South Indian cinema had a strong presence at the 17th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026, with Dulquer Salmaan and Rishab Shetty among the major names taking home top honours at this year’s awards.
Dulquer Salmaan won the Best Actor award for his performance in Kaantha, emerging victorious from a competitive category featuring some of Indian cinema’s biggest names. The nominees included Aamir Khan for Sitaare Zameen Par, Ahaan Panday for Saiyaara, Bhuman Bhargav Das for Not a Hero, Mammootty for KalamKaval: The Venom Beneath, Ranveer Singh for Dhurandhar, Rishab Shetty for Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1 and Sanjay Mishra for Vadh 2.
Meanwhile, Rishab Shetty took home the Best Director award for Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1. He was up against filmmakers including Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (System), Chandrasish Ray (Porshi), Mohit Suri (Saiyaara), Ramalingam Gowtham (Members of the Problematic Family), Rima Das (Not a Hero), R.S. Prasanna (Sitaare Zameen Par) and Shazia Iqbal (Dhadak 2).
Rishab’s achievement was made even more significant as he also received the Leadership in Cinema Award, recognising his contribution to Indian filmmaking.
The celebrations continued for Malayalam cinema as Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra won Best Film. The Malayalam superhero film was among eight nominees in the category, competing against Haq, Jarann, Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Sharthopor and The Great Shamsuddin Family.
The festival’s 2026 nominations showcased films and talent from across India’s regional industries, including Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali, Punjabi, Assamese and Hindi cinema. With Dulquer Salmaan’s Best Actor win, Rishab Shetty’s Best Director honour and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra taking Best Film, IFFM 2026 has become another notable moment for South Indian cinema on the international stage.
Source: Times Of India
