The 70th Filmfare Awards South, presented by Filmfare in collaboration with Kerala Tourism, celebrated excellence in South Indian cinema across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada industries. This milestone edition honored outstanding films, performances, and technical achievements from releases primarily in 2024 and early 2025.
The glamorous event took place on February 21, 2026 (with some reports noting proceedings or announcements extending into February 22), at the Adlux Convention Centre in Kochi, Kerala. Known as one of South India’s largest venues, it provided a grand stage for stars, performances, and the iconic Black Lady trophies.
Major highlights included blockbuster successes like Pushpa 2: The Rule dominating Telugu categories, the biographical drama Amaran shining in Tamil, Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) leading in Malayalam honors, and strong showings from films like Kalki 2898 AD and others across languages. A special mention went to Amitabh Bachchan for Best Supporting Actor (likely for a cross-over or special category appearance).
Key Winners by Language
Telugu
- Best Film: Pushpa 2: The Rule
- Best Director: Sukumar (Pushpa 2: The Rule)
- Best Film (Critics’): Lucky Baskhar (Venky Atluri)
- Best Actor (Male): Allu Arjun (Pushpa 2: The Rule)
- Best Actor (Critics’): Teja Sajja (Hanu-Man)
- Best Actress (Female): Nivetha Thomas (35 Chinna Katha Kaadu)
- Best Actress (Critics’): Kajal Aggarwal (Satyabhama)
- (The film clinched around five awards overall, reflecting its massive commercial and critical impact.)
Tamil
- Best Film: Amaran
- Best Director: Rajkumar Periasamy (Amaran); PS Vinothraj (Kottukkaali)
- Best Film (Critics’): Meiyazhagan (C. Prem Kumar)
- Best Actor (Male): Sivakarthikeyan (Amaran)
- Best Actor (Critics’): Arvind Swamy (Meiyazhagan)
- Best Actress (Female): Sai Pallavi (Amaran)
- Best Actress (Critics’): Anna Ben (Kottukkaali)
- Best Supporting Actress (Female): Parvathy Thiruvothu (Thangalaan); Swasika (Lubber Pandhu)
- Best Supporting Actor (Male): Karthi (Meiyazhagan)
- Outstanding Performance: Vikram (Thangalaan)
- Amaran, a tribute to Major Mukund Varadarajan, emerged as a major winner with multiple top honors, including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director.
Malayalam
- Best Film: Manjummel Boys (some sources highlight Aadujeevitham for multiple wins)
- Best Director: Rahul Sadasivan (Bramayugam)
- Best Film (Critics’): Ullozhukku and Kishkindha Kaandam (tie)
- Best Actor (Critics’): Prithviraj Sukumaran (Aadujeevitham); Asif Ali (Kishkindha Kaandam) (tie)
- Best Actress: Urvashi (Ullozhukku)
- Best Actress (Critics’): Zarin Shihab (Aattam)
- Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) received significant recognition, with Prithviraj Sukumaran’s performance standing out.
Kannada
- Best Film: Shakahari
- (Other categories included strong wins for various films, though detailed lists emphasized emerging talents and critically acclaimed works.)
The ceremony featured special performances, tributes, and a focus on the diversity and scale of South Indian cinema. Winners were selected based on popular votes and critics’ choices, reflecting both commercial success and artistic merit.
