The nomination slate for the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 signals clear trends in the Hindi entertainment market, with Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar leading with 24 nominations, followed by Saiyaara (17) and Homebound (15). The April 5 awards will cover 31 categories across theatrical and OTT releases, reflecting the industry’s hybrid content ecosystem.
From a market perspective, high nomination counts for Dhurandhar, Homebound, and Saiyaara across key segments such as Best Film, Director, Editing, Cinematography, and Background Score indicate strong critical and commercial positioning. Acting categories remain competitive, with names like Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal, Vishal Jethwa, Triptii Dimri, and Radhika Apte driving star value, while OTT-specific categories highlight growing digital consumption with nominees such as Manoj Bajpayee, Abhishek Bachchan, and Sanya Malhotra.
The awards’ credibility is anchored in a merit-driven process, with over 95% participation from a 50+ members Screen Academy. Each category was evaluated by 38–40 members using a trimmed mean scoring model, supported by a structured rubric developed by Professor Priya Jaikumar of USC.
