Indian actor Alia Bhatt is set to present an award at the 79th edition of the BAFTA Awards, adding a strong Indian presence to one of Britain’s most prestigious film nights. The ceremony will take place at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 22 February.
Organisers confirmed that Alia will join a glittering roster of guest presenters including Alicia Vikander, Cillian Murphy, Emily Watson and Ethan Hawke, among others. The awards, officially known as the EE BAFTA Film Awards, celebrate excellence in international cinema and will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Alia’s appearance follows in the footsteps of Indian stars Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone, who have presented at the ceremony in previous years.
BAFTA 2026 presenters
On Tuesday, BAFTA released the list of award presenters, with Alia Bhatt being the only Indian celebrity present. Besides her, major Hollywood superstars will be present at the BAFTA Awards this year as award presenters. These include: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Pierre, Cillian Murphy, Amy Lou Wood, Alicia Vikander, Noah Jupe, Olivia Cooke, Patrick Dempsey, Rege-Jean Page, Ethan Hawke, Gillian Anderson, Glenn Close, Hannah Waddingham, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Kerry Washington, Little Simz, Maggie Gyllenhaal, David Johnson, Delroy Lindo, Emily Watson, Stormzy, Warwick Davis, Erin Doherty, Stellan Skarsgard, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Michael B Jordan, Myles Catton, Millie Alcock, Minnie Driver, Monica Bellucci, Sadie Sink and Riz Ahmed.
Boong to compete with major international titles
Apart from Alia, filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi will attend the ceremony as her Manipuri-language film Boong has secured a nomination in the Best Children’s and Family Film category. Backed by actor-producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, the film will compete with Disney releases Lilo & Stitch and Zootopia 2, as well as the animated science fantasy feature Arco.
Boong follows a young boy from the valley of Manipur, portrayed by Gugun Kipgen, who sets out on a heartfelt journey to surprise his mother with a special gift. This is a momentous occasion for the regional Indian film industry at the international level.
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