Alia Bhatt Surpasses Nutan and Kajol’s Record for Most Best Actress Filmfare Awards — Netizens Debate: “Is She Really That Good?”

Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt has done a historical thing by winning the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Jigra at the 70th Filmfare Awards. This victory, which took place on a Saturday evening, now makes her the actress with the most wins in this prestigious category. This is a big, big deal, as she surpassed two legendary actresses.

(Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons) Alia Bhatt Surpasses Nutan and Kajol’s Record

The New Filmfare Queen Of Bollywood

With her latest trophy for Jigra, Alia Bhatt has clinched her sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actress in the Popular Category. This win eclipsed (that's a good word, right?) the longstanding record that was previously held jointly by two iconic figures of Indian cinema.

Alia Bhatt's New Record: 6 Best Actress Wins

Previous Record Holders: The late veteran actress Nutan and superstar Kajol, who both had 5 Best Actress Awards each.

It's amazing how quickly she got to this record! Nutan had set her record back in 1979 for Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, and Kajol equaled it much later in 2011 for My Name Is Khan. Alia, who just started her career recently (I think her debut was in 2012, so she's been around for, like, over a decade), has already zoomed past them.

The full list of Alia Bhatt's six Best Actress Filmfare Awards is:

Udta Punjab

Raazi

Gully Boy

Gangubai Kathiawadi

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Jigra (The record-breaker!)

It's also interesting to note that this is her third consecutive win in this category (2023–2025), which is another Filmfare record she holds. Oh, she also won a Critics' Award for Highway, but that's a different category, so I won't count it here, even though it's still an award.

Details On The Winning Film: Jigra

The film that gave Alia her record-breaking win was Jigra.

The Role: Alia Bhatt played a determined sister who attempts a daring jailbreak to rescue her brother from a death sentence. Her performance was apparently appreciated for its emotional intensity.

Box Office Status: The movie, directed by Vasan Bala, did not do very well commercially. Sources suggest it was a box office flop, earning only around ₹55 crore worldwide against a budget of approximately ₹80 crore. That's a lot less than what it cost to make, which some internet people brought up.

The Night of the Award: Alia Bhatt did not attend the 70th Filmfare Awards ceremony, which was held in Gujarat. Her mentor and filmmaker, Karan Johar (everyone knows he's her best friend, right?), accepted the Black Lady trophy on her behalf.

The Internet's Huge And Divided Reaction

The moment the announcement was made, social media and particularly sites like Reddit exploded with a mix of celebration and a huge amount of skepticism. The general feeling online was heavily divided.

The Big Question: "Is She Really That Good?"

Many people on the internet, which includes fans and critics, questioned the credibility of the win, especially since this is her sixth win in a short career.

Claims of Favoritism: A very common complaint was that the awards have lost their credibility and that Alia Bhatt's frequent wins are a result of her strong connections within the industry, especially with Karan Johar (the "nepo gang"). Some people even sarcastically called the award the "Alia Award."

Comparison to Legends: Several users pointed out that while Alia has talent, she is not yet on the same level as the legendary actresses she surpassed, like Nutan, Meena Kumari, Waheeda Rehman, or Sridevi—legends who are still considered benchmarks for acting. One user complained that when people think of an iconic actress, they still think of Madhuri Dixit or Sridevi, not Alia Bhatt.

Questionable Wins: Critics specifically targeted her wins for films like Gully Boy, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (RARKPK), and now Jigra, arguing that other actresses had stronger performances in those respective years.

Other Nominees: Some people felt that other actresses nominated for Best Actress for the same year—such as Yami Gautam for Article 370 or Kriti Sanon (I think for Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya?)—were more deserving. Yami's film was a box office hit, and Kriti was present at the event, which added fuel to the fire about a pre-decided win.

Alia's Response (via Instagram)

Alia Bhatt later penned a thank-you note on her Instagram account, celebrating her victory and addressing the team of Jigra. She called the win one that will always stay "closest to my heart." She also thanked her sister, Shaheen Bhatt, calling her her real-life 'Jigra' (which means "dearest"). This was her way of responding to all the online backlash (another good word!) without directly mentioning it.

Final Thought On The Record

Alia Bhatt, at a relatively young age (I think she's 32 now, give or take a year), has made history. Whether the internet agrees or not, the record books now clearly show her at the top of the list for the Filmfare Best Actress Award (Popular Category) with 6 wins.