The Chetak Screen Awards 2026, a prestigious event honoring excellence in both cinema and OTT platforms, took place on a dazzling evening where actor Abhishek Banerjee received the Best Actor (Male) – OTT Film award for his remarkable portrayal in the film “Stolen.” His performance struck a chord with both audiences and critics, earning significant recognition.
This award category featured an impressive lineup of nominees, showcasing some of the industry’s most respected talents. Among those nominated were Manoj Bajpayee for “Inspector Zende,” Abhishek Bachchan for “Kaalidhar Laapata,” Nawazuddin Siddiqui for “Raat Akeli Hai – The Bansal Murders,” and Shubham Vardhan, all of whom were contenders for “Stolen.” The depth and authenticity of their performances made the competition exceptionally fierce.
The award presentation occurred during a ceremony in Mumbai on Sunday, April 5, with Rasika Duggal and TVF founder Arunabh Kumar bestowing the trophy. The event was emceed by renowned Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt, alongside comedians Zakir Khan and Sunil Grover, and noted journalist Saurabh Dwivedi, who serves as the Editor for Hindi at The Indian Express.
Established by The Indian Express Group, the Chetak Screen Awards are recognized as one of India’s most esteemed and reliable film awards. They emphasize that artistic achievements should be acknowledged based solely on merit, integrity, and respect from peers. The nominees and winners for the 2026 awards were chosen by the Screen Academy, an independent non-profit organization comprising 53 distinguished filmmakers, artists, and cultural figures, which adds to the awards’ credibility.
After a preliminary selection process, the Academy conducted a structured voting procedure to assess the films. To ensure a thorough evaluation of cinematic artistry, Dr. Priya Jaikumar, who chairs the Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and serves as a scholar-in-residence at the Screen Academy, developed comprehensive grading criteria for the Academy’s members to utilize.
Films were judged based on creativity, technical excellence, audience engagement, and innovation, while performance categories were evaluated for authenticity as well. This rigorous process guaranteed that each award genuinely represented artistic merit.
The esteemed members of the Screen Academy include prominent figures such as Shoojit Sircar, Deepa Mehta, Sriram Raghavan, Ram Madhvani, Guneet Monga Kapoor, John Abraham, Kabir Khan, Karan Johar, Mukesh Chhabra, Payal Kapadia, Prosenjit Chatterjee, RS Prasanna, Rajiv Menon, Rajkumar Hirani, Resul Pookutty, Rima Das, and Vidya Balan, among others.
Viewers can catch the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 live on YouTube, Sony Entertainment Television, and Sony LIV.
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