At a Mumbai news conference on March 9, 2025, Aamir Khan attacked the IIFA Awards for allegedly giving celebrity power preference over artistic ability. He pointed out as evidence of the awards’ slowness the absence of the highly regarded movie Shadows of Silence. Khan instead organized a private viewing of his forthcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par instead of showing up for the IIFA 2025 ceremony in Jaipur. His comments have spurred industry-wide discussion on award choice credibility. Although conventional movies swept the awards, Khan’s criticism has sparked debates on the necessity of a more merit-based recognition system in Bollywood.