Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2026 unveils nominations; Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Rishab Shetty compete for Best Actor honour
New Delhi, July 8
The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has announced the nominations for its 17th edition, with 'Sitaare Zameen Par,' 'Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1,' 'Saiyaara,' 'Members of the Problematic Family,' and 'Not a Hero' emerging among the top contenders across different categories.
The festival, which will be held from August 13 to August 23, 2026, celebrates Indian films and streaming content from across languages and regions. Supported by the Victorian Government, IFFM is one of the biggest international festivals dedicated to Indian cinema.
This year's nominations include films and series released in theatres as well as on OTT platforms. The festival has announced nominations across categories including Best Film, Best Indie Film, Best Director, acting awards, Best Series, Best Documentary Film and Best Film from the Subcontinent.
In the Best Film category, the nominated titles are Haq, Jarann, Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Sharthopor and The Great Shamsuddin Family.
The Best Indie Film category includes Ammang Haelbeda (Don't Tell Mother), Full Plate, Kikkran De Phull (Flowers of Acacia), Lala and Poppy, Mayilaa - Semmalar Annam, Members of the Problematic Family, Not a Hero and Pankhudiyaan (Petals in the Wind).
The race for Best Director features Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (System), Chandrasish Ray (Porshi), Mohit Suri (Saiyaara), Ramalingam Gowtham (Members of the Problematic Family), Rima Das (Not a Hero), Rishab Shetty (Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1), RS Prasanna (Sitaare Zameen Par) and Shazia Iqbal (Dhadak 2).
Among the nominees for Best Performance (Male) are Aamir Khan, Ahaan Pandey, Bhuman Bhargav Das, Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty, Ranveer Singh, Rishab Shetty and Sanjay Mishra. The Best Performance (Female) category includes Aneet Padda, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Kirti Kulhari, Neena Gupta, Rajshri Deshpande, Rani Mukerji, Rituparna Sengupta and Yami Gautam Dhar.
The nominations also cover streaming content, with series such as Kohrra: Season 2, Matka King, Sapne Vs Everyone, Freedom at Midnight: Season 2 and The Ba***ds of Bollywood making the list.
Winners will be selected by a jury made up of members from Australia's film industry and cultural sector. Along with the awards ceremony, this year's festival will also feature film premieres, special screenings, panel discussions, masterclasses and industry events.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Aamir Khan again? Bro is 60+ and still competing for Best Actor! 'Sitaare Zameen Par' better be as good as Taare Zameen Par. The OTT recognition for 'Kohrra Season 2' and 'Matka King' is well-deserved. Indian content is finally getting global attention. 🇮🇳
Happy to see Rani Mukerji in Best Actress list - she always delivers. But honestly, the Best Indie Film category looks more exciting than the main film nominations. 'Members of the Problematic Family' and 'Not a Hero' sound intriguing. Independent cinema is where the real innovation is happening!
As someone from Melbourne who loves Indian films, this festival is amazing! Victoria Government supporting Indian cinema - brilliant move. But where's the South Indian representation? Only Kantara in Best Film? No Baahubali-level spectacles? Tamil, Telugu films need more slots.
Ranveer Singh vs Aamir Khan vs Rishab Shetty - what a competition! 'Sitaare Zameen Par' I'm most excited about. Also, 'The Ba***ds of Bollywood' in series category - cheeky title! Hope the festival platform gives real exposure to our talented indie filmmakers. Fingers crossed for Rituparna Sengupta!
The jury being Australian judges... let's be honest, will they understand the cultural nuances of films like 'Kantara' or 'Saiyaara'? These international festivals sometimes play safe with mainstream choices. Still, any platform showing Indian stories is
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