gautam Dhar – Haq
• Sonal Madhushankar – Humans in the Loop
• Konkona Sen Sharma – Metro… In Dino
• Monika Panwar – Nishaanchi
• Radhika Apte – Sister Midnight
• Kriti Sanon – Tere Ishk Mein

Best Actor (Female) – OTT Film

• Fatima Sana Shaikh – Aap Jaisa Koi
• Sanya Malhotra – Mrs
• Radhika Apte – Saali Mohabbat
• Saba Azad – Songs of Paradise
• Mia Maelzer – Stolen
• Farida Jalal – The Great Shamsuddin Family
• Shreya Chaudhry – The Mehta Boys

Best Actor (Male)

• Vicky Kaushal – Chhaava
• Siddhant Chaturvedi – Dhadak 2
• Ranveer Singh – Dhurandhar
• Vishal Jethwa – Homebound
• Ishaan Khatter – Homebound
• Manoj Bajpayee – Jugnuma: The Fable
• Adarsh Gourav – Superboys of Malegaon

Best Actor (Male) – OTT Film

• Manoj Bajpayee – Inspector Zende
• Abhishek Bachchan – Kaalidhar Laapata
• Nawazuddin Siddiqui – Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders
• Abhishek Banerjee – Stolen
• Shubham Vardhan – Stolen

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female)

• Divya Dutta – Chhaava
• Sheeba Chadha – Haq
• Shalini Vatsa – Homebound
• Dolly Ahluwalia – Sitaare Zameen Par
• Manjiri Pupala – Superboys of Malegaon

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)

• Akshaye Khanna – Dhurandhar
• Rakesh Bedi – Dhurandhar
• Naseeruddin Shah – Gustaakh Ishq
• Saurabh Shukla – Jolly LLB 3
• Deepak Dobriyal – Jugnuma: The Fable

Best Background Score

• Chhaava
• Dhurandhar
• Haq
• Homebound
• Saiyaara

Best Choreography

• Ui Amma – Azaad
• Bhasad Macha – Deva
• Shararat – Dhurandhar
• Panwadi Song – Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari
• Dilbar Ki Aankhon Ka – Thamma

Best Cinematography

• Dhurandhar
• Homebound
• Humans in the Loop
• Jugnuma: The Fable
• Superboys of Malegaon

Best Costume

• Chhaava
• Dhurandhar
• Gustaakh Ishq
• Homebound
• Superboys of Malegaon

Best Dialogue

• Dhurandhar
• Haq
• Homebound
• Jolly LLB 3
• Superboys of Malegaon

Best Director

• Laxman Ramchandra Utekar – Chhaava
• Aditya Dhar – Dhurandhar
• Suparn S Varma – Haq
• Neeraj Ghaywan – Homebound
• Raam Reddy – The Fable (Jugnuma)
• Mohit Suri – Saiyaara
• Reema Kagti – Superboys of Malegaon

Best Director – OTT Film

• Arati Kadav – Mrs
• Honey Trehan – Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders
• Karan Tejpal – Stolen
• Anusha Rizvi – The Great Shamsuddin Family
• Boman Irani – The Mehta Boys

Best Editing

• Dhurandhar
• Haq
• Homebound
• Saiyaara
• Superboys of Malegaon

Best Film

• Dhadak 2
• Dhurandhar
• Haq
• Homebound
• Saiyaara
• Sitaare Zameen Par
• Superboys of Malegaon
• Chhaava