Striving to celebrate excellence in filmmaking across twelve Indian film industries-including Gujarati, Assamese, Odia, Bengali, as well as Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi-the awards are offered in 25 categories.

While the Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress awards will be presented for each language, the other 21 categories-such as Best Production Design, Best Casting, Best Cinematographer, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Background Score, Best VFX, Best Editor, etc.-will be awarded collectively across all Indian cinema.

The nominations were led by films like Dhurandhar (17), Lokah Chapter One: Chandra (15), and Kantara: Chapter 1 (13). An Assamese film, Rudra by Roopak Gogoi, has managed to secure a spot among the Top 10 films by earning 11 nominations across categories.

The final winners will be chosen by the respective industry bodies representing various Indian film industries. The awards ceremony is scheduled for April 16, 2026, in Mumbai, promising to bring together top filmmakers, actors, and producers from across the country.

While the initiative, supported by the Producers Guild of India as the chief patron, appears enthusiastic and earnest in determining the nominees, complaints have also emerged from several quarters. Many filmmakers have revealed that although any film released theatrically between January and December 2025 was eligible, a strict application process-including a submission fee of Rs 6,000-was required to apply.

The high submission fee discouraged many producers from Assam from applying. Although the fee was later waived, there are now concerns that the nominations may have favored those who initially paid. Many have also questioned entries like Sri Krishna Leela 2, which received nominations in two categories, including Best Actor and Best Actress. Additionally, concerns have been raised about why awards for music, writing, and technical crafts are presented collectively rather than separately for each industry.

In another incident, the Indian National Cine Academy's social media posts mistakenly displayed someone else's picture instead of that of Assamese actor Kula Kuldip, who is nominated for Amardeep Gogoi's Collage. Many claim such carelessness reveals the extent of their commitment to supporting regional cinema.

Beyond this, a concerning picture emerges when recent trends are considered. In early 2026, the Filmfare Awards Assamese became the center of an unexpected storm in Assam's film industry. An event that was meant to celebrate excellence in regional cinema quickly spiraled into a major controversy.

Filmmakers, actors, and jury members involved in the awards took to social media to raise serious concerns about transparency, fairness, and inclusivity. Questions were also raised over last-minute nomination announcements, missing categories, opaque jury procedures, and how films were overlooked or mishandled during the judging process.

While the organizers of the INCA Awards appear cautious about avoiding such missteps, their intentions are still doubted by several industry insiders. Award shows are often driven by profit motives, seeking revenue from submission fees, sponsorships, and media rights. As a result, they may sometimes prioritize business over art and merit. Filmmakers, celebrities, and brands all feed into this cycle, gaining visibility, prestige, or financial benefits.

This raises an important question: should such nominations be celebrated in an award show that charges Rs 6,000 per submission? Does Assamese cinema truly benefit from this visibility, or is it being exploited in the name of awards?

Beyond individual recognition, it remains unclear how these shows contribute to the overall growth of Assam's film industry. This leads to another question-are they genuinely promoting regional cinema, or merely creating a market for awards in Assam? The line between exposure and exploitation is increasingly blurred. Hence, filmmakers should proceed with caution instead of rushing headlong into such platforms.

The films from Assam nominated for the INCA Awards 2025 are Collage, Gulai Soor, Kuhipath, Malamal Boyyyz, Rudra, Sri Krishna Leela 2, and Gomon. For context, there were more than 20 theatrical releases in Assamese cinema in 2025. Of these, only seven films received nominations across categories. Therefore, in this light, such awards are as much about influence and optics as they are about celebrating cinema.