'3 Idiots' sweeps IIFA Awards

Kareena, Vidya share best actress honours

'3 Idiots' that created history by becoming one of the most successful films in Hindi cinema walked away with 11 trophies at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards that concluded in Colombo with a flourish early on June 6, being declared the Best Film, while the Best Director award went to Rajkumar Hirani and the Best Actress award to Kareena Kapoor for the same movie.

Kareena shared the award with Vidya Balan, who was honoured for perfectly portraying the role in 'Paa' of a single mother whose son is suffering from progeria.

Sanjay Dutt, Bollywood's affable Munnabhai, walked away with the Best Comic Actor trophy for his rib-tickling performance in 'All The Best', while Boman Irani received the Best Actor in A Negative Role honour for his brilliant portrayal of an eccentric professor in '3 Idiots'.

Sharman Joshi, who played Aamir Khan's friend in '3 Idiots', won the Best Supporting Actor award, while Divya Dutta received Best Supporting Actress honour for her performance in 'Delhi 6'.

In the special award category, well-known Hindi filmmaker J. Omprakash and Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan's maternal grandfather, who made films like 'Aap Ki Kasam' (1974) , 'Aasha' (1980) and 'Aas Paas' (1981), was honoured for his outstanding contribution to cinema.

Versatile actor Anil Kapoor, who made his mark in the international arena with British filmmaker Danny Boyle's multiple award winning rags-to-riches drama 'Slumdog Millionaire', was honoured for outstanding achievement by an Indian in international cinema. And yesteryears glamour girl Zeenat Aman was honoured for Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema.

While Bollywood heart throb Salman Khan was given the Habitat for Humanity award, his not-so-good friend Vivek Oberoi, who has been in the news for all the wrong reasongs ever since he arrived for the IIFA awards, was honoured with the Panasonic Global Green award.

Pritam Chakraborty won the Best Music Director Award for composing lilting numbers for 'Love Aaj Kal' and Swanand Kirkire bagged the Best Lyrics Award for the super-hit movie '3 Idiots'.

In the playback singing category, the Best Female Playback Singer award went to Kavita Seth for crooning 'Ik tara' in 'Wake Up Sid' and the Best Male Playback Singer Award went to Shaan for the hit number 'Behti hawa sa thaa wo' in '3 Idiots'.

Sri Lankan actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who made her Bollywood debut with 'Aladin', was declared Star Plus Debut of the Year (Female). Apart from Jacqueline, Mahi Gill, who played the modern age Paro in Anurag Kashap's new interpretation of 'Devdas' titled "Dev D", too bagged the Star Plus Debut of the Year (Female) award.

'3 Idiots' fame Omi Vadiya, who had people rolling in the aisles with his antics in the super-hit movie, received the Star Plus Debut of the Year (Male) award along with Jackie Bhagnani - the young actor who made his debut with the not-so-successful movie 'Kal Kissne Dekha'.

Abhijat Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra received the Best Story Award for penning the interesting tale of '3 Idiots'.

'3 Idiots' baggged the maximum technical awards. The film won the Best Sound Recording Award for Nihar Ranjan Samal and Sachin K. Sanghvi. The Best Sound Re-recording went to Anup Dev, the Best Song Recording Award went to Sachin K. Sanghvi, the Best Background Score Award went to Sanjay Wandrekar, Atul Raninga and Shantanu Moitra, while C.K. Muraleedharan received the Best Cinematography Award for '3 Idiots'.

Bosco Caesar won the Best Choreography Award for directing popular dance moves in 'Love Aaj Kal', the Best Costume Design Awrard went to Anahita Shroff and Dolly Ahluwalia for the same film, which had Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles.

Sabu Cyril won the Best Art Direction Award and Charles Darby won Best Special Effects (Visual) Award for Amitabh Bachchan starrer 'Aladin'.

For designing mindblowing action sequecnes in the crime thriller 'Kaminey', Shyam Kaushal was honoured with the Best Action Award and the Best Makeup Award went to the international make-up artists Christien Tinsley & Dominie Till for giving a progeria patient look to Amitabh in 'Paa'.

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Hrithik, Suniel to lead IIFA cricket teams

Salman Khan and Vinod Kambli among star players

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) will organise charity cricket matches in Colombo between Indian celebrities and Sri Lankan cricketers to help rehabilitate former Tamil Tiger child soldiers.

The initiative is part of the IIFA Awards 2010 to be held June 3-5 in the Sri Lankan capital.

Hrithik Roshan and Suniel Shetty would lead the two celebrity teams while Sri Lankan cricket captain Kumara Sangakkara would reprise his role.

"I am actually very delighted and very, very proud to be part of team IIFA. Colombo here we come," said Hrithik at the IIFA press meet.

"It is a great honour to play with the Sri Lankan cricketing greats and my friends in the fraternity. I support the initiative of 'Cricket for Children' and IIFA Hands for Humanity and hope to put in my best efforts as a captain of a team towards the noble cause," he added.

The IIFA XIs will comprise actors Salman Khan and Dino Morea and ex-cricketers Vinod Kambli and Kiran More among others. Sangakkara's team will include Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Mahila Jayawardene.

Suniel Shetty said: "I am very, very excited about the matches because I am very passionate about the sport."

Why are the celebrities divided into two teams?

