To celebrate the diversity and depth of Indian storytelling, 

 is set to host The Honours, a new initiative recognising excellence in Indian cinema across film and streaming in 2025. 

an RPSG Lifestyle Media property powered by 

 a celebration of excellence in storytelling, across films and series, languages and geographies.

’s editorial team and led by editor Anupama Chopra, the initiative aims to spotlight outstanding work across languages, formats and geographies, from mainstream hits to indie standouts. The exclusive event will take place on February 18 in Mumbai and will be attended by the biggest names in the Indian entertainment industry. 

RPSG Lifestyle Media to Launch The Honours Powered By THR India

an evening of celebration and camaraderie, 

and a showcase of Indian entertainment at its finest at the Four Seasons in Mumbai.

These awards were curated by the editorial team of 

, which spent over six months watching, mulling, arguing and arriving at a list that honours teams — because storytelling is not one individual’s triumph. 

Avarna Jain, Chairperson RPSG Lifestyle Media, who spoke about what The Honours represents.

While the event was a way to celebrate cinematic masterpieces such as 

 Neeraj Ghaywan’s moving friendship drama 

, it also led the way to a beautiful collision of worlds. The worlds of 

 briefly collided in a moment with their lead actors. 

Actors from several industries chatted away about their work and also humoured us with joyous picture moments. 

Kareena Kapoor Khan was awarded The Honours Icon for her incredible contribution to the industry. 

The actress was thrilled that she could be awarded in a room where filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Rajkumar Hirani, the collaborators of some of her finest films, were present.

The evening was fittingly brought to a close by Anupama Chopra, the editor of 

, with a quote from the legendary Roger Ebert. “He famously said: Of all the arts, movies are the most powerful aid to empathy, and good ones make us into better people.’ At 

, we believe that great storytelling can change the world.  And hence, the Honours. Stay tuned for more.”

RPSG Lifestyle Media Hosts The Honours Powered By The Hollywood Reporter India: The Evening in Pictures

 and RPSG Lifestyle Media, on February 18, celebrated the movies by honouring the best of what last year

But this was no ordinary list. An inventive format — 

, is a showcase of Indian entertainment at its finest.  These awards have been curated by the editorial team of 

, that spent over six months watching, mulling, arguing and arriving at a list that honours teams — because storytelling is not one individual’s triumph. 

Avarna Jain, Chairperson RPSG Lifestyle Media, who spoke about what The Honours represents. 

“This industry is rich with moments of celebration. But tonight is about something deeper. It is a statement. A homage. A conscious choice to value artistry over applause, and to honour excellence with integrity and meaning. Tonight is not just about applause. It is about recognising nuance,” she said. It’s about the editor, the writer, the cinematographer, and the technician, whose names may not always lead the marquee, but whose work gives meaning to everything that does, she noted.

The evening’s film awards went to Rishab Shetty’s Kannada drama 

“I am so grateful, and I take this honour as a huge responsibility. I want to make good films and wish to make better films,” said Shetty, accepting the award. “I wanted to tell a story about the folklore and culture of my village in Karnataka. Once the film was released, it became pan-Indian…it was 250 days of rehearsals. My photo needed to be in the RIP photo four times. There was so much risk involved in shooting the film.”

Mari Selvaraj, in an emotional speech, thanked Pa Ranjith, his debut film’s producer, who couldn’t be in the room. “At a time when the rich and the powerful won, 

 proved that simple lives matter and simple lives and win," he said. 

Vikramaditya Motwane praised writers for soldiering on despite facing budget cuts and AI, while Pushkar Sunil Mahabal, the director of 

, asked the big guys to back content that is new and makes people ‘nervous’. 

Kareena Kapoor Khan was awarded the The Honours Icon honour for her incredible contribution to the industry. The actress was thrilled that she could be awarded in a room where filmmakers like Imtiaz Ali, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and Rajkumar Hirani, the collaborators of some of her finest films, were present.

The award for box-office achievement went to Aditya Dhar’s 

The Honours Spotlight awards went to five individual 

names who have done exceptional work and disrupted the industry in 2025. It included Vicky Kaushal for 

, added, “At Johnnie Walker, we believe in the multi-hyphenated individual who is approaching the world on their own terms with their unique perspectives and interests - shaped by personal purpose, creativity, and the desire to move forward in a unique fashion. ‘The Honours’ Powered by 

 (A RPSG Lifestyle Media Property; An RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group Company) beautifully mirrors this belief, celebrating those who are redefining success and shaping culture through their unique journeys. Together, with 

, we’re proud to recognise individuals whose personal stories of progress inspire others to keep dreaming, keep creating, and Keep Walking.”

