At the 70th Filmfare Awards on Saturday, Alia Bhatt made history by winning her sixth Best Actress trophy for her performance in the film Jigra. This landmark win makes her the actress with the most Best Actress Filmfare Awards, surpassing legendary figures like Nutan and Kajol, who each hold five awards in the category.
The achievement is a new record, with Bhatt previously winning for Udta Punjab, Raazi, Gully Boy, Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The win for Jigra also marks her third consecutive victory in the category.
The Record Broken
The record for the most Best Actress wins has been held by several icons over the decades:
- Meena Kumari held the record for the longest time with four wins until 1979.
- Nutan broke it with her fifth win for Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1979).
- Kajol equaled the record with her fifth win for My Name Is Khan (2011).
Other celebrated actresses who have multiple wins include Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit with four trophies each, and Vyjayanthimala, Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi with three each.
Social Media Reacts to the Historic Win
While a cause for celebration among her fans, the historic win has ignited a strong debate on social media regarding whether the achievement is an accurate reflection of Bhatt’s talent when compared to her predecessors. Many commenters on platforms like Reddit argued that some of her wins were not well-deserved and felt that the awards have consistently favored her.
Critics contrasted her record with the enduring legacies of actresses with fewer Filmfare wins:
- One fan pointed out that names like Waheeda Rahman, Sridevi, and Madhuri Dixit are instantly iconic in popular culture, questioning if Alia Bhatt’s career yet stands at that same level.
- Another drew a comparison to the Best Actor category, noting that the shared record between Shah Rukh Khan and Dilip Kumar is rarely doubted, unlike Bhatt’s new record.
Alia Bhatt won this year for Jigra, a film directed by Vasan Bala, where she played a sister attempting a daring jailbreak. Despite receiving largely positive reviews for her performance, the film, made on a budget of $80 crore, only earned $55 crore worldwide.