In a year dominated by big-ticket spectacles and box-office successes, the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 nominations have thrown up an unexpected contender. Aranya Sahay’s Humans in the Loop — a 72-minute indie film about a tribal data labeller working at an Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centre — has emerged as one of the pleasant surprises with seven key nominations. Also, competing alongside mainstream heavyweights are Raam Reddy’s Jugnuma: The Fable; Shazia Iqbal’s Dhadak 2; RS Prasanna’s Sitaare Zameen Par; and Reema Kagti’s Superboys of Malegaon that have secured nods in several prominent categories. The awards will take place in Mumbai on April 5.
Even as Dhurandhar remains the frontrunner with 24 nominations, followed by Mohit Suri’s romantic musical saga Saiyaara with 17 nods, and Neeraj Ghaywan’s moving tale of friendship Homebound with 15, the fact that movies like Humans in the Loop is competing in key category such as Best Actor (Female), Breakthrough New Actor (Female) Best Sound Design, Best Film Writing (Story & Screenplay) and Breakthrough Debut Director, highlights the importance of a platform like Chetak Screen Awards when it comes celebrating talent and cinematic excellence. This fact is reiterated as Gustaakh Ishq, which exudes an old-world charm, bags four nominations and Reddy vies for Best Director trophy for his Jugnuma, which is steeped in magical realism.
Devoid of the high-intensity drama of Dhurandhar or Laxman Ramchandra Utekar’s Chhaava, Humans in the Loop follows Nehma, who works at a data centre in a remote area in Jharkhand and learns to tag images to help algorithms distinguish objects after returning to her village with her daughter Dhaanu and toddler son Guntu, following her separation from her husband. Those competing for top honour in the Best Film category especially reflecting the richness and diversity of Indian cinema. Nominated in this category are Dhadak 2, Dhurandhar, Haq, Homebound, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Superboys Of Malegaon and Chhaava — showcasing the range of movies belonging to different genres, subjects and scale that the year 2025 produced.
With the success of Saiyaara, Suri gave a fresh lease of life to musical romantic saga — which has been a staple of Indian cinema in the past. The movie introduced newcomers, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. After creating a box-office storm and capturing the audience’s imagination, both the young actors have been nominated in the Breakthrough New Actor (Male) and Breakthrough New Actor (Female), respectively. Saiyaara is also nominated in the Best Film, Best Director and Best Lyrics categories apart from bagging six playback singer nominations.
With his second directorial outing, Jugnuma, Raam Reddy has not only experimented with a narrative that challenges him as a storyteller but also expands the canvas and scale of his cinema.
While box-office performances drive the film industry, cinematic achievements extend beyond that. With his much-acclaimed debut film Thithi (2015), Reddy had established the fact that he is a director to watch-out for. With his second directorial outing, Jugnuma, Reddy has not only experimented with a narrative that challenges him as a storyteller but also expands the canvas and scale of his cinema. His ingenuity is recognised as Jugnuma has secured Best Actor (Male) nomination for Manoj Bajpayee and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) for Deepak Dobriyal. The film is also nominated in Best cinematography and Special Effects categories, apart from getting the Best Director nod.
Homebound, which enjoyed global spotlight, is based on a real-life story of friendship between two youths from the marginalised communities in the backdrop of lockdown imposed during the pandemic. Speaking to The Indian Express earlier, Ghaywan (nominated for Best Director award) had said the idea behind Homebound was to go to the homes of those belonging to the “marginalised” section of society and not talk about them in statistics. “I wanted see what they eat, what they feel, what they aspire for, how do they rebuild their life after setbacks and what makes them leave their homes and travel all the way to the cities,” says Ghaywan. Homebound has secured Best Actor (Male) nominations for Vishal Jethwa for Ishaan Khatter; and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) for Shalini Vatsa among others.
Story continues below this ad
Another movie, based on a real-life story, is Superboys of Malegaon. The Reema Kagti-directorial is inspired by the movie-obsessed enterprising residents of Maharashtra’s Malegaon, who led mainly by Nasir Shaikh made low-budget, parodies of Bollywood blockbusters for their local community in the 1990s. The film has got Best Actor (Male) nomination for Adarsh Gourav and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) for Manjiri Pupala, among others.
When asked about Shaikh and his associate amateur filmmakers seeking the validation of the audience, Kagti (nominated for Best Director Award) had previously mentioned, “You create art for people to experience and you want them to understand what you are trying to say. It is validating when you create something and it goes down well. Nobody creates a movie only for themselves. It is a community experience.” That’s true for spoofs made on shoe-string budgets as well as big entertainers.
Alaka Sahani is a prominent film critic and journalist based in Mumbai. With a career spanning over two decades, she has established herself as one of India’s most authoritative voices in cinematic journalism, known for an analytical approach and insights that transcend the standard cycle of celebrity journalism.
Expertise & Accolades
In 2014, Alaka was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Film Critic. Her Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) citation specifically lauded her for "highlighting facets of cinema beyond glamour and gossip" and for her ability to delve into the contemporary relevance of iconic filmmakers. Her commitment to journalistic integrity was further recognised in 2019 with a Special Mention at the Red Ink Awards for her investigative feature, 'In Search of a Star'. Her article titled 'People Like Us', published in The Indian Express on March 27, 2022, was shortlisted for Red Ink Award, 2023.
Global Industry Leadership
Alaka’s expertise is sought after by major international and domestic film bodies:
Golden Globes: In 2025, she joined the international voting body for the 83rd Annual Golden Globes.
National Film Awards: She served on the prestigious jury for the 68th National Film Awards, helping select the finest contributions to Indian cinema.
Global Perspective: Her work consistently bridges the gap between commercial Bollywood A-listers and emerging independent talents, offering nuanced insights into both Indian regional cinema and international film trends.
Focus & Vision
Beyond the screen, Alaka is a dedicated observer of Mumbai’s vibrant theatre scene and the historical evolution of the moving image. Through her long-form articles and deep-dive interviews, she continues to challenge "tried-and-tested" templates, providing readers with a deep understanding of the artistic and systemic workings of the Indian and global film industry. ... Read More
With his second directorial outing, Jugnuma, Raam Reddy has not only experimented with a narrative that challenges him as a storyteller but also expands the canvas and scale of his cinema.