“I loved every moment of performing it. This is probably the first of the awards

has received,” said Dulquer Salmaan, going on to dedicate the award to Rana Daggubati, who co-produced the film with him. 

RPSG Lifestyle Media Hosts The Honours Powered By The Hollywood Reporter India 

 honoured Kareena Kapoor Khan, naming her as the The Honours icon, in the inaugural edition of the Honours, held on February 18 in Mumbai. 

Kareena Kapoor Khan is one of the truest icons of our times. Since her debut in 2000, she has built a formidable filmography, creating characters who have become our common vocabulary—from Poo to Geet and beyond. Having starred in over 50 films, she was celebrated in 2024 with the first-ever film festival dedicated to an Indian actress. On-screen, her histrionic humour and bruised pathos feel equally true. Off-screen, her irreverence, self-regard, and intuitive intelligence complete a glittering image of craft and confidence. She strikes the perfect balance between commercial success and artistic credibility, her on-screen and off-screen personas blending effortlessly into one another. Everybody loves Kareena Kapoor Khan—an exceptional feat in any era. Here’s an artiste who is both timeless and of-the-moment.

What makes her singular is her refusal to be contained. In an industry that often flattens women into archetypes, she has consistently expanded the frame—oscillating between effervescent romantic leads and deeply interior performances. Whether embodying unapologetic glamour or quiet vulnerability, she brings a lived-in honesty to her roles, breathing life into the screenplay.

Her cultural imprint is undeniable. Dialogues, fashion moments, even fleeting expressions have travelled from cinema halls into everyday life, shaping how a generation speaks, dresses, and imagines aspiration. Yet, even at the height of her stardom, she has embraced reinvention—taking creative risks, championing nuanced storytelling, and navigating motherhood and celebrity without relinquishing her sense of self.

In doing so, she has redefined what mainstream success can look like for women in cinema: expansive, self-possessed, and unapologetically ambitious. Kareena Kapoor Khan is not merely a participant in this industry; she is one of its defining authors, shaping its very identity in the modern era.

The Honours: Kareena Kapoor Khan Felicitated With The Honours Icon Award

 five key artistes who disrupted the entertainment ecosystem in the inaugural edition of The Honours, held on February 18 in Mumbai. 

 a celebration of excellence in storytelling, across films and series, languages and geographies

. The awards were curated by the editorial team of 

 who spent over six months watching, mulling and arguing. With great passion and diligence, we’ve arrived at our best list. Here are five exceptional names who we recognise under The Honours Spotlight.

Actor and director Basil Joseph delivered a phenomenal performance in the Malayalam box-office hit 

. In the role of P.P. Ajesh, a gold broker navigating the murky ethics of dowry and debt in Kerala's Latin Catholic community, Joseph delivers the kind of non-acting found in actors with decades of experience. In one stunning scene, framed in mid-shot after being slapped by a man twice his size, he speaks matter-of-factly about the man's football skills as tears roll down his face — a single-take performance so naturalistic you don't notice the acting at all. In this stressful, high-stakes drama where no character is easily categorised as hero or villain, Joseph anchors a complex moral universe with ease and precision. As stakes rise and loyalties shift, his interpretation of Ajesh holds the suspenseful drama together.

Dulquer Salmaan turned in an arresting, career-defining performance in Selvamani Selvaraj's meta drama, 

. In the role of T.K. Mahadevan, a narcissistic superstar wrestling with the multiple people he is expected to be, Salmaan delivers the finest work of his career. In certain scenes, he needs just one-tenth of an expression to convey insecurity, anger, rage, and heartbreak. This is an incredibly complex character — easy to empathise with but impossible to understand — and Salmaan inhabits him with devastating precision. He transforms from the man he once was to the man he has become, caught between the deafening applause and the cries of his own conscience. Propelled by his performance, 

rises above a love letter to cinema to become an epic tragedy.

