The 70th Filmfare Awards took place last week at ‘EKA Arena, Kankaria Lake, Ahmedabad’, with Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, and Maniesh Paul hosting the glittering event.
‘Laapataa Ladies’ dominated the night, winning 13 awards, including Best Film, matching Gully Boy’s record for the most wins by a single film. Abhishek Bachchan and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor (Male) trophy, while Alia Bhatt won Best Actress. The evening celebrated the memories, milestones, and timeless magic of Hindi cinema.
The 70th Filmfare Awards, themed “Celebrating 70 Years of Filmfare,” paid tribute to Bollywood’s legacy with moments that stirred nostalgia, from marking ‘50 years of Sholay’ to the heartwarming reunion of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol on stage.
Fresh off his National Award win, Khan hosted the show alongside Karan Johar and Maniesh Paul, bringing his trademark humour and charm. A highlight came when the familiar tune of “Ladki Badi Anjaani Hai” filled the arena, as SRK and Kajol recreated their beloved ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ scene to a thunderous ovation.
The night featured dazzling performances by Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Kriti Sanon, Ananya Panday, and Siddhant Chaturvedi, celebrating the evolution of Hindi cinema. Abhishek paid tribute to his father with hits like “Apni To Jaise Taise”, “Khaike Paan Banaras Wala”, and “Jumma Chumma”, and in a touching moment, invited his mother Jaya Bachchan on stage for a twirl, earning a warm round of applause.
Abhishek Bachchan and Kartik Aaryan shared a hug after jointly winning Best Actor for ‘I Want To Talk’ and ‘Chandu Champion’, while Alia Bhatt took home Best Actress for her role in ‘Jigra’. The night was dominated by ‘Laapataa Ladies’, which won Best Film, Best Director for Kiran Rao, Best Debut for Nitanshi Goel, and several other awards.
A memorable moment occurred when Goel nearly tripped on her gown; Shah Rukh Khan quickly steadied her, earning applause from the audience. The Lifetime Achievement Awards went to late filmmaker Shyam Benegal and actor Zeenat Aman, with Johar praising Aman’s enduring legacy and Aman thanking Filmfare for the honour.
The evening also introduced Cine Icons, a segment paying tribute to pioneers of Indian cinema. As names like Bimal Roy, Meena Kumari, Nutan, and Dilip Kumar were announced, the audience rose in a standing ovation.
At the awards, Laapataa Ladies dominated the evening, winning Best Film and Best Director for ‘Kiran Rao’. ‘Pratibha Rannta’ received the Critics’ Award for Best Actor (Female), while Chhaya Kadam and Ravi Kishan won Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively. The film also bagged awards for Best Screenplay, Best Dialogue, Best Music Album, Best Background Score, Best Lyrics, and Best Costume.
Rajkummar Rao won the Critics’ Award for Best Actor (Male) for ‘Srikanth’, and ‘I Want To Talk’ by Shoojit Sircar earned the Critics’ Award for Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay. ‘Article 370’ was recognised for Best Story, while Kunal Kemmu (Madgaon Express) and Aditya Suhas Jambhale (Article 370) shared the Best Debut Director award.
In debut performances,Nitanshi Goel (Laapataa Ladies) and Lakshya (Kill) won Best Debut Actor (Female) and Male, respectively. Kill also led in technical categories, winning for Action, Sound Design, Editing, Cinematography, and Production Design. Munjya took **Best VFX, and Bad Newz’s Tauba Tauba won Best Choreography.
The ‘Lifetime Achievement Awards’ were presented to Zeenat Aman and Shyam Benegal (posthumously), while the ‘RD Burman Award for Upcoming Talent in Music’ went to ‘Achint Thakkar’ for Jigra and ‘Mr & Mrs Mahi’.
