The awards earned Kriti Sanon a controversial but a happy evening at the Zee Cine Awards 2026 when she took home the award of Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) in Tere Ishk Mein. The honour was another landmark in her career, but also provoked a lot of discussion on the internet, as many viewers believed that Yami Gautam was rightly justified in getting the honour because of her performance in Haq. The win was almost immediately one of the most discussed events of the night, a sign of how much viewers are following major award choices.
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The event was conducted in Mumbai, where Kriti Sanon won in a competitive category that comprised of Tripti Dimri (Dhadak 2), Kangana Ranaut (Emergency), Sonam Bajwa (Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat) and Aneet Padda (Saiyaara). She won the award on her performance in the drama by director Aanand L Rai, acting as a researcher who experiences a heated up and rough romance. Social media sites were full of responses shortly after the verdict regarding whether the jury had reached the correct decision.
Many viewers believed that Yami Gautam as a courtroom-oriented player had greater emotional appeal and even social interest in Haq. Her legal struggle and vulnerability outlined in many posts made a more profound impression and created the impression that she had been ignored. The uproar brought back the same old debates on perceived discrimination in mainstream film nominations towards star-driven productions and high visibility films. On the one hand, some fans/critics justified Kriti in winning by the fact that Tere Ishk Mein required emotional variety and reflected her constant artistic maturation since her triumphant roles like Mimi.
Despite mixed reviews, the victory of Kriti supports her place among the top actresses of the modern Hindi cinema, who can combine commercial entertainers with performance-related roles. In the meantime, the controversy over Yami being snubbed shows the growing role of online fan groups in the creation of discourse around value and rewarding. Finally, the episode shows how one award can highlight one star and in the process boost admiration of another, highlighting the enthusiasm that audiences have for big performances in new Hindi movies.