Lakshmipriya Devi made an extraordinary directorial debut with her BAFTA-nominated film 

 — a Manipuri film with a soul as big as the world. Following a naughty boy's search for his absent father, this tender coming-of-age story trusts its personal narrative to convey the history of a place without exoticising it. Her film resists overt political commentary despite being set in a deeply politicised space, choosing instead the perspective of childhood — where hope remains possible. Simple yet profound, raw yet resonant,

 finished shooting just one week before ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in 2023, making it poignant proof of a region alive before disaster struck. Nominated for Best Children's and Family Film at the 2026 BAFTA Awards, this is cinema that opens doors — and windows.

Rohan Kanawade made a pitch-perfect filmmaking debut with his Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning film 

. This magnificent film about longing and belonging humanises the constraints of queer love with profound tenderness. Set during a 10-day mourning period in a village, the semi-autobiographical storytelling unfolds like a secret in plain sight — a meet-cute looking for anonymity rather than invisibility. Where other films reduce queer identity to its courage, Rohan refuses such simplifications, instead presenting love through indirectness, euphemism, and the conspiratorial silence of a community that knows without saying. With immaculate performances and an understanding that prohibition is integral to who these characters are, he has crafted a film that rises above victimhood to celebrate the multitudes of longing.

Vicky Kaushal turned in a fearless, physically demanding performance as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in 

 A decade into his remarkable career, Kaushal delivers something completely new — a portrayal of unflinching courage and emotional depth that Kaushal committed to, depicting historical brutality with raw authenticity. In bringing to life the story of a warrior who endured weeks of torture without surrendering his beliefs, Kaushal taps into something transcendent. As he himself reflected during filming, "I still can't fathom how a human being can go through all that and not give up what he stands for." This is performance as spiritual excavation — demanding, uncompromising, and utterly transformative.

The Honours: Spotlight Recognises The Biggest Disruptors of 2025

 honoured the best Indian feature films of 2025 at the 

, who spent over six months watching, mulling and arguing. With great passion and diligence, we’ve arrived at our best list. Here are our picks:

 serves as a manifesto for making cinema from the margins without smoothing their edges. Selvaraj sees beauty not in opposition to brutality, but as a medium to tell the whole, clawed story. Following the journey of a kabaddi player making it against all odds, this film cuts across every fence — of caste, region, clan, and family. Dhruv Vikram delivers an interiorised performance of reined-in passion that explodes on the kabaddi ground, giving shape to Selvaraj's pioneering vision. With thick religious imagery and rousing montage, this is a film that lingers long after its runtime. It's a shining example of bold, uncompromising cinema.

is a film that places a gentle rose on the tombstone of our times. Shortlisted for the Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category, Neeraj Ghaywan's compassionate masterpiece follows two friends — one Muslim, one Dalit — on their journey home during the COVID-19 lockdown. Where others might choose irony or cruelty, Ghaywan chooses the far more difficult route of empathy. Featuring luminous performances from Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, this film premiered at the Cannes film festival to widespread acclaim. It is a work buoyed by sincerity and hope, building worlds from brutal structures without ever succumbing to them.

, Rishab Shetty has crafted not merely a prequel, but a triumph of storytelling that expands his vision into an epic tapestry of fate, culture, and intimate self-discovery. With primal energy and haunting folk performances, this film evokes the sacred and the spectacular in equal measure. Shetty himself embodies the righteous hero with full-bodied vigour, while Gulshan Devaiah and Rukmini Vasanth bring unforgettable presence to this mysterious world at the cusp of capitalism. This is cinema at its most visceral and vital — stories that travel wide because they come from the deepest places within.

 single-handedly brought back our excitement for cinematic universes. The highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, this is a superhero film that refuses to be a mere culmination of spectacular events. Kalyani Priyadarshan commands the screen as Chandra, a mysterious super heroine, while Naslen brings comic charm as her unlikely companion. Layered with history, folk tales, and urban humour, the film oscillates between myth and materiality, forging a new path for female presence on screen as central, vital, and gifted. This is visionary storytelling that has given new direction to an entire industry.

Mohit Suri not only brought back the romance genre with the resounding success of 

but pushed it in new, tangled directions. Starring debutantes Ahaan Pandey and Aneet Padda, this film is a triumph of innocent, young love that reminds us what it means to be gazed at by a lover. Following in the footsteps of the great romances before it, 

 reassured us of an audience craving soft romance, swooning musical interludes, and eventual union imbued with hope, passion, and kindness of spirit. Its lead actors have been catapulted to instant stardom, with the film reminding an entire industry of the power and persuasiveness of love.

