69th SOBHA Filmfare Awards South 2024: Clinching accolades for their global recognition

The 69th SOBHA Filmfare Awards South 2024 with Kamar Film Factory celebrated the finest talents in the Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema industries amid much fanfare at the JRC Convention, Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. With the 69th edition of the Filmfare Awards for South Indian Cinema, the event brought the stalwarts from all four film industries under one roof for an exciting and unforgettable awards night.
The crowd cheered in sheer joy as Nani and Vikram won the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) Awards in the Telugu and Tamil categories for their phenomenal performances in Dasara and Ponniyin Selvan, Part 2, respectively. Similarly, Rakshit Shetty bagged the award of Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) in the Kannada category for his role in the critically acclaimed film Sapta Sagaradaache Ello. Thanks to an exceptional performance in Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Mammootty received the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) award in the Malayalam category, marking his 15th Filmfare award, as he revealed in his acceptance speech.
When accepting the award, the actor expressed that the occasion should have been joyful but is actually sorrowful for him due to the suffering of ‘his people’ following the landslides in Wayanad. Mammootty described this as a significant moment after receiving the award from Vikram and Siddharth.
He said, “This is my 15th Filmfare. I played a dual role in which I speak Tamil as well as Malayalam. I produced it myself. I thank my team for this. This is supposed to be a very happy moment for me, but I am not very happy. I am sad for the suffering of my people in Wayanad, who lost their lives. I remember them at this moment. I wish for you to support them and help them regain their lives.”
Meanwhile, the crowd further applauded thunderously at the heartfelt moment when Shweta Mohan accepted her first Filmfare award for the Best Playback Singer (Female) in Telugu from her mother, Sujata Mohan, on stage, welcoming the 5th black lady into their house! While Dasara, Balagam and Baby won big in Telugu, Sapta Sagaradaache Ello took home the big prizes in Kannada. Ponniyin Selvan 2 and Chittha shared the spoils in Tamil, and Malayalam had an eclectic set of winners.
This year, the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award was won by Srinath, aka Pranay Raja (King of Romance). He has dedicated 57 years of his life to South Indian cinema, with more than 300 films. Due to his spectacular success in romantic movies during the 1970s, he earned the title of ‘Pranay Raja’, a title that remains with him to this day. In addition to this, at the prestigious awards, the South Indian film industry also paid tribute to the late Ramoji Rao, whose vision not only shaped the landscape of Indian cinema but has also provided a platform for countless filmmakers, actors, and technicians to bring their dreams to life.
Keeping the evening filled with synergy, Raashii Khanna, Aparna Balamurali, Saniya Iyappan and Gayatri Bhardwaj showcased their power-packed dance performances.