Karan Johar walks on the red carpet
Nita Ambani and Alia Bhatt at Chetak Screen Awards 2026Chetak Screen Awards 2026 Red Carpet Live Updates: After a long hiatus, the Chetak Screen Awards are back to celebrate Bollywood’s finest. Established in 1995, the Screen Awards’ stage has long been a prominent platform to highlight the best of India’s cinematic talent. Tonight, the event’s biggest attraction is that the nominees and winners across all 31 categories have been handpicked by our prestigious Screen Academy — an independent, not-for-profit body comprising 53 acclaimed filmmakers, artistes and cultural voices — following a rigorous process.
Ahead of the main event, which begins at 8 pm on Sunday, April 5, in Mumbai, we bring you the best from the glittery red carpet. Bollywood icon Alia Bhatt, comedians Zakir Khan and Sunil Grover, and Saurabh Dwivedi (Editor – Hindi, The Indian Express) serve as hosts for the ceremony.
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Built on a foundation of pure merit and artistic integrity, the Chetak Screen Awards—instituted by The Indian Express Group—remain a gold standard for Indian cinema. For the Chetak Screen Awards 2026, the selection process was steered by the Screen Academy, which used a data-driven voting system to make the final selection. Guided by criteria developed by Dr Priya Jaikumar, Chair of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles, and scholar-in-residence at the Screen Academy, the Academy’s 53 members graded films on four key pillars: technical excellence, creative vision, viewer connectivity, and innovation. This structured approach ensures that every award reflects both artistic merit and cultural impact.
The Chetak Screen Awards 2026 stand alone in their commitment to merit-based recognition. Finalised after a formidable review process, the winners carry the endorsement of the Screen Academy’s distinguished members. This peer-led body includes iconic 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, R.S. Prasanna, Rajiv Menon, Rajkumar Hirani, Resul Pookutty, Rima Das, and Vidya Balan, among others.
Watch Chetak Screen Awards 2026 Red Carpet Live:
Watch Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE on YouTube, Sony Entertainment Television, and Sony LIV
Live Updates
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Dhurandhar star Rakesh Bedi brings his statement humour to the red carpet!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Host for the night, Alia Bhatt, makes a stunning appearance in white!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Host for the night, Alia Bhatt, makes a stunning appearance!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Vicky Kaushal nails elegance in a classic formal look
Vicky Kaushal keeps it chic in a well-tailored black and white ensemble.
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Manoj Bajpai appears in a stylish black suit on the red carpet
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Manoj Bajpai appears in a stylish black suit on the red carpet
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Poonam Dhillon stuns in a violet sari!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Poonam Dhillon makes a splash on the red carpet!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Ishaan Khatter stuns in an impressive black-and-white semi-formal look
Ishaan Khatter makes a stylish appearance at the red carpet.
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Nita Ambani looks stunning in a golden sari!
Nita Ambani makes an appearance on the red carpet!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Bobby Deol makes a stylish appearance
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Bobby Deol makes a stylish appearance on the red carpet!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Konkona Sen Sharma opts for a traditional Indian wear!
Konkona Sen Sharma in a purple sari looks stunning!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Arshad Warsi makes an appearance with his daughter
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Arshad Warsi makes an appearance with his daughter Zene
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Male actors make a striking appearance on the red carpet
Catch all the lovely looks here!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Actor and host Anup Soni is here
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Actor and host Anup Soni is here!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Celebs up the glam quotient on the red carpet!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Catch all the stunning looks here!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Sauabh Shukla is here at the awards!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Sauabh Shukla arrived at the red carpet with a smile! (Express Photo by Narendra Vaskar)
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Where to watch the live?
Chetak Screen Awads 2026: Watch the Live telecast here and on SonyLiv
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Boman Irani talks about being excited about nominations!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Boman Irani arrived in style and spoke about being excited for nominations! (Express Photo by Sankhadeep)
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Dolly Ahluwalia reveals the secret behind her glowing skin
For actor Dolly Ahluwalia, glowing skin begins within. "Good thoughts, positive thinking... I prefer skincare," she says, stressing that mindful living reflects on the face. Rather than chasing trends, she trusts routines, inner calm, and consistency—proving beauty is as much about mindset as it is about products.
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Babil Khan arrived on the red carpet
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Babil Khan arrived on the red carpet looking suave (Express Photo by Akash Patil)
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Catch all the red carpet looks here!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Celebs are making a style statement and how! Take a look
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Mr. Faisu looks dapper in white
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Look at the best dressed for the night!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: The evening is getting more special as some of the biggest stars made a splash on the red carpet! Take a look!
Actor Shubhangi Atre makes a stunning appearance on the red carpet
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Who are the Screen Academy Members
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Here's a complete list!
