The Chetak Screen Awards 2026, a glamorous event honoring the best in cinema and OTT platforms, took place recently. During the ceremony, actor Abhishek Banerjee received the award for Best Actor (Male) – OTT Film for his role in the film “Stolen.” In a surprising turn of events, he expressed his disbelief at winning the award, revealing that he had been informed by his sources that he would not be a recipient.
While delivering his acceptance speech, Abhishek candidly stated, “I’m unsure if I should mention this, but my sources indicated just days ago that I wouldn’t receive this honor.” In response, Saurabh Dwivedi, the editor of The Indian Express Hindi, commented, “It’s rather outdated to believe that sources can predict the winners of awards.”
The actor reflected on his misleading information, stating, “That’s exactly my point. I’ve learned two important lessons from this experience: first, I need to reconsider my sources; second, these sources are not reliable in this context. I am incredibly grateful to Screen and the jury for this recognition,” he added.
In concluding his remarks, Abhishek expressed gratitude towards the team of “Stolen,” sharing, “This journey has been quite an adventure for both the team and me. It began in a basement and eventually came to fruition in my living room.” He encouraged aspiring filmmakers to connect with producer Gaurav Dhingra in Delhi while also thanking director Karan Tejpal and his fellow cast members.
The Chetak Screen Awards, established by The Indian Express Group, are widely regarded as one of India’s most prestigious film awards, esteemed for their merit-based selections and industry acknowledgment. Winners are determined by the independent Screen Academy, a non-profit organization comprised of 53 filmmakers, artists, and cultural figures.
The assessment system, crafted by Priya Jaikumar from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, guarantees a thorough evaluation of creativity, technical skill, audience engagement, and innovation, with performance categories judged on their authenticity.
The Screen Academy boasts a distinguished roster of members, including notable names such as Shoojit Sircar, Deepa Mehta, Sriram Raghavan, Ram Madhvani, Guneet Monga Kapoor, John Abraham, Karan Johar, Mukesh Chhabra, Payal Kapadia, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rajkumar Hirani, Resula Pookutty, Rima Das, and Vidya Balan, among others.
For those interested, the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 can be watched on YouTube.
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