Actress-producer Niharika Konidela voiced her disappointment after attending the Filmfare Awards South 2026 held in Kochi recently. While she described the evening as a celebration of cinematic excellence, she also pointed out what she felt was a missed opportunity during the ceremony.
Taking to her official Instagram account on Sunday (February 22), Niharika shared a note reflecting on her experience at the awards night. She wrote, “Celebrating the brilliance of Indian cinema at the Filmfare awards is always a highlight and seeing such incredible talent under one roof was truly special.”
However, she added that something about the event left her unsettled. “I couldn’t help but feel a sense of missed opportunity that the debut winners from Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada cinema weren’t given a moment to speak. For an artist at the very beginning of their journey, that stage isn’t just a platform, it’s their dream materialising. Hearing their voices would have reminded us all why we fell in love with cinema in the first place.”
She further acknowledged the scale of the event but emphasised the importance of giving newcomers a voice. “Time constraints are inevitable in a show of this scale, but that one minute shouldn’t be taken away from someone standing on that stage for the first time. Because for them, that one minute may last a lifetime.”
The Filmfare Awards South 2026 saw several major films emerge as big winners. Pushpa 2: The Rule, Amaran, Aadujeevitham and Bramayugam dominated the night, taking home multiple trophies across categories.
Niharika comes from a prominent film family. She is the daughter of actor-producer Nagendra Babu and the niece of megastar Chiranjeevi. Over the years, she has built her own identity in the industry, hosting television shows like Dhee Juniors and acting in films such as Oka Manasu, Suryakantham, and Happy Wedding.
On the personal front, Niharika got engaged to Chaitanya Jonnalagadda in August 2020 in an intimate ceremony attended by close family members. She later announced her divorce in 2023.