1. Abhishek Chaubey – Director & Screenwriter
2. Amit Ray- Production Designer
3. Amritpal Singh Bindra – Film producer, Director & Writer
4. Anand Mahindra – Patron of the arts, Chairman of the Mahindra Group
5. Anil Mehta – Cinematographer
6. Atul Mongia – Casting Director, Acting Coach
7. Bishwadeep Chatterjee – Sound Designer
8. Deepa Bhatia – Film editor, writer
9. Deepa Mehta – Director & Writer
10. Feroz Abbas Khan – Director & Screenwriter
11. Gaurav Gandhi—Head of Amazon Prime Video, APAC.
12. Goutam Ghose – Director, Cinematographer
13. Guneet Monga Kapoor – Film Producer
14. Jaideep Sahni – Screenwriter & lyricist
15. John Abraham – Actor -Producer
16. Kabir Khan – Director
17. Karan Johar – Director, Producer, Talk Show Host
18. Kausar Munir – Lyricist & Screenwriter
19. Manish Malhotra — Fashion Designer & Producer
20. Manohar Verma – Action Director
21. Maxima Basu –Costume and fashion Designer
22. Mukesh Chhabra – Casting Director
23. Nagesh Kukunoor – Director & Screenwriter
24. Namit Malhotra – Film Producer, Global CEO of DNEG
25. Namrata Rao – Director and Producer
26. Niharika Bhasin – Costume Designer
27. Payal Kapadia – Director
28. Pooja Ladha Surti – Film Editor & Writer
29. Pritam Chakraborty – Music Director and Composer
30. Prosenjit Chatterjee – Actor & Producer
31. R. S. Prasanna – Director
32. Rahul Dholakia – Director, Producer & Screenwriter
33. Rajiv Menon – Cinematographer & Director
34. Rajkumar Hirani – Film editor, Screenwriter & Director
35. Ram Madhvani – Director
36. Ramesh Taurani – Film & Music Producer
37. Ravi Chandran – Cinematographer
38. Resul Pookutty – Sound Designer & Producer
39. Rima Das – Writer, Director & Editor
40. Ronnie Screwvala -Film Producer & Entrepreneur
41. Sabu Cyril – Production Designer
42. Sameer Nair – Managing Director, Applause Entertainment
43. Shiamak Davar -Choreographer
44. Shoojit Sircar – Director & Film Producer
45. Siddharth Roy Kapur – Film Producer
46. Sriram Raghavan – Director and Screenwriter
47. Subhash Ghai – Director, Producer & Educationist
48. Subrata Chakraborty – Production Designer
49. Sujoy Ghosh – Screenwriter & Director
50. Swapnil Sonawane – Cinematographer & producer
51. Tanuj Garg – Film Producer
52. Vidya Balan – Actor
53. Vinay Kumar – Actor, Director & Theatre Researcher
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: When and where to watch
Chetak Screen Awards 2026 Date, Time, Live Streaming: Know when, where, and how to watch the Chetak Screen Awards live. READ MORE HERE
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Throwback to 2016 when Bollywood’s bhai Salman Khan expressed why bonds beyond the screen matter
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: When Sallu bhai was on stage!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: How are winners selected?
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: An independent, not-for-profit body, the SCREEN Academy, has decided the winners, bringing together over 50 distinguished filmmakers, artistes, and cultural voices. To ensure a fair and consistent process, the evaluation framework has been designed by Dr Priya Jaikumar of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: When Shefali Shah remembered her first meeting with the energy ball Ranveer Singh!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Watch the throwback clip here!
Chetak Screen Awards 2026 throwback alert: Late actor Sunil Dutt honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
When Sunil Dutt was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, it celebrated a journey filled with cinema, impact and timeless contribution. A moment that truly reflected the respect he continues to command. This is what a lifetime of legacy looks like.
Marking a powerful blend of credibility, cultural legacy and digital reach, the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 are poised to revolutionise film awards in India forever as cinematic excellence across 31 categories will be celebrated on a live broadcast. Stay tuned for more updates.
Chetak Screen Awards 2026 Live Streaming: When and where to watch Screen Awards 2026 live?
The Chetak Screen Awards, instituted by The Indian Express Group, is back with a renewed focus on credibility, aiming to restore the prestige of film honours by recognising excellence purely on the basis of merit and talent. The countdown culminates on April 5, when the biggest names in Bollywood will come together under one roof in Mumbai to celebrate cinema and honour artists who truly deserve recognition.
The Chetak Screen Awards will be held on April 5 in Mumbai. The ceremony will be streamed live on YouTube and SonyLIV, and will also air on Sony Entertainment Television from 8 pm onwards. Watch it live here
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Here's what the nominees have to say
Cinema continues to be one of India’s most powerful cultural forces that shapes conversations, reflects social changes, and influences generations, which is why an acknowledgement and celebration of the talent that fuels it is imperative. The Chetak Screen Awards 2026 aims to do just that with a grand evening at Mumbai’s YRF Studios on Sunday, promising glamour, recognition, and the spotlight on cinematic excellence. Ahead of the grand event, some of the nominees talk about the creative drive that keeps them going. Read here.
Chetak Screen Awards 2026: Alia Bhatt takes us through the BTS of filming
How does cinema come to life? Alia Bhatt, Bollywood icon and presenter for Chetak Screen Awards, takes us through the heroes behind the camera.
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