Rishab Shetty, Ashika Ranganath win top honours

Bengaluru: The7th edition of the Chandanavana Film Critics Academy Awards, presented by Amberstone Properties, a prestigious platform by film journalists, was held in a grand ceremony at the Jnana Jyothi Auditorium in Bengaluru. The event celebrated excellence in Kannada cinema, honouring artists and technicians for films released in 2025.

Actor Rishab Shetty won the Best Actor award for his performance in Kantara Chapter 1, while Ashika Ranganath was adjudged Best Actress for her role in Gata Vaibhava. The film Kantara Chapter 1 also emerged as the Best Film of the year, dominating the awards by winning in nine categories.

A major highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran director S. V. Rajendra Singh Babu, recognising his remarkable contribution to the Kannada film industry over a distinguished career spanning more than 50 years.

The ceremony commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp and was attended by several eminent personalities from the film industry. Notable guests included National Award-winning filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli, National Award-winning actress Tara Anuradha, producer Rockline Venkatesh, director B. Suresh, actress Pooja Gandhi, actress and activist Ashwini Gowda, and actor Master Manjunath. Title Sponsor, Amberstone Properties, Managing Directors Yashwanth Kumar, Kiran Kumar, Keerthi and Co-sponsor, Ranjith Kumar, CEO of Ashwasurya Realities were also present.

Special honours were presented to Sukrath Srujan Lokesh, a descendant of Kannada cinema pioneer Subbaiah Naidu, and journalist-turned-actor Sunaina Suresh for their contributions to the industry.

The event once again highlighted the growing strength of Kannada cinema and the vital role of critics in recognising cinematic excellence.