WITH Indian cinema scaling heights and pushing boundaries, Chetak Screen Awards return on April 5 with a renewed approach and a star-studded evening to honour the best works of 2025. The nominations position Aditya Dhar’s espionage thriller Dhurandhar—a massive box-office success—as the frontrunner with 24 nods. It is followed by Mohit Suri’s romantic musical saga, Saiyaara, with 17 nominations, and Neeraj Ghaywan’s moving tale of friendship, Homebound, with 15. Backed by a powerful blend of editorial credibility, cultural legacy and digital reach, the awards across 31 categories, will spotlight those who have excelled and enriched contemporary Hindi cinema. Driven by The Indian Express Group’s journalism-first ethos, the honours are anchored in integrity and merit. Winners will be chosen by the Screen Academy, an independent, not-for-profit body comprising over 50 acclaimed filmmakers, artists and cultural voices. To ensure rigour and accuracy, Priya Jaikumar, Professor and Chair of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles, has developed a detailed rubric for Academy members to follow while scoring. The …