Chetak Screen Awards 2026 Best Director Winner: In a category replete with formidable talent, Aditya Dhar emerged victorious, taking home the Best Director award at the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 for Dhurandhar. The win stands as a testament to their compelling vision and nuanced storytelling, which resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike.ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEOThe category brought together a diverse slate of filmmakers whose works ranged from major blockbusters to critically acclaimed narratives. The nominees included Laxman Ramchandra Utekar for Chhaava, Suparn S. Varma for Haq, and Neeraj Ghaywan for Homebound. Also in contention were Raam Reddy for Jugnuma: The Fable, Mohit Suri for Saiyaara, and Reema Kagti for Superboys of Malegaon.The trophy was presented by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, however, Aditya was not present at the ceremony. The event was hosted by Bollywood star Alia Bhatt, comedians Zakir Khan and Sunil Grover, and eminent journalist Saurabh Dwivedi (Editor – Hindi, The Indian Express).ALSO READ | Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE UpdatesAbout Chetak Screen AwardsThe Chetak Screen Awards, instituted by The Indian Express Group, are among India’s most respected film honours, grounded in the principle that artistic achievement should be judged on merit, integrity, and the esteem of peers. For the Chetak Screen Awards 2026, nominations and winners were determined by the Screen Academy, an independent, not-for-profit collective of 53 filmmakers, artistes and cultural practitioners, reinforcing the credibility of the process.After an initial round of shortlisting, Academy members assessed the films through a structured voting system. To standardise evaluation, Dr Priya Jaikumar, Chair of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and scholar-in-residence at the Screen Academy, introduced a detailed scoring framework. Films were judged across parameters including creativity, technical execution, audience engagement, and innovation, while performance categories were assessed for authenticity. The final winners emerged from this multi-layered process.Who are Screen Academy Members?The Screen Academy includes figures such as Shoojit Sircar, Deepa Mehta, Sriram Raghavan, Ram Madhvani, Guneet Monga Kapoor, John Abraham, Kabir Khan, Karan Johar, Mukesh Chhabra, Payal Kapadia, Prosenjit Chatterjee, RS Prasanna, Rajiv Menon, Rajkumar Hirani, Resul Pookutty, Rima Das, and Vidya Balan, among others.Watch Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE on YouTube, Sony Entertainment Television, and Sony LIV.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Chetak Screen Awards