Screen Awards 2026 winners: ‘Dhurandhar’, ‘Homebound’ bag top honours

After a seven-year hiatus, the Screen Awards returned with a weight of heavy expectations in an otherwise crowded landscape. Held in Mumbai on April 5, the latest 'comeback' edition blended old-school ceremony with a sharper, more contemporary show design in a live-stream format, carrying an undercurrent of nostalgia for the award shows that once defined Bollywood’s cultural calendar.

At the centre of it all was a host lineup comprising Sunil Grover, Zakir Khan and Alia Bhatt, who steered the evening with sketches and self-aware humour. And the balance between legacy and reinvention became the night’s defining through-line, celebrating the legacy of Hindi cinema.

Top wins: Dhurandhar, Homebound

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The spotlight of the night belonged to two films: Homebound and Dhurandhar. Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, already on the global radar and later selected as India’s official entry to the Oscars, walked away with the 'Best Film' honour, underscoring how the Screen jury still leans towards emotionally layered, socially aware storytelling. 

Running parallel to that was Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar, which dominated the list of accolades. The spy thriller converted its heavy nomination haul into 14 trophies, spanning direction, acting and multiple technical categories, making it the most awarded film of the evening by a wide margin. 

Dhar was named 'Best Director', while Ranveer Singh’s turn as an Indian spy earned him 'Best Actor' (Male). Composer Shashwat Sachdev also bagged 'Best Background Score' for his musical prowess.

In contrast, Yami Gautam Dhar’s 'Best Actor' (Female) win for Haq brought the focus firmly back to content-led cinema. Haq also took home the 'Best Film for Gender Sensitivity' honour, which was a first-time category launched this year.

OTT steps into the spotlight

Any award show claiming relevance in 2026 cannot ignore streaming and the revived Screen Awards clearly got that memo. The OTT-specific categories were not treated as a footnote but as a parallel track, with Stolen leading the way as Best OTT Film. 

The thriller extended its run with 'Best Script' – OTT Film and directional honours for Karan Tejpal, signalling that grounded genre stories are no longer confined to theatrical releases.

On the other hand, Sanya Malhotra’s win for 'Best Actor' (Female) – OTT Film for Mrs underlined the platform’s growing reputation as a space for character-driven stories that may not always find room in a star-heavy theatrical slate. 

In addition to these wins, the night unfolded with several more accolades across a wide range of categories.

Here's the full list of winners:

• Best Film: Homebound

• Best Director: Aditya Dhar – Dhurandhar

• Best Actor (Male): Ranveer Singh – Dhurandhar

• Best Actor (Female): Yami Gautam Dhar – Haq

• Best Supporting Actor (Male): Akshaye Khanna – Dhurandhar

• Best Supporting Actor (Female): Shalini Vatsa – Homebound

• Breakthrough Debut Director: Shazia Iqbal – Dhadak 2

• Breakthrough New Actor (Male): Ahaan Panday – Saiyaara

• Breakthrough New Actor (Female): Aneet Padda – Saiyaara

• Best Action: Aejaz Gulab, Sea Young Oh, Yannick Ben, Ramazan Bulut – Dhurandhar

• Best Background Score: Shashwat Sachdev – Dhurandhar

• Best Choreography: Vijay Ganguly – 'Shararat' (Dhurandhar)

• Best Cinematography: Vikash Nowlakha – Dhurandhar

• Best Costume Design: Sheetal Iqbal Sharma – Chhaava; Smriti Chauhan – Dhurandhar (joint)

• Best Editing: Shivkumar V. Panicker – Dhurandhar

• Best Hairstyling and Make-up: Preetisheel Singh D’Souza – Dhurandhar

• Best Production Design: Saini S. Johray – Dhurandhar

• Best Sound Design: Bishwadeep Chatterjee – Dhurandhar

• Best Special Effects (VFX): Dhurandhar

• Best Film Writing (Story and Screenplay): Basharat Peer, Neeraj Ghaywan, Sumit Roy – Homebound

• Best Song: Saiyaara Title Track (Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, Arslan Nizami)

• Best Lyrics: 'Ul Julool Ishq' from Gustaakh Ishq

• Best Playback Singer (Male): Faheem Abdullah – Saiyaara Title Track

• Best Playback Singer (Female): Shreya Ghoshal – Saiyaara Title Track

OTT winners:

• Best OTT Film: Stolen producer Gaurav Dhingra

• Best Actor (Female) – OTT Film: Sanya Malhotra – Mrs

• Best Actor (Male) – OTT Film: Abhishek Banerjee – Stolen

• Best Director – OTT Film: Karan Tejpal – Stolen

• Best Script – OTT Film: Karan Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra, Swapnil Salkar – Stolen

The event was live-streamed on YouTube and SonyLiv.

Written by

Somya Mehta

Somya Mehta is a Senior Features Writer at Khaleej Times, who contributes extensively to the UAE's arts, culture, and lifestyle scene. When not engrossed in writing, you'll find her on the hunt for the next best solo travel destination or indulging in podcast binges.