The Honours: Five Best Films of 2025

 honoured the five best Indian streaming series of 2025 at the

 The awards were  curated by the editorial team of The Hollywood Reporter India, who spent over six months watching, mulling and arguing. With great passion and diligence, we’ve arrived at our best list.

 is a slow-burning masterpiece set in 1980s Tihar Jail that resists easy labels. An episodic, diary-like narrative following the newest jailer and the nation's most notorious prison, this crafty adaptation features a lead performance by Zahan Kapoor that subverts the relationship between masculinity and power. Packed with excellent casting, unhurried period details, and character-driven storytelling, it proves that formula only lies in the eyes of the beholder. The series stood out for its intelligence and restraint.

Black White & Gray — Love Kills (Sony LIV)

 is one of the most inventive uses of the series medium this decade. Pushkar Sunil Mahabal's true-crime mockumentary is made with such conviction that viewers couldn't tell it wasn't real until a few episodes in. Beyond the trickery lies a hard-hitting take on the blurred lines between fiction and post-truth reality. It critiques true-crime filmmaking while telling a story of an India often reduced to sensationalism. It's a rare feat of accessible, meaningful innovation.

 shines as a rare, complex genre vehicle that raises the bar for social horror. This series cleverly conflates the natural fear of being a woman in India with the supernatural fear of ghosts, creating something wholly original. Set in a working women's hostel, it is superbly performed, sharply plotted, and ambitiously staged. This is storytelling that defies the algorithm and pushes envelopes too often sealed by convention. The series is a standout for its bold imperfection and brilliant execution.

is a sequel that expands the language of its world-class first season with precision, scale, and purpose. Political, personal, and morally alive, it continues the journey of Inspector Hathiram Chaudhary played by Jaideep Ahlawat, arguably the most iconic protagonist in Indian streaming. Technically top-notch with a terrific ensemble cast, it does something extinct in today's landscape — it respects the intelligence of the viewer. With no spoon-feeding or dumbing down, this is storytelling for the sake of storytelling, and art for the sake of expression. This is essential television.

Turning irreverence into an art form, debutant director Aryan Khan's 

is a blistering, cheeky celebration of India's flashiest film industry. The best example of access filmmaking in years, it's spoofy, unserious, and unabashedly lived-in, yet also an affectionate ode to the world it lampoons. Young and fearless, it makes joking about yourself cool again while bringing back self-reverential humour in a culture averse to punchlines. The series impresses with its wit and warmth.

The Honours: Five Best Series of 2025

for its incredible box-office performance at the inaugural edition of The Honours,

Saviour, outlier, a shot in the arm — Aditya Dhar’s film was the high-stakes box-office rescue mission of 2025. The movie, a violent, muscular spy thriller led by Ranveer Singh and released in December last year, single-handedly reinstated Hindi cinema’s commercial bona fides. From netting a solid opening of ₹27-28 crores on its opening day in India, the film, produced by Jio Studios and B62 Studios, went on to become one of the top-grossing Hindi films of all time, setting new records in box office performance. Its rise in theatres was stupendous and unstoppable—crossing the ₹200 crore mark in its first week, then ₹300 crore in around ten days, making it one of the quickest Hindi films to achieve the feat. All, mind you, with an A-rating and three-hour-plus runtime. 

As audiences flocked to theatres—drawn by a thrilling espionage plot, Sashwat Sachdeva’s electrifying soundtrack and the performances of Singh, Akshaye Khanna and others— the film registered a glorious domestic run, defying the trend of a front-loaded blockbuster. It continued its run in India for over 10 weeks and earned over ₹830 crores, thus becoming the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time in terms of nett domestic box office collections. The film breached the ₹1,000 crore mark globally in a short span of time, eventually reaching the ₹1,300 crore mark in worldwide collections. 

Despite a ban in the Gulf countries, a crucial overseas market for Indian cinema, 

’s performance in the international market helped it become one of the top-grossing Indian films of all time, and one of the biggest earners globally in the year 2025. Aditya Dhar’s direction and Ranveer Singh’s performance as the undercover spy Hamza/Jaskeerat scripted a major milestone in mainstream Hindi cinema, and anticipation is unprecedented for its concluding chapter, 

, releasing in Indian cinemas on March 19.

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RPSG Lifestyle Media to Launch The Honours Powered By THR India

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