All the IIFA glitz
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SEPTEMBER 2012
THE Wizcraft team of Andre Timmins and Noreen Khan arrived for a private meeting in Sandton to discuss the possibility of hosting the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2013 in South Africa. While the IIFA team tried to secure the important partnerships and sponsors, I quickly created a Facebook support group that grew into the thousands as fans started preparing for the “third” celebrations in South Africa. APRIL was a Friday I will never forget when an e-mail arrived with the subject line “SAD IIFA UPDATE”. My plans of walking the green carpet on home soil came to a crushing end with the hopes of Bollywood lovers across the country. It was a bitter-sweet moment — bitter because we had lost the ambitious bid, but sweet because the IIFA invited me to host country Macau. JULY 4
THE ferry from Hong Kong to Macau is an unforgettable experience, especially when shared with legends of Indian cinema such as Abhishek Bachchan and Shahid Kapoor. They later attended a press conference with Ayushmann Khuranna and Parineeti Chopra, kicking off the magical weekend as fans gathered at the Venetian hotel to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars. Bachchan said: “The screaming fans, the perfect welcome and love from all involved makes this home. I am looking forward to burning the stage at the awards night.” Day one ended with the media briefing of the soon-tobe-released comedy caper Santa Banta with Boman Irani, Vir Das and Neha Dhupia in lead roles. JULY 5
A MUSIC workshop by Sonu Nigam was the first event of the day and with many star-struck music lovers attending it ran over time, resulting in the cancellation of the media briefing for the eagerly anticipated Gulaab Gang. A mega event on day two was IIFA Rocks, a glitzy fashion extravaganza and music show attended by Bachchan and Chopra as well as Sridevi, Aftab, Shivdasani, Minisha Lamba, Anupam Kher, Sonu Sood, Prabhudeva and Kamalhassan. But it was the arrival of the breathtaking Madhuri Dixit for her first IIFA appearance that sent the media into a frenzy. The star performers at the event, which paid tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema, were Dia Mirza and rising sensation Arjun Kapoor, but muscle-man Sonu Sood failed to impress. JULY 6
ANUPAM Kher started the day with a stimulating acting workshop focusing strongly on the evolution of Indian cinema, and the media briefing for Gulaab Gang followed. Then, a year of waiting for the IIFA weekend concluded with the star-studded IIFA night to showcase the best of 2012. The dazzling performers lived up to expectations, with a sizzling display of talent from Bachchan and newcomers Sushant Singh Rajput and Deepika Padukone. Topping the list of mesmerising performances was a dance-off between the supremely talented Sridevi and dance sensation Prabhudeva, who performed to songs from movies such as English Vinglish , Chaalbaaz and ABCD. Perhaps the most incredible performer of the night was the brilliant dancer Madhuri Dixit. Boasting confidence with the swing of her hips, she delighted the crowds with Radha on Dance Floor, Feviocol Se and her recent blockbuster, Ghagra .
As expected, Anurag Basu’s Barfi! clinched top accolades including best director, best story, best film, best music and best actor for Ranbir Kapoor. Vidya Balan scooped another IIFA award for Kahaani, and Anu Kapoor and Anushka Sharma won the best supporting stars for their roles in Vicky Donor and Jab Tak Hai Jaan respectively. Bachchan delivered a heart-warming moment when he accepted best comic actor for Bol Bachchan and dedicated the award to his staff members. Competently hosted by Shahrukh Khan and Shahid Kapoor, the duo was a hilarious riot on stage. Overall, this night was the highlight of the weekend. WELCOME BACK
ALTHOUGH there was no sign of any of the other Bachchans, Abhishek was a huge success during the weekend. MISSING
STRANGELY, the hot and happening cast of Student of the Year were completely awol. Also missing was Ranbir Kapoor, Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Sonakshi Sinha, Kareena Khan, Bipasha Basu and IIFA regular Priyanka Chopra, who did not attend because she was mourning the loss of her father. THE HITS
SHAHRUKH Khan, Bachchan, Dixit, Padukone, Mirza and Khuranna — a rising sensation who is wonderful to chat to. A lovely addition to the celebrations was veteran action Hollywood hero Jean-Claude van Damme. THE LOWS THE constant delays with the stars arriving on the green carpets and the lukewarm supporting events. WHERE NEXT
AFTER the IIFA Awards organisers toyed with South Africa for a few months, it was announced a whole year in advance that IIFA Awards 2014 will be held in Tampa Bay in Florida, US. OOPS MOMENTS
BLAME the teleprompter and not Shahid Kapoor for the delays on stage, although the actor apologised to Sridevi when he almost forgot to join her for a song. Anu Kapoor nearly made a huge blunder when he forgot to put on his shoes before going on stage and had to go back for them. OVERALL
DESPITE the minor shortcomings, the IIFA Awards lived up to expectations in promoting Indian cinema beyond the Indian shores and placing it on an international platform. This year, the IIFA embraced the cause of women’s empowerment and equality with the aim of creating a social awakening in society. Until the next awards, enjoy Indian cinema!
Don’t miss Saffron TV, DStv Channel 195, from July 17 for the latest IIFA magic.