Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Vishal Jethwa says he prepared Best Actor Speech, but Homebound’s Best Film win still gave him his moment

Neeraj Ghaywan thanks his crew

Neeraj Ghaywan, when he came up to collect the award, spoke with quiet directness. “Earlier, when I won the Screen Award, I felt I was taking up too much time, occupying too much space,” he said. “This time, I think I should occupy that space.” He went on to thank the other nominees alongside his own crew.

“I want to thank all the nominees—those who went home empty-handed. So, this is for them as well. Rohit Chaturvedi, Varun Grover, Nitin Vaid, Khyati Kanchan, Khyati Malhotra, Sanjay, and Alvin, Narendra, and Benedict. So, this is for all of you, too,” he said.

The award was presented by Nita Mukesh Ambani, in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was on stage for the evening’s final segment.

Karan Johar, who produced the film under Dharma Productions alongside Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, used his moment at the microphone to thank Nita Ambani and the Chief Minister, before handing over to Poonawalla. “This is a new industry for me,” Poonawalla said, acknowledging that all credit for the win belonged to the director and the cast and crew.

Also Read: Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE Updates: Dhurandhar sweeps with 14 awards; Homebound bags Best Film award; Yami Gautam, Ranveer Singh named Best Actors

Vishal Jethwa says he prepared the speech for Best Actor

Talking on the stage, Vishal Jethwa said “I had actually prepared this speech for the Best Actor category, but I didn’t get that opportunity,” he said. “And anyway, seeing Vicky Kaushal, seeing Siddharth, seeing Adarsh, with all these people around, I honestly didn’t think I stood a chance. But regardless, I still got the opportunity to come up on stage.”

Jethwa acknowledged the occasion, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Nita Ambani on stage, calling it “truly a special moment.” He spoke about the film before speaking about himself. “This film is very special,” he said. “It speaks about empathy and about acceptance. Through this film, I have also been able to accept myself.”

He added, “It takes many, many years to reach this point,” he said. “I have been working in this industry for 16 to 17 years now. It is only after such a long journey that I have reached a stage where I am able to stand here, even in the presence of such legendary figures.”

Ishan Khatter’s closing speech

Ishaan Khatter, closing out the team’s time on stage, quoted a line from the film that did not make the final cut but appeared in the trailer. “Recognition is not something that holds us up,” he said. “Recognition is something we make for ourselves.” He dedicated the award to everyone striving every day to find their identity.

Homebound is a 2025 Hindi-language drama that explores the experiences of two childhood friends, played by Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, after they attempt to pass the national police exam. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it reportedly received a nine-minute standing ovation. It was theatrically released in India on September 26 to critical acclaim.

The Chetak Screen Awards 2026 closed on a strong note, with Dhurandhar dominating the evening by taking home 14 awards.

About Chetak Screen Awards 2026

The Chetak Screen Awards are run by The Indian Express Group and are built around one principle: that recognition should be earned purely on the basis of the work. The winners of the 2026 edition were decided through a structured voting process conducted by the Screen Academy, an independent, not-for-profit body of 53 filmmakers, artists, and cultural voices, which gives the awards a credibility that is harder to manufacture than a trophy.

The voting framework itself was designed by Dr Priya Jaikumar, Chair of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, who also serves as scholar-in-residence at the Screen Academy. Her detailed grading guidelines shaped how each member cast their vote.

The Academy’s membership includes some of the most respected names across Indian cinema, among them Rajkumar Hirani, Resul Pookutty, Rima Das, Vidya Balan, Shoojit Sircar, Deepa Mehta, Sriram Raghavan, Ram Madhvani, Guneet Monga Kapoor, John Abraham, Kabir Khan, Mukesh Chhabra, Payal Kapadia, Prosenjit Chatterjee, RS Prasanna, and Rajiv Menon.

Watch Chetak Screen Awards 2026 on YouTube, Sony LIV.