Acknowledged as one of India's most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, and style.

[11] In the first issue, a manifesto was declared: It is from this dual standpoint of its industry and its patrons, whom comprise the vast audience of movie fans, that Filmfare is primarily designed.

The difference lies in our realisation that the film as a composite art medium calls for serious study and constructive criticism and appreciation from the industry as also from the public.

[17] The magazine faced controversy after the actress Sharmila Tagore did a shot with her photographer Dhiren Chawda with only wearing a two-piece floral bikini for its 19 August 1966 issue.

[b] Talking to Daily News and Analysis in 2015, Ahmed spoke of how the magazine nearly collapsed at the time as no gossip columns were written by its journalist.

[26][27] The circulation of Filmfare dropped in the early 1990s, prompting the publisher to attach free consumer products (such as soaps or shampoo sachets) to the magazine.

Additionally, special monthly editions with a few pages dedicated to Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu cinema were begun and, as reported by The Quint in 2019, become commercial successes.

[28] In 2002, following Mohamed's nine-year tenure, Shashi Baliga replaced him as Filmfare's editor; in an article published in Business Line, she described the occupation as "an opportunity that came unsought".

[37] As of March 2021[update], the magazine was published by Joji Varghese under The Times Group's subsidiary Worldwide Media and Pillai served as the editor.