Here are the winners

Actor Kartik Aaryan, who was recently seen in Chandu Champion, won the Best Actor honour at the 15th edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). Star Ram Charan and Oscar-winner AR Rahman bagged the top two honours.

Filmmaker Kabir Khan and Nithilan Swaminathan were jointly awarded Best Director for their work on Chandu Champion and Maharaja. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail, which is based on the 2019 eponymous non-fiction book by Anurag Pathak about Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme poverty to become an Indian Police Service officer, was named as the Best Film in the event.

The Best Actress honour went to Parvathy Thiruvothu for Ullozhukku (Undercurrent) and filmmaker Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies was feted for its innovative approach and storytelling. Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu-starrer Dunki was given the Equality in Cinema honour, actress Rasika Dugal was named in the Diversity Champion category.

In the Disruptor in Cinema category, actor Adarsh Gourav, who has showcased his prowess in films such as The White Tiger, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan and Woh Bhi Din The, won the award.

Rahman was honoured with the Excellence in Cinema, while Ram Charan was feted with the Ambassador of Indian Art and Culture award. Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, was tagged as the Breakout Film of the Year.

In the Short Film Competition, The Vegemite Sandwich won the award and Echo received a Special mention to Echo.

Kohrra, a crime thriller police procedural, won the Best Series and Arjun Mathur was named as the Best Actor In a Series for his work in Made In Heaven 2. Laapata Ladies was named under the Best Film (Critics Choice), Best Performance of the Year (Critics) went to actor Vikrant Massey for 12th Fai. —IANS