3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 8, 2026 01:54 PM IST
The star-studded night of Chetak Screen Awards 2026 celebrated the finest of the world of cinema and OTT. At the event, actor Abhishek Banerjee was honoured with the Best Actor (Male) – OTT Film award for his performance in Stolen. While accepting the award, he said he hadn’t expected the honour, as his sources had told him he wouldn’t win.
In his thank you speech, Abhishek said, “I don’t know whether I should say this or not, but my sources told me a few days back that I am not getting this award.” To which, The Indian Express Hindi editor, Saurabh Dwivedi replied, “I want to tell you that it is old fashioned to think that sources can still tell about the winner of any award.”
The actor then recalled his source’s tip, which turned out to be untrue. “That’s what I am saying. I have learnt two lessons from this – first, that I should change my sources. Second is that no source works here. So, thank you so much Screen, and the jury,” he said.
Concluding his speech, Abhishek Banerjee thanked Stolen’s team and noted, “It has been an adventurous journey for the Stolen team and for me personally as well. It started from a basement, and materialised in my living room.” He then went on to advice newcomers to approach the film’s producer Gaurav Dhingra in Delhi. The actor also thanked Stolen’s director Karan Tejpal and his co-stars.
About Chetak Screen Awards 2026
Instituted by The Indian Express Group, the Chetak Screen Awards are among India’s most respected film awards, in terms of merit as well as recognition in the industry. The winners are decided by the independent Screen Academy, a not-for-profit body of 53 filmmakers, artistes and cultural voices.
The evaluation framework, designed by Priya Jaikumar of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, ensures a comprehensive review of creativity, technical craft, audience connect and innovation, with performance categories judged on authenticity.
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The Screen Academy had an proficient lineup of members, including Shoojit Sircar, Deepa Mehta, Sriram Raghavan, Ram Madhvani, Guneet Monga Kapoor, John Abraham, Khan, Karan Johar, Mukesh Chhabra, Payal Kapadia, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Rajkumar Hirani, Resula Pookutty, Rima Das and Vidya Balan, among others.
