In a hope to build a unified national platform for Indian cinema, filmmakers across Indian languages have come together to form the Indian National Cine Academy, INCA.
Founded by Vishnu Vardhan Induri, INCA brings together Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Assamese and Odia cinema on one platform and will honour excellence across artistic and technical categories from all participating film industries.
Industry stalwarts like Manmohan Shetty, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Khushboo Sundar, Rohit Shetty, Aanand L Rai, Dil Raju, Lakshmi Manchu, Manoj Tiwari and others attended the launch event in Mumbai on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, as they championed the initiative.
"I worked in a Bhojpuri film in 2004. It was made in Rs 30 lakh and it ended up doing a business of Rs 54 crore (Rs 540 million). Yet, neither the director got a single award nor its writer was honoured. Even the actor didn't win any award," said Manoj Tiwari, representing the Bhojpuri cinema industry.
"We are a population of 34 crore Bhojpuri residents. We did not know who worked in Chennai or Hyderabad. Vishnu gave us a platform and now, we know everyone. Hence, I believe that INCA is a big step and it'll be something to watch out for."
During the press interaction, Rohit Shetty took a dig at himself, as he quipped that he has no business with awards.
"I was standing at the back. I thought no one would ask me any questions. There is absolutely no connection between awards and me. I have done 17 films but only get invited for hosting," the Singham director joked.
WATCH: Rohit Shetty on the North-South debate
INCA, Vishnu Induri said, has been conceived not merely as an awards show, but as a national cinematic institution that brings the Indian film fraternity closer.
The inaugural edition of INCA, he explained, will be a two-day event, comprising an Indian Cinema Conclave with discussions, workshops, masterclasses, and policy conversations, followed by the INCA Awards Night.
WATCH: Aanand L Rai expresses himself at the INCA launch event.
Fresh off the success of Tere Ishk Mein, Aanand L Rai said he is elated with the initiative, which he hopes that will empower more storytellers like him.
"As a storyteller, I always feel that there are a number of stories that die within you because you are treating it as a one-language venture. For instance, you might feel that justice would be done to your script if you make it in Bengali. But I can't necessarily go there and make it," Rai said.
"I feel this initiative will help makers like me to tell a lot of stories. I feel very sorry that it's happening so late. If it had happened 10 years ago, I would have told 10 or 12 more stories."
Photograph curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
© 2026