The TOIFA (Times of India Film Awards) 2025 night glittered brighter than ever as the best of cinema and OTT were awarded at the grand ceremony held in Mumbai.
Laapataa Ladies emerged as the undisputed champion of the ceremony, scripting history with a spectacular sweep across categories. The film, celebrated for its refreshing storytelling and heartfelt performances, took home a staggering number of awards, spanning Direction, Story, Screenplay, Dialogue, Production Design, Music, Acting, and multiple People’s Choice honours. From Kiran Rao’s direction to Nitanshi Goel’s breakout debut and Ravi Kishan’s double win, the film reigned supreme, making it the most-awarded title of the night.
Not far behind, Amar Singh Chamkila made an equally powerful impact, reinforcing its cultural and musical resonance. The film claimed top honours in Direction, Editing, Background Score, Writing, Editing, and bagged the marquee OTT Web Film of the Year award. The acting categories brought some of the evening’s most celebratory moments as Diljit Dosanjh was honoured with the Web Film Acting Excellence (Male) award, while Parineeti Chopra won the Female counterpart for delivering one of the year’s most acclaimed performances. This was followed by Kill which bagged top honours in Action Direction, Editing, Cinematography, Theatrical Acting Excellence in a negative role for Raghav Juyal and the Theatrical debutant of the year to Lakshya Lalwani among others.
The OTT segment saw its own set of triumphs, with audience giants Mirzapur Season 3 and Panchayat Season 3 ruling their categories. Mirzapur 3 clinched Drama Series of the Year, reaffirming its status as India’s definitive crime-action saga, while Panchayat 3 charmed its way to the Comedy Series of the Year award, continuing its streak as one of the country’s most loved web shows. Killer Soup added flavour to the night with its win in the Crime/Horror/Thriller category, showcasing the growing appetite for bold, genre-bending storytelling.
The night also spotlighted exceptional new talent. Junaid Khan took home OTT Web Film Debut Actor of the Year for his powerful performance in Maharaj, marking one of the most lauded star debuts in recent memory. The formidable performers of the year Sonakshi Sinha, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shalini Pandey, Sharvari Wagh, Manisha Koirala, and Johnny Lever took centre stage across the OTT film and series performance categories, celebrating a year of magnetic screen presence.
On the theatrical front, Laapataa Ladies continued its winning streak with awards across Acting, Direction, Writing, Production Design, Sound, and Music, while films like Kill, Stree 2, Munjya, and Shaitaan also earned well-deserved recognition in their respective craft and technical categories.
The People’s Choice winners added a democratic sparkle to the evening: Pankaj Tripathi, Shraddha Kapoor, Raghav Juyal, Sharvari Wagh, Huma Qureshi, Jitendra Kumar, Rajkumar Rao, and rising star Lakshaya Lalwani all walked away with honours driven purely by audience love. The chartbuster “Aayi Nahi” from Stree 2 was crowned Theatrical Song of the Year, while the fans reaffirmed Laapataa Ladies as their Theatrical Film of the Year, further cementing its cultural footprint.
The evening also spotlighted the legendary actor Dharmendra, who was posthumously honoured for his outstanding contribution to cinema, celebrating a lifetime of unforgettable performances and acknowledging his enduring influence on generations of filmmakers, actors, and audiences alike. TOIFA also celebrated the iconic lyricist, author, and filmmaker Gulzar for his tremendous contribution to Indian cinema and literature, honouring his timeless artistry and profound storytelling.
Furthermore, celebrating remarkable women shaping cinema, filmmaker Payal Kapadia, powerhouse voices Kiran Rao and Guneet Monga, and trailblazer Nandita Das were all honoured for their contributions, marking a proud moment for women-led storytelling.
TOIFA 2025 delivered an unforgettable night, one that championed creativity, diversity, and the ever-evolving magic of Indian cinema and OTT storytelling.
