Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Hansal Mehta, SonyLIV’s streaming show Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) is leading the nominations for Filmfare OTT Awards, which were announced on Wednesday.
The awards will recognise the best of Hindi web original shows or films released across Indian streaming media platforms between August 2020 and July 2021.
Scam 1992, starring Pratik Gandhi in the lead role, bagged 14 nominations across categories, followed by Mirzapur and The Family Man as the second season of both thrillers earned 13 and 12 nominations, respectively.
Manoj Bajpayee is the only actor to have bagged a nomination in both, the film and series categories.
“The last couple of years have been the most interesting times of my journey and most of the credit goes to my recent OTT stints. This industry is truly transforming and I laud Filmfare for creating a special intervention to celebrate the best of creative excellence in the OTT space," the actor said.
Named MyGlamm Filmfare OTT Awards 2021, the nominations were selected based on audience votes across genres like comedy, drama, and non-fiction for both web series and web films. Filmfare will felicitate the best of talent and technique at an exclusive event in Mumbai on December 9, 2021.
The awards ceremony will take place in Mumbai, ensuring public safety and in alignment with Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Government.
The Family Man, Mirzapur, and Scam 1992 are nominated alongside two Disney+Hotstar originals –Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors and Grahan – as well as MX Player's Ashram in the best series (drama).
In the best directors category, The Family Man team of Raj Nidimoru, Krishna DK, and Suparn S Verma are nominated alongside Gurmeet Singh and Mihir Desai (Mirzapur); Hansal Mehta and Jai Mehta (Scam 1992); Prakash Jha (Ashram); Rohan Sippy and Arjun Mukherjee (Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors); and Ranjan Chandel (Grahan).
Manoj Bajpayee, Bobby Deol, Pratik Gandhi, Pankaj Tripathi, Atul Kulkarni, and Anshuman Pushkar will battle it out for the best actor (drama) trophy. Whereas, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kriti Kulhari, Huma Qureshi, Shweta Tripathi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, and Zoya Hussain are nominated in the best actress (drama) category.
Mirzapur stars Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, and Divyenndu Sharma are nominated in the best supporting actor (drama) alongside Sharib Hashmi, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah for Bandish Bandits.
For the best supporting actress (drama) segment, Amruta Subhash and Shahana Goswami of Bombay Begums fame are nominated opposite Anupriya Goenka, Sheeba Chaddha, and Anjali Barot.
In the comedy segments, Gullak, Hostel Daze, College Romance, Masaba Masaba, Metro Park, and Aalas Motaapa Ghabrahat have earned nods in the best comedy category.
Vijay Verma (Ok Computer), Ranvir Shorey (Metro Park), Adarsh Gourav (Hostel Daze) are nominated for best actor (comedy) alongside Jameel Khan (Gullak) and Naveen Kasturia (Runaway Lugaai).
The best actress category will be a quadrangular contest between Masaba Gupta, Ruhi Singh, Geetanjali Kulkarni, and Kani Kusruti.
Nominations for the OTT films were also revealed and it includes Netflix movies Ajeeb Daastaans, Ray and Serious Men as well as Mee Raqsam, State of Siege - Terror Attack, and Kaagaz.
The best actor race is between Pankaj Tripathi, Naseeruddin Shah, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bobby Deol, Manoj Bajpayee, and Manav Kaul.
Kajol, Richa Chadha, Sanya Malhotra, Ratna Pathak Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, and Aditi Sharma are nominated in the best actress category.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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