Kartik Aaryan-led ‘Chandu Champion’, Vikrant Massey’s ‘12th Fail’ win top honours at IFFM 2024

Mumbai: Kartik Aaryan-starrer “Chandu Champion” and Vikrant Massey’s “12th Fail” won the top awards at the 2024 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).

The 2024 award ceremony was held at the iconic Palais Theatre, Melbourne on Friday and recognised the best talent in Indian cinema, in films and OTT.

Aaryan took home the best actor award for his portrayal of India's first Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar in the sports drama, “Chandu Champion”.

Filmmaker Kabir Khan shared the best director award for the film with Nithilan Swaminathan, who received the award for his work in the Vijay Sethupathi's Tamil action-thriller “Maharaja”.

The best performance of the year (critics) award was given to Massey for his performance as IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma in “12th Fail”. The Vidhu Vinod Chopra-directorial also bagged the best film prize.

Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu received the best actress trophy for her role in the Malayalam-language drama “Ullozhukku” (Undercurrent).

In the critics choice category, Kiran Rao’s “Laapataa Ladies” was honoured with the best film award for its innovative approach and storytelling, while Dominic Sangma received best director award for “Rimdogittanga” (Rapture).

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s widely-loved film “Amar Singh Chamkila” received the breakout film of the year award. Starring Diljit Dosanjh in the titular role with Parineeti Chopra as his second wife, Amarjot, the movie is based on the life of the slain Punjabi musician.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s “Dunki” was recognised with the Equality in Cinema award. The comedy-drama film, based on the illegal immigration technique called Donkey Flight, is directed by Rajkumar Hirani.

Actors Rasika Dugal and Adarsh Gourav were felicitated with the Diversity Champion and the Disruptor in Cinema awards, respectively.

Crime thriller show “Kohhra”, starring Survinder Vicky and Barun Sobti, won the best series award.

Actors Arjun Mathur and Nimisha Sajayan were given the best actor awards in a series for their work in “Made In Heaven Season 2” and “Poacher”, respectively.

“RRR” star Ram Charan and music maestro AR Rahman bagged two honours for their cinematic achievements.

Charan also hoisted the Indian national flag at Melbourne’s iconic Federation Square to celebrate the Indian spirit and recognise every Indian as a representative of Indian cinema.

“It’s such a proud moment for us all Indians to be here, hoisting the Indian flag in Australia. I have such fond memories of being here in Australia, having shot for a movie 12 years back in Melbourne and Sydney. Back in the day, there weren’t so many Indians, and to see so many Indians here today truly makes me so proud.

"We are truly going global, and international platforms are recognizing our culture and cinema. Now I feel the future is all about the young people gathered here, and that excites me to see the future's so bright,” the actor said in a statement.

IFFM, which is being held this year from August 15 to 25, features a diverse range of films that showcase the rich tapestry of Indian cinema.