Mumbai Actor Aadi Bharadwaj Wins Best Actor (Male) at ZEE Short Film Contest for Awara Samsara

Mumbai :  Aadi Bharadwaj has been awarded Best Actor (Male) at the ZEE Short Film Contest for his performance in Awara Samsara, directed by Anmol Mahla. The award was presented at a ceremony held at Grand Hyatt Mumbai on June 5, 2026.

Awara Samsara follows a man who seemingly has it all ,looks, wealth and success  and yet finds himself deeply unsatisfied. His perpetual search for something more leads him through multiple deaths, personalities and lives, in a story that explores the restless nature of the human condition.

The film is directed by Anmol Mahla, a writer, director and editor who has created over 30 short films under his banner Anmol Mahla Films since 2019. His body of work has consistently explored themes of grief, love, melancholy and spirituality across diverse genres. Awara Samsara is set to release on ZEE5.

Aadi Bharadwaj, 23, has been building a quiet but steady presence in the Indian acting space over the past three years. He previously appeared in Amber Girls School, which streamed on Amazon MX Player,  a role that introduced him to digital audiences before this recognition on the short film circuit.

Reacting to the win, Aadi said, “This is just the start. Many more to come.” The actor has expressed his intent to continue pursuing impactful, meaningful characters and is currently preparing for his upcoming project, Mariyam Whites.

Shreshth Kumar, Founder of Relkra,  the talent management agency representing Aadi, says, “Aadi is a shining star. We are incredibly proud of this recognition; it is well deserved. We are focused on positioning him towards meaningful cinema, and we firmly believe he has the potential to be one of the most exciting young actors to watch in this space.”

Awara Samsara will be available to stream on ZEE5. Further details on the release date will be announced shortly.