The Cinekind Awards 2026, a national initiative jointly launched by the Film Federation of India and People for Animals, was held in Mumbai, bringing together prominent personalities from the worlds of cinema, entertainment and social impact to celebrate animal welfare, empathy and humane storytelling.
The evening witnessed the presence of several notable personalities, including Maneka Gandhi, Anant Ambani, John Abraham, Raveena Tandon, Wamiqa Gabbi, Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia D’Souza, Rupali Ganguly, Madhu Shah, Smita Thackeray, Mansi Naik, Varsha Usgaonkar, Upasna Singh, Kunika Sadanand, Poonam Dhillon, Annu Malik, Rajkumar Hirani, Gulshan Grover, Jaya Prada, Mohit Chauhan, Neeraj Shridhar and Nimrat Kaur Ahluwalia, among many other distinguished guests from the entertainment and social sectors.
The Cinekind Awards were conceived as a platform to recognise films, filmmakers and individuals who use storytelling and their public influence to promote compassion towards animals and encourage greater awareness of animal welfare. The event brought together the worlds of cinema and animal welfare, highlighting the powerful role that films and popular culture can play in shaping conversations around empathy and responsible treatment of animals.
The red carpet saw a gathering of leading personalities, with guests coming together to support the initiative and its underlying message of compassion and humane storytelling. The presence of prominent names from the film, entertainment and business communities further underscored the growing intersection between entertainment, social responsibility and animal welfare. Speaking through the initiative, the organisers emphasised the importance of recognising stories and individuals that encourage audiences to look at animal welfare through a lens of empathy and compassion.
With the Cinekind Awards 2026, the Film Federation of India and People for Animals have created a distinctive platform that celebrates the positive influence of cinema while drawing attention to the importance of humane treatment of animals. The event concluded with a strong message that storytelling can go beyond entertainment — it can inspire empathy, influence attitudes and contribute to creating a more compassionate society.
