At the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 held on Sunday in Mumbai, Aamir Khan-starrer Sitaare Zameen Par won the Courage in Cinema award. Filmmaker and producer Karan Johar, along with producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, presented the award to Sitaare Zameen Par director RS Prasanna and the film’s cast members.
One of the hosts of the award night, Sunil Grover, gave a heartwarming introduction to the film and how it became “a conversation starter” rather than just a story. He said, “Last year, a film had come which was not just a story, but also a conversation starter. In this film, we got a glimpse of some lives that are little different from us. This film reminded us that every person is a star in their own way, they just need a chance to shine. The award for Courage in Cinema goes to the story which gave voice to empathy and celebrated acceptance. Let’s hear it for Sitare Zameen Par.”
RS Prasanna dedicated the win to the film’s cast members and Aamir Khan. He said, “I learned the meaning of the word courage from all of these Sitaare and many more like them who have included us in their lives. Thank you for having the courage to turn every single element of hatred, every single taunt that was directed at you to laughter, applause, and love. Thank you to all the Sitaare, thank you to Aamir Sir. He is one of the greatest producers, actors, and superstars on earth and thank you to every single team member of the film.”
For the unversed, Sitaare Zameen Par featured a cast of ten neurodivergent actors, including individuals with autism, Down syndrome, and other conditions, who played lead roles. These actors included Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishnan Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar.
ALSO READ | Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE Updates
About Chetak Screen Awards 2026
India’s most credible film honours, the Chetak Screen Awards — instituted by The Indian Express Group — are built on the idea that artistic excellence should be recognised purely on merit, integrity and peer respect. The nominees and winners of the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 were chosen by the Screen Academy, an independent, not-for-profit body comprising 53 distinguished filmmakers, artistes and cultural voices.
Their voting was guided by grading criteria developed by Dr Priya Jaikumar, a cinema scholar at the University of Southern California, adding an academic rigour rarely seen in mainstream film awards. Among those casting votes, the Screen Academy members include were 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.
The Screen Academy comprises members such as Rajkumar Hirani, Resul Pookutty, Rima Das, Vidya Balan, 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, and Rajiv Menon among others.
Story continues below this ad
Watch Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE on YouTube, Sony Entertainment Television, and Sony LIV.
