# Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress
The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress is presented by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognize a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role.[15](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/winners) It is one of the acting categories of India's oldest private film honors, whose main ceremony covers mainstream [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema) and is organized by [The Times Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-times-group).[1](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/filmfare-awards/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Awarding body | Filmfare, the magazine and media brand of The Times Group, at its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films[1](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/filmfare-awards/) |
| Purpose | Recognizes a female actor's outstanding performance in a supporting role in a Hindi film[16](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/winners-of-the-69th-hyundai-filmfare-awards-2024-with-gujarat-tourism-full-list-out-64104.html) |
| First awarded | 1955, one year after the first Filmfare ceremony of 21 March 1954 at the Metro Theatre in Mumbai[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWp_Z26Wj40) • [3](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/filmfare-awards-1954-156.html) |
| Selection | Public voting shortlists nominees and an expert jury panel selects the winner in popular categories[1](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/filmfare-awards/) |
| Trophy | The Black Lady, described by Filmfare as a symbol of prestige and achievement in Indian cinema[4](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/winners-of-the-70th-hyundai-filmfare-awards-2025-with-gujarat-tourism-full-list-out-78383.html) |
| Most recent winner | Chhaya Kadam, for Laapataa Ladies, at the 70th Filmfare Awards in 2025[5](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2025/winners) |
## Origins
The [Filmfare Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-awards) were established by Filmfare magazine in 1954, and the first ceremony was held on 21 March 1954 at the Metro Theatre in Mumbai with only five awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Music Direction.[3](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/filmfare-awards-1954-156.html) The Best Supporting Actress category began the following year, 1955.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWp_Z26Wj40) A scholarly account notes that the awards were introduced by The Times Group and gained acceptance over the years because winners are chosen by both the public and a committee of experts.[6](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3922759/)
**Voting method.** In the first two years, winners were decided by the readers of Filmfare from all over India. A dual voting system was developed in 1956, in which both the public and a committee of experts voted on the winners; this contrasted with the [National Film Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-film-awards), which are decided by a panel appointed by the Indian government.[7](https://www.doshaheen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Achievers-World-Print_-compressed.pdf?x30578=) Today, winners in popular categories are selected through a dual process in which public online voting shortlists nominees and an expert jury panel from the industry selects the final winner from those nominees.[1](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/filmfare-awards/)
## Scope and relationship to other Indian awards
The main Filmfare Awards focus strictly on mainstream Hindi cinema, while the National Film Awards, founded the same year of 1954, are government-organized, cover all official Indian languages, and use only jury decisions.[1](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/filmfare-awards/) Filmfare has also launched separate ceremonies for other industries, including Filmfare Awards South for Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and [Kannada cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/kannada-cinema) since 1964, Filmfare Marathi Awards, and Filmfare Awards East for eastern Indian cinema; each of these presents its own supporting-actress honors.[7](https://www.doshaheen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Achievers-World-Print_-compressed.pdf?x30578=) • [8](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/indian-film-awards-list/) The Hindi-language category is distinct from the parallel Best Supporting Actress awards at Filmfare South and Filmfare Marathi; for example, the Filmfare Awards Marathi 2026 Best Supporting Actress went to Anita Date for Jarann.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/filmfare-awards-marathi-2026-winners-list-ata-thambaycha-naay-6-wins-10821702/)
## Notable winners
The category's roll of winners spans the history of Hindi cinema. Among the documented recipients:
- **Nadira** won for her role in *[Julie](https://www.edgepedia.org/julie-1975-film)*; Filmfare's records confirm her supporting-actress win for that film.[10](https://www.uniindia.com/press-releases/bollywoods-scene-stealers-nadira-david-abraham-and-the-art-of-the-supporting-role/187241)
- **Chand Usmani** won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for *Pehchan* (1969), the same year Feroz Khan won the supporting-actor award for *Aadmi Aur Insaan*.[11](https://www.filmfare.com/photos/filmfare-award-winners-down-the-years-2131.amp)
- **Amrita Singh** won Best Supporting Actress for *Aaina*, as listed in [Yash Raj Films](https://www.edgepedia.org/yash-raj-films)' awards record for the film.[12](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/about-us/awards/all-awards/aaina)
- **Chhaya Kadam** won at the 70th Filmfare Awards in 2025 for *Laapataa Ladies*, a film that dominated that ceremony and also took Best Film, Best Director, and the supporting-actor award for [Ravi Kishan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ravi-kishan).[5](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2025/winners)
## Selection process in practice
Filmfare describes its process as an interplay of public voting and jury discretion. The magazine releases a form, across print and online platforms, in which the public votes for films, songs, and artistes in ten categories; after popular nominations are set, a voting form is sent to jury members of the Popular category.[13](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/the-complete-process-heres-the-how-the-filmfare-awards-jury-works-26174.amp) The Critics' awards, by contrast, are decided entirely by a specialized jury of professional film critics, bypassing public voting at every stage.[1](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/filmfare-awards/) The same dual structure carries into Filmfare's newer properties, such as the Filmfare OTT Awards, where public voting produces a shortlist and a jury appointed by Worldwide Media (WWM) decides the winners.[14](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-ott-awards-2026/terms)
## References
1. [Filmfare Awards: History, Categories, Winners and Everything to Know, NationalFilmAwards.in](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/filmfare-awards/)
2. [Filmfare Best Supporting Actress (1955–2025) Complete Winners List, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWp_Z26Wj40)
3. [Filmfare Award winners 1954 – 1st (First) Filmfare Popular Awards, Awards and Shows](https://www.awardsandshows.com/features/filmfare-awards-1954-156.html)
4. [Winners of The 70th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2025 With Gujarat Tourism: Full List Out, Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/winners-of-the-70th-hyundai-filmfare-awards-2025-with-gujarat-tourism-full-list-out-78383.html)
5. [70th Filmfare Awards 2025 Winners: Complete List Out, Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards-2025/winners)
6. [Uncovering Randomness and Success in Society, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3922759/)
7. [Achievers World print supplement (PDF), Doshaheen](https://www.doshaheen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Achievers-World-Print_-compressed.pdf?x30578=)
8. [Complete List of All Film Awards in India, NationalFilmAwards.in](https://www.nationalfilmawards.in/indian-film-awards-list/)
9. [Filmfare Awards Marathi 2026 Winners list, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/regional/filmfare-awards-marathi-2026-winners-list-ata-thambaycha-naay-6-wins-10821702/)
10. [Bollywood's Scene-Stealers: Nadira, David Abraham and the Art of the Supporting Role, UNI India](https://www.uniindia.com/press-releases/bollywoods-scene-stealers-nadira-david-abraham-and-the-art-of-the-supporting-role/187241)
11. [Filmfare Award winners down the years, Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/photos/filmfare-award-winners-down-the-years-2131.amp)
12. [Aaina – Awards, Yash Raj Films](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/about-us/awards/all-awards/aaina)
13. [The complete process: Here's how the Filmfare Awards jury works, Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/the-complete-process-heres-the-how-the-filmfare-awards-jury-works-26174.amp)
14. [Filmfare OTT Awards 2026 Terms & Conditions, Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-ott-awards-2026/terms)
15. [Filmfare Awards Winners List (1954–Present), Filmfare](https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/winners)
16. [Winners of the 69th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2024 with Gujarat Tourism: Full list out, Filmfare.com](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/winners-of-the-69th-hyundai-filmfare-awards-2024-with-gujarat-tourism-full-list-out-64104.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Awards and screen reference › Indian and South Asian film awards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license