The glitz and glamour of Indian entertainment converged in Mumbai on December 1 for The Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) 2025. The prestigious ceremony honoured the most outstanding cinematic and digital storytelling achievements of the year 2024, recognising both blockbuster theatrical releases and groundbreaking OTT content.
Big Screen Brilliance Takes Center Stage
The night belonged unequivocally to Kiran Rao's directorial venture, "Laapataa Ladies." The film emerged as the most-awarded project of the ceremony, securing a stunning array of honours. It triumphed in major categories including Direction, Story, Screenplay, Dialogue, Music, and Production Design. The acting accolades from the film were equally impressive, with Nitanshi Goel winning for her debut performance and the versatile Ravi Kishan bagging two awards for Supporting Actor (Male) and Comedy.
Another cinematic powerhouse, "Amar Singh Chamkila," impressed the jury, winning awards for its Background Score, Writing, and Editing. It was also crowned the OTT Web Film of the Year. Its leads, Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, were recognised with Web Film Acting Excellence awards for Male and Female performances, respectively.
Other notable theatrical films that won across various categories included the high-octane "Kill," the horror-comedy sequel "Stree 2," the supernatural hit "Munjya," and the thriller "Shaitaan."
The Digital Domain Dominates
Reflecting the evolving entertainment landscape, TOIFA 2025 gave significant weight to OTT excellence. In the web series arena, "Mirzapur Season 3" won the Drama Series of the Year award, while the beloved "Panchayat Season 3" was awarded Comedy Series of the Year. The darkly comic "Killer Soup" won in the Crime/Horror/Thriller category.
The awards also spotlighted fresh talent and powerful performances from digital platforms. Junaid Khan won the OTT Web Film Debut Actor of the Year for "Maharaj." Seasoned and new actors alike were celebrated, with wins for Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala (Heeramandi), Jaideep Ahlawat (Maharaj and Broken News S2), Shalini Pandey (Maharaj), Sharvari Wagh (Maharaj), and comedy legend Johnny Lever (Lantrani).
Audience Choice and Honouring Icons
The People's Choice Awards, voted by the audience, added a democratic flavour to the night. Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor won the Acting Excellence awards for theatrical films, while Jitendra Kumar and Huma Qureshi took home the honours for web series. Pankaj Tripathi won for "Stree 2" and Sharvari Wagh for "Maharaj." The song "Aayi Nahi" from "Stree 2" was named Theatrical Song of the Year, and the audience voted "Laapataa Ladies" as the Theatrical Film of the Year.
In a special segment, the ceremony paid tribute to women who have powerfully shaped Indian cinema. Filmmakers Payal Kapadia, Kiran Rao, Guneet Monga, and Nandita Das were honoured for their impactful contributions.
TOIFA 2025 successfully captured a year defined by compelling narratives, stellar performances, and the synergistic rise of OTT platforms alongside traditional cinema, marking a vibrant chapter for Indian entertainment.
