Stars Add Glamour, Dance and Comedy to the First True Vertical Awards in Mumbai

Mumbai: The first-ever True Vertical Awards, a unique celebration dedicated to the rapidly growing vertical micro-drama industry, concluded on a high note in Mumbai. The grand event was held at the auditorium of Thakur International School in Kandivali.

As the vertical micro-drama market continues to expand at a remarkable pace—with over 200 million vertical drama subscribers and more than 50 active platforms producing quality content—the format has quickly emerged as a global entertainment phenomenon. The growing popularity of vertical series inspired this prestigious award initiative.

The awards were organized by Mohammed Shameem Faridi under the banner of True Dreams Entertainment to recognize excellence in vertical micro-drama content. The event marked a new milestone in the awards space by exclusively honoring achievements in this innovative format.

Major Award Winners

• Best Actor: Hiten Tejwani for Aakhiri Raasta (Quick TV)

• Best Actress: Stuti Vinkle for Love Shaadi Dhokha

• Best Negative Female: Sonalika Prasad for Manmohini

• Best Negative Male: Rishikesh Ingle for Double Trap

• Best Supporting Actor: Dadhhi Pandey (Beta Bana Billionaire)

• Best Costume Designer: Monica Gaikwad (Chaalbaaz)

• Best Post Production: JMD Brothers

• Best DOP: Karan Saud

• Best Action Drama Series: Vidhata Ki Wapsi

• Best VFX: Valmiki Films for Amar Yoddha

• Best Creative Director: Rahul Jaiswal

• Best Background Music: Hitesh Kumar (Tera Mera Sach)

• Best Costume Drama Series: Betaj Badshah

• Best Writer: Vikas Mahato (Chaalbaaz)

• Best Hero (Haryanvi): Dishant Galiya (Dost Bani Sautan)

• Best Heroine (Haryanvi): Monica Sharma (Tabah Tere Ishq Mein)

• Best Director (National): Neeraj Gupta

• Best Hero (Rajasthani): Ankit Bhardwaj (Aafat Ya Pyaar)

• Best Heroine (Rajasthani): Bhoomi Gaur (Thane Kathe Dhoondba Jaaun)

• Best Director (Rajasthani): Dinesh Mahadev

• Best Hero: Pawan Thakur (Hero Ka Papa Meri Jaan)

• Best Heroine: Shri Abhilasha (Heroine Ka Papa Meri Jaan)

• Best Director (Bhojpuri): Urgesh Prasad Ujala (Iski Uski Kaun Kiski)

• Best Director: Nitin Jain (Do Dhaari Talwar)

• Best Child Artist: Kiara (Chaalbaaz)

• Best Production House: True Dreams Entertainment

• Highest Viewer Series Award: Gold Digger Kahi Ki

Spot boys were also honored for their valuable contribution to productions.

A Memorable Evening of Entertainment

The award night began with a spectacular Ganpati performance and continued with a series of award presentations interspersed with high-energy performances, making the evening truly memorable.

The event was attended by several distinguished guests, including Abhay Sinha (IMPA), Sachin Tyagi, Maninee De, and Dadhhi Pandey. The show was hosted by Tarun Khanna and Anam Sandhu, with Hiten Tejwani frequently joining them on stage to entertain the audience.

During the red carpet interaction, Hiten Tejwani praised Mohammed Shameem Faridi’s initiative, calling it a commendable step that would energize artists working in the vertical format.

The evening also featured laughter-filled performances by stand-up comedians Rahman Khan and Rajeev Nigam.

Popular television actor Wakar Shaikh attended as a special guest and presented several awards. He mentioned that although he has not yet worked in a vertical show, the event inspired him greatly, and he hopes not only to present but also win an award next year.

The show featured outstanding performances by artists including Naina Chhabra, Ashish, Vasant Kumar, Sonalika Prasad, Ishani Ayesha Siddiqui, Rishikesh Ingle, Jia Chauhan, Srishti Gupta, and Smriti Khanna. The performances were choreographed by Irshad Khan and his team.

Mohammed Shameem Faridi announced that the entire award show will soon be available for viewing on a vertical platform.