New Delhi: South Indian cinema lit up the night at the 70th Filmfare Awards South 2026, held in Kochi with Kerala Tourism as partner. Powerhouses like Pushpa 2: The Rule, Amaran, and Manjummel Boys swept major awards, celebrating top talents from Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada films.
Stars such as Allu Arjun, Sivakarthikeyan, Sai Pallavi, and Mammootty grabbed headlines with their wins for powerful performances. But who took home the big prizes? Here’s the full story of the glamorous event on February 21, 2026.
70th Filmfare Awards: Telugu stars winners list
Pushpa 2: The Rule dominated Telugu cinema, winning Best Film. Director Sukumar received the Best Director award for his blockbuster hit. Allu Arjun was honoured with Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for his fiery role as Pushpa, a win that thrilled fans across India. Amitabh Bachchan surprised many by bagging Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) for Kalki 2898 AD, proving his appeal in South cinema too. Nivetha Thomas won Best Actress in a Leading Role (Female) for 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu.
70th Filmfare Awards: Tamil stars’ winners list
In Tamil, Amaran ruled as Best Film, with Sivakarthikeyan winning Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) and Sai Pallavi taking Best Actress in a Leading Role (Female) for their chemistry on screen. The Best Director award was shared by PS Vinothraj for Kottukaali and Rajkumar Periasamy for Amaran. Critics’ awards went to Arvind Swamy for Best Actor, Meiyazhagan and Anna Ben for Best Actress, Kottukaali.
Beyond cinema beyond competition
Amaran @filmfareBest Film #Amaran
Best Actor @Siva_Kartikeyan
Best Director @Rajkumar_KP
Best Actress @Sai_Pallavi92
Best Music Album @gvprakash
Best Cinematographer @Dop_Sai
Best Male singer (Hey Minnale ) @HaricharanMusic
Best Female singer… pic.twitter.com/DANbUkTFVG— Raaj Kamal Films International (@RKFI) February 22, 2026
Malayalam and Kannada HIGHLIGHTS
Malayalam’s Manjummel Boys clinched Best Film, while Mammootty won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) for the intense Bramayugam. In Kannada, Shakhahaari was named Best Film, with Srii Murali earning Best Actor Bagheera and Akshatha Pandavapura as Best Actress Koli Esru.
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The ceremony, attended by stars like Allu Arjun and Mammootty, who shared warm greetings, highlighted technical wins too, including music and choreography. No direct quotes from winners were reported in sources, but the event marked a grand tribute to South India’s cinematic excellence.