The third edition of the Hindustan Times OTTplay Awards 2025 took place in Mumbai on March 22, celebrating excellence in digital entertainment under the theme "One Nation, One Award." Hosted by Aparshakti Khurana and Kubra Sait, the prestigious event honored outstanding talent across India's OTT landscape.

Among the night’s big winners was Pradeep Maddali, who shared the Best Director (Web Series) award with Nikkhil Advani for his critically acclaimed Telugu series, Vikkatakavi, streaming on Zee5 and OTTplay Premium. Maddali’s win marked a significant milestone for regional OTT content, reinforcing its growing impact on India’s entertainment industry.

Set in the 1970s in the fictional village of Amaragiri, Vikkatakavi is a thrilling rustic mystery revolving around a memory-robbing plague. The series stars Naresh Agastya as Detective Rama Krishna, who embarks on an intense investigation to uncover the epidemic’s origins. The show’s cinematography by Shoaib and immersive production design have been widely lauded for authentically recreating the era.

Pradeep Maddali, an engineer-turned-filmmaker, has previously directed OTT projects like '47 Days' and 'Sarvam Shakthi Mayam', but Vikkatakavi has catapulted him into the limelight. The show also achieved a historic feat as the first Telugu web series to be screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

In his acceptance speech, Maddali expressed gratitude to the Hindustan Times OTTplay Awards, his parents, and his dedicated team, acknowledging the responsibility that comes with such recognition. His win, alongside established filmmaker Nikkhil Advani, underscores the platform’s commitment to recognizing both emerging and veteran talents.

The evening also honored Manoj Bajpayee (Best Actor – Popular) for ‘Despatch’, Priya Mani (Best Actor in a Comedy) for ‘Bhama Kalapam 2’, and Rana Daggubati (Best Talk Show Host) for ‘The Rana Daggubati Show’. Additionally, anticipation soared for Family Man Season 3, with Manoj Bajpayee and Priya Mani’s presence at the event.

As OTTplay CEO Avinash Mudaliar emphasized, the awards aim to celebrate content across all Indian languages, placing regional creators on equal footing with mainstream industry leaders. With Vikkatakavi’s success and Maddali’s well-deserved win, the future of Telugu OTT content looks brighter than ever, sparking excitement for a potential second season.