Key Highlights

  • The inaugural Cinema of The Year (CTA) – Indian Cinema Awards (ICA) 2025 has officially declared its winners, celebrating Hindi cinema from 2025.
  • The powerful courtroom drama 'Haq' secured top honours, including Best Film and Best Actress for Yami Gautam.
  • Vicky Kaushal was named Best Actor for 'Chhaava', while Aditya Dhar won Best Director for 'Dhurandhar'.

Jaipur: The highly anticipated first edition of the Cinema of The Year (CTA) – Indian Cinema Awards (ICA) 2025 has officially unveiled its winners. These awards recognise outstanding achievements in Hindi cinema, specifically films released between January and December 2025.

Presented jointly by the Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) and the New Delhi Film Festival (NDFF), this initiative celebrates excellence across storytelling, performance, direction, and technical brilliance. Notably, the awards forgo any physical or cultural ceremony, keeping the focus purely on cinematic merit.

Top Honours Revealed

Nominations for the awards were announced on April 8, 2026, with full details available on the official websites of JIFF and NDFF. This marks a significant step in acknowledging Hindi cinema that not only entertains but also sparks thought and emotion.

The film 'Haq' emerged as a major winner, taking home the coveted Best Film award. Its lead actress, Yami Gautam, was also honoured with the Best Actress trophy for her impactful performance in the courtroom drama.

Vicky Kaushal's intense portrayal in the historical drama 'Chhaava' earned him the Best Actor award. Meanwhile, Aditya Dhar's direction of the high-octane 'Dhurandhar' was recognised with the Best Director award.

Celebrating Diverse Talent

Beyond the top categories, the ICA 2025 celebrated a wide range of talent and technical prowess:

  • Best Supporting Actor: Boman Irani for 'The Mehta Boys'
  • Best Supporting Actress: Seema Biswas for 'Jolly LLB 3'
  • Best Writing: Shreedhar Dubey, Neeraj Ghaywan & Varun Grover for 'Homebound'
  • Best Music: Mithoon, Sachet–Parampara, Vishal Mishra, Tanishk Bagchi, Rishabh Kant, Faheem Abdullah & Arslan Nizami for 'Saiyaara'
  • Best Original Song: “Saiyaara” (Composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah & Arslan Nizami)
  • Best Cinematography: Swapnil S. Sonawane for 'Superboys of Malegaon'
  • Best Visual Effects: Rojo Studio for '120 Bahadur'

Prominent films like 'Chhaava', 'Dhurandhar', 'Saiyaara', and 'The Mehta Boys' also dominated various other honours, showcasing the rich variety of narratives that defined Hindi cinema in 2025.

A Nod to Evolving Cinema

Hanu Roj, Founder Director of JIFF, shared that these awards aim to highlight cinema that truly inspires society. He views the ICA 2025 winners as representatives of the Indian film industry's bright future.

Spokesperson Nitin Sharma underscored the transparency and dedication driving these awards, noting that ICA 2025 highlights Indian cinema's growing global identity through its creativity. The inclusion of categories like Best OTT Film for 'The Mehta Boys' and Best Animation Film for 'Mahavatar Narsimha' reflects the industry's embrace of digital platforms and diverse storytelling formats.

Organisers are hopeful that this initiative will continue to uphold high cinematic standards and eventually expand to other Indian film industries. The full list of winners, along with posters and logos, can be accessed on www.jiffindia.org and www.ndffindia.org.

This recognition arrives at a time when Indian cinema is increasingly capturing international attention, and awards like ICA 2025 are crucial in acknowledging and celebrating its artistic journey.

?️ Share Your Opinion!

Which film or performance from 2025 do you think truly deserved an award? Let us know in the comments!