Aditya Dhar’s spy action drama Dhurandhar swept the 26th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, winning 12 honours including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Ranveer Singh. The winners were announced on Friday, October 30, through IIFA’s official digital handles, in a break from the traditional on-ground ceremony format.
The result caps a remarkable run for the film, which dominated both the popular and technical categories. Director Aditya Dhar emerged as the evening’s biggest individual winner, collecting honours for direction, original story, screenplay and dialogues. Ranveer Singh’s leading performance took the top acting prize, while the film also won for music, cinematography and its supporting cast.
Dhurandhar’s big night
Dhurandhar won Best Film, with producers Jyoti Deshpande, Aditya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar named on the honour. Dhar’s direction prize completed a clean sweep of the film’s top categories, and Shashwat Sachdev won Best Music Direction for the film’s soundtrack. Vikash Nowlakha won Best Cinematography for the film.
Acting honours: Ranveer, Aneet and the supporting stars
Ranveer Singh won Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) for Dhurandhar, while Aneet Padda won Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) for the romantic drama Saiyaara. Padda’s win is a major milestone early in her career, and it continues Saiyaara’s strong awards season after the film’s breakout success with audiences.
Dhurandhar also claimed both male supporting prizes. Sanjay Dutt won Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Male), and Akshaye Khanna won Best Performance in a Negative Role. Huma Qureshi won Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Female) for Jolly LLB 3, the one major acting prize that went outside the two leading films of the night.
Debut and music wins for Saiyaara’s new stars
Saiyaara had plenty to celebrate beyond Padda’s Best Actress win. Ahaan Panday, her co-star in the film, won Best Male Debut, while Rasha Thadani won Best Female Debut for Azaad. Shreya Ghoshal won Best Female Playback Singer for the Saiyaara reprise, adding a music honour to the film’s tally.
The debut awards matter because IIFA’s newcomer prizes have often flagged actors who go on to long careers. For Panday and Thadani, the wins arrive at the very start of their film journeys, and both will now carry the “IIFA winner” tag into their next projects.
Chhaava shines in the technical categories
While Dhurandhar led the popular categories, Chhaava dominated several technical honours. A.R. Rahman won Best Background Score for the film, and Alok De won Best Sound Mixing. Homebound won Best Story (Adapted), with Basharat Peer, Sumit Roy and Neeraj Ghaywan named on the award.
In the international category, Avatar: Fire and Ash won Best International Film. The prize recognises the biggest global release in the eligibility window and keeps the international honour as a regular fixture of the IIFA list.
Digital awards: Aryan Khan’s series takes Best Series
The digital categories brought their own headline. Aryan Khan’s directorial debut series, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, won Best Series, with Khan recognised for Best Direction in the series category. The win marks a high-profile arrival for Khan as a director, and it gives the streaming side of the awards its most talked-about result this year.
In the digital film categories, Baramulla won Best Picture and Best Original Story. The digital awards, which cover films and series released on streaming platforms, now sit alongside the theatrical prizes as a full part of the IIFA slate.
IIFA Awards 2026: key winners at a glance
- Best Film: Dhurandhar
- Best Director: Aditya Dhar (Dhurandhar)
- Best Actor (Leading Role): Ranveer Singh (Dhurandhar)
- Best Actress (Leading Role): Aneet Padda (Saiyaara)
- Best Supporting Actor: Sanjay Dutt (Dhurandhar)
- Best Supporting Actress: Huma Qureshi (Jolly LLB 3)
- Best Actor in a Negative Role: Akshaye Khanna (Dhurandhar)
- Best Music Direction: Shashwat Sachdev (Dhurandhar)
- Best Female Debut: Rasha Thadani (Azaad)
- Best Male Debut: Ahaan Panday (Saiyaara)
- Best International Film: Avatar: Fire and Ash
- Best Series (Digital): The Ba***ds of Bollywood
- Best Picture (Digital Film): Baramulla
Taken together, the 2026 list tells a clear story about the year in Indian cinema: a big-screen spy drama sweeping the main prizes, a romantic drama launching two new stars, and a streaming debut making headlines of its own. With Dhurandhar now carrying 12 IIFA wins into its next phase, the film’s awards run is likely to feature heavily in its campaigning through the rest of the season.
FAQs
Who won Best Actor at IIFA 2026?
Ranveer Singh won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in Dhurandhar.
How many awards did Dhurandhar win at IIFA 2026?
Dhurandhar won 12 awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Music Direction and Best Cinematography.
Who won Best Actress at IIFA 2026?
Aneet Padda won Best Actress in a Leading Role for Saiyaara.
Which series won Best Series in the IIFA digital awards?
Aryan Khan’s directorial debut series, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, won Best Series, with Khan winning Best Direction.
When were the IIFA Awards 2026 winners announced?
The winners of the 26th IIFA Awards were announced on Friday, October 30, 2026, through IIFA’s official digital handles, without an on-ground ceremony this year.
Stay tuned to Informeia for more updates from Indian cinema and the awards season.
