Actor Niharaika Konidela shared her candid thoughts after attending the Filmfare Awards South 2026 ceremony in Kochi. The actor took to her Instagram account on Sunday afternoon to state that although being in the room with so many artists was ‘truly special’, she could not help but notice that the debut winners were not given a moment to speak on stage. (Also read: Filmfare Awards South 2026 full list of winners: Pushpa 2, Amaran wins big, Amitabh Bachchan wins for Kalki 2898 AD)
What Niharika said
Niharika began by saying, “Celebrating the brilliance of Indian cinema at the Filmfare awards is always a highlight and seeing such incredible talent under one roof was truly special.”
She went on to add, “However, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of missed opportunity that the debut winners from Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada cinema weren’t given a moment to speak. For an artist at the very beginning of their journey, that stage isn’t just a platform, it’s their dream materialising. Hearing their voices would have reminded us all why we fell in love with cinema in the first place.”
‘That one minute may last a lifetime’
The note also read, “Time constraints are inevitable in a show of this scale, but that one minute shouldn’t be taken away from someone standing on that stage for the first time. Because for them, that one minute may last a lifetime.”
At the Filmfare Awards 2026, Pushpa 2: The Rule, Amaran, Aadujeevitham and Bramayugam were the big winners, clinching multiple awards.
Niharika is the daughter of actor-producer Nagendra Babu and niece of actor Chiranjeevi. She hosted the show Dhee Juniors and acted in films including Oka Manasu, Suryakantham, and Happy Wedding.
On the personal front, Niharika got engaged to Chaitanya Jonnalagadda in a close-knit family affair in August 2020. The ceremony was only attended by the close family members of the couple. She announced her divorce from Chaitanya Jonnalagadda in 2023.
