The 70th edition of the Filmfare Awards South was held in Kochi, Kerala, celebrating outstanding achievements in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada cinema. The evening became historic as Amitabh Bachchan received his first-ever South Filmfare Award for his role in Kalki 2898 AD.
Amitabh Bachchan won the Best Supporting Actor (Male) award in the Telugu category for portraying Ashwatthama in Kalki 2898 AD. The film, starring Prabhas, was released on 27 June 2024 and earned more than ₹1000 crore worldwide, becoming one of the biggest box office successes of the year. The recognition expands Bachchan’s decorated career into South Indian cinema, reinforcing his pan-Indian appeal.
Although Amitabh Bachchan did not attend the ceremony, sources confirmed that he has begun shooting for the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD in February 2026. His absence did not diminish the significance of his achievement at the awards night.
Pushpa 2 and Amaran Dominate Major Categories
In the Telugu segment, Pushpa 2: The Rule emerged as a major winner, securing five awards including Best Film. Sukumar won Best Director, while Allu Arjun received the Best Actor award. The film grossed over ₹1800 crore globally in 2024, further cementing its commercial dominance.
In the Tamil category, Amaran led with seven awards. Sivakarthikeyan was honoured as Best Actor and Sai Pallavi won Best Actress. The film’s success reflected its strong narrative and audience connect.
Malayalam cinema also celebrated as Mammootty won Best Actor for Bramayugam. The Lifetime Achievement Award was posthumously conferred upon Sreenivasan for his immense contribution to Malayalam cinema.
Kalki 2898 AD won two awards in the Telugu section — Best Supporting Actor for Amitabh Bachchan and Best Production Design for Nitin Ziyani Chaudhary. The film’s ambitious visual scale and mythological science-fiction storytelling drew widespread appreciation.
The ceremony featured performances by Nidhhi Agerwal and Sanya Malhotra, adding glamour to the grand evening.
History and Records of Filmfare Awards South
The Filmfare Awards South are presented by Filmfare under The Times Group. The Filmfare Awards began in 1954 for Hindi cinema. In 1964, Tamil and Telugu films were included, followed by Malayalam in 1967 and Kannada in 1970.
Initially held alongside Hindi awards in Mumbai, the South awards were separated after 1976 and began taking place in Chennai and Hyderabad to focus exclusively on regional industries.
The iconic trophy, known as the Black Lady, is made of bronze, approximately 46.5 centimetres tall and weighs between 2 to 5 kilograms.
Historically, Kamal Haasan holds the record for the most individual wins with 19 awards, including 17 Best Actor trophies. K. Viswanath and K. Balachander have each won eight Best Director awards.
In music, A. R. Rahman leads with 18 awards. In playback singing, K. S. Chithra and Shreya Ghoshal have each secured 10 awards.
Among films, Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana and RRR hold the record for winning nine awards in a single year. Anniyan, Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, Soorarai Pottru and Amaran have won eight awards each.
