Amar Singh Chamkila, Panchayat 3 among big winners at IIFA Digital Awards 2025

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's Amar Singh Chamkila and the third season of web series Panchayat emerged as the top winners at the IIFA Digital Awards 2025 here.

The grand Silver Jubilee celebrations, being held in Jaipur this year, began with the inaugural IIFA Digital Awards on Saturday.

The star-studded evening, which featured electrifying performances by Nora Fatehi, Sachin-Jigar, Shreya Ghoshal, and Mika Singh, was hosted by Aparshakti Khurana, Vijay Varma, and Abhishek Banerjee.

Netflix's Amar Singh Chamkila, the biopic on the titular Punjabi singer featuring Diljit Dosanjh, won the Best Film award, while Ali was named Best Director.

In the acting categories, Kriti Sanon bagged Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) for Do Patti, a Netflix mystery thriller that also earned Kanika Dhillon the Best Story (Original) award. Actor Vikrant Massey was adjudged the winner of the Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) for the Netflix film Sector 36, while his co-star Deepak Dobriyal won the award for Best Supporting Actor (Male).

The award for Best Supporting Actor (Female) went to actor Anupriya Goenka for her performance in Berlin (ZEE5).

In the web series segment, Panchayat (Prime Video) season three was the night's biggest winner, securing the Best Series award.

Lead actor Jitendra Kumar won Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male), while Deepak Kumar Mishra went home with the trophy for Best Direction.

Faisal Malik, who plays the fan-favourite character Prahlad Cha in Panchayat, was awarded in the Best Supporting Performance (Male) category.

Bandish Bandits star Shreya Chaudhry won Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) for the Prime Video show's second season.

Actor Sanjeeda Shaikh was honoured with Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Female) for her performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's maiden OTT series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar on Netflix.

The award for Best Story (Original) in the series category went to the streamer's Kota Factory season three, which also features Jitendra.

In the non-scripted category, Netflix's Fabulous Lives Vs. Bollywood Wives won Best Reality or Non-Scripted Series, while the documentary Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous secured the Best Docuseries award.

The Best Title Track award went to composer Anurag Saikia for "Ishq Hai" from "Mismatched" season three (Netflix).

The event was also attended by prominent Bollywood stars like Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karan Johar, Madhuri Dixit, Bobby Deol, Pratik Gandhi, Jaideep Ahlawat, Ali Fazal, Richa Chadha, Nimrit Kaur, Karishma Tanna, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Ravi Kishan. — PTI

Snapshots

Kareena stuns in red and gold

Kareena Kapoor Khan turned heads at the IIFA Digital Awards in a stunning deep red and gold outfit.

The event, part of the 25th edition of IIFA, saw the actress gracing the green carpet in an elegant ensemble.

Kareena looked stunning, dressed in a richly embroidered deep outfit with gold detailing. Her look featured a gold-embellished blouse with delicate straps paired with a flowing draped skirt and an ornate dupatta with gold borders. She accessorised with a statement emerald choker necklace, matching earrings, and gold bangles. With her hair neatly tied in a sleek bun and minimal makeup, Kareena kept the focus on her radiant beauty.

KJo’s weight loss secret

Amid speculations of him using a diabetes medication for weight loss, filmmaker Karan Johar stated that his weight loss is solely due to a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet and exercise.

During the media interaction on the IIFA 2025 green carpet, Karan shared his secret to weight loss, "It's being healthy, eating well, exercising, and just doing your best to look good." Karan wittingly refused to share his daily routine with the media during the interaction. He said, "My routine. If I tell you, I will give my secret away."

Richa on motherhood

Richa Chadha had an eventful 2024, from starring in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Heeramandi' to producing Girls Will Be Girls and welcoming her first daughter, Zuneyra, in July.

While talking to the media at the event, Richa shared how she is adjusting to motherhood and expressed that it is still a new experience for her and something she is learning every day.

"It's still very soon. She's just a few months old now. I think it's a lifelong journey, so we'll find out how we fare, but the idea is to do our best," she said.

‘What my heart desires’

Bollywood actor Bobby Deol, who has seen a wave of success after his role in Animal, turned heads as he walked the green carpet at the IIFA Digital Awards.

While interacting with the media, Bobby revealed that while he used to take advice as a child, he now follows his own instincts when making career decisions.

"I used to take advice in my childhood. Whenever I did something, I never took advice like that. I ask once, listen, and if my heart still wants to do something, then I do what my heart desires," he said.

'God of Dance'

Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit showered praise on Hrithik Roshan, calling him the "God of dance".

When asked who she considers the best dancer in Bollywood, she said, "I don't know. There are so many. In male dancers, my God, there are so many. There is Shahid, Tiger, Varun, Hrithik Roshan. I mean, he is God."

Jaipur: Director Ramesh Sippy poses during the special screening of film 'Sholay' at the IIFA Awards 2025, in Jaipur, Sunday, March 9, 2025. (PTI Photo)Ramesh Sippy attends Sholay screening

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2025 commemorated 50 years of the iconic film 'Sholay' with a special screening at Jaipur's prestigious Rajmandir Cinema on Sunday.

The event attracted Bollywood legends and film industry personalities, who have gathered to celebrate the film's enduring legacy.

Veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, the director of 'Sholay', also shared his thoughts on the momentous occasion.

"The 25 years of International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) are as important today as the 50 years of Sholay. Together, we had a wonderful start last night, and it will continue not just tonight but on and on," he said.