"Many celebrities showed interest to take part in the cricket match so we have divided them into two teams," said Sabbas Joseph, Director Wizcraft International.

Kiran More added: "Playing matches would be very interesting. I am going to Sri Lanka after a long time. Last I went there in 1993; we won the series that time. We haven't won a series, so hopefully this time we will be able to win the people's heart in Sri Lanka."

IIFA 2010 Special Coverage: http://iifaawards.blogspot.com

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Lara's co-hosting the IIFA awards

But she won't be performing this year

Lara Dutta will co-host this year's International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards at Colombo June 3-5 along with Boman Irani and Riteish Deshkmukh.

"I am not performing this year but will be hosting the show along with Boman Irani and Riteish Deshkmukh," Lara said.

Also, Lara's face lit up at the mention of 'Don-2' but she refused to divulge any details about her role in the film.

"Right now I can only confirm that yes, I am a part of 'Don-2' and I am really looking forward to working with Farhan Akhtar and Shah Rukh Khan. As for my role you have to wait and watch," Lara added.

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Arjun to miss IIFA Awards

Arjun Rampal will not attend this year's International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards as he is busy promoting his upcoming film 'Raajneeti'.

"Will not be going to IIFA, have a charity event in Hong Kong for 'Raajneeti' that day," Arjun posted on his Twitter account.

The actor, who will be seen playing the role of a politician in the film, says he prepared for the role by observing young, educated politicians like Rahul Gandhi and Sachin Pilot for his role in the much-awaited 'Raajneeti'.

"I have observed many politicians especially young guys like Sachin Pilot, Milind Deora, Rahul Gandhi as well as the young Rajiv Gandhi and the young Sanjay Gandhi."

"You see them to know how they moved and what their body languages were. You don't really copy or emulate them. In this film, we are all educated politicians," he said.

The film, slated to release June 4, also stars Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Ajay Devgn, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Bajpai and Nana Patekar.

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Nominations for IIFA Awards 2010

Best Film
Vidu Vinod Chopra - 3 Idiots
Boney Kapoor - Wanted
Anurag Kashyap & Ronnie Screwvala - Dev D
Vishal Bharadwaj & Ronnie Screwvala - Kaminey
Sunil Manchanda & AB Corp - Paa

Best Direction
Rajkumar Hirani - 3 Idiots
Anurag Kashyap - Dev D
Ayan Mukerji - Wake Up Sid
Vishal Bharadwaj - Kaminey
Imtiaz Ali - Love Aaj Kal
R.Balki - Paa

Performance in a Leading Role (Male)
Aamir Khan - 3 Idiots
Amitabh Bachchan - Paa
Saif Ali Khan - Love Aaj Kal
Salman Khan - Wanted
Shahid Kapoor - Kaminey
Ranbir Kapoor -Wake Up Sid

Performance in a Leading Role (Female)
Kareena Kapoor - 3 Idiots
Priyanka Chopra - Kaminey
Deepika Padukone - Love Aaj Kal
Vidya Balan - Paa
Mahie Gill - Dev D

Performance in Supporting Role (Male)
Sharman Joshi - 3 Idiots
Irrfan - New York
R. Madhavan - 3 Idiots
Abhimanyu Singh - Gulal
Abhishek Bachchan - Paa
Rishi Kapoor - Love Aaj Kal

Performance in Supporting Role (Female)
Kalki Koechlin - Dev D
Arundhati Naag - Paa
Divya Dutta - Delhi 6
Supriya Pathak - Wake Up Sid
Kirron Kher - Kurrban

Performance in a Comic Role
Omi Vaidya - 3 Idiots
Ajay Devgn - All The Best
Johny Lever - De Dana Dan
Govinda - Life Partner
Sanjay Dutt - All The Best

Performance in a Negative Role
Boman Irani - 3 Idiots
Amol Gupte - Kaminey
Prakash Raj - Wanted
Kay Kay Menon - Gulal
Arya Babbar - Jail

Music Direction
Shantanu Moitra - 3 Idiots
A.R.Rehman - Delhi 6
Pritam - Love Aaj Kal
Amit Trivedi - Dev D
Vishal Bharadwaj - Kaminey

Best Story
Abhijat Joshi,Raj Kumar Hirani & Vidu Vinod Chopra - 3 Idiots
Ayan Mukherji - Wake Up Sid
Anurag Kashyap & Vikramaditya Motwane - Dev D
Imtiaz Ali - Love Aaj Kal
R.Balki - Paa

Best Lyrics
Swanand Kirkire - 3 Idiots
Prasoon Joshi - Delhi 6
Irshad Kamil - Love Aaj Kal
Gulzar - Kaminey
Amitabh Bhattacharya - Dev D

Playback Singer (Male)
Shaan - Behti Hawa Sa Tha Who (3 Idiots)
Mohit Chauhan - Masakali (Delhi 6)
Sonu Nigam - All Izz Well (3 Idiots)
Atif Aslam - Tu Jaane Na (Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani)
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - Aaj Din Chadiya (Love Aaj Kal)
Sukhvinder Singh & Vishal Dadlani - Dan Te Nan (Kaminey)

Playback Singer (Female)
Shreya Ghoshal - Zoobi Doobi ( 3 Idiots)
Kavita Seth - Ek Tara (Wake Up Sid)
Rekha Bharadwaj - Sasural Genda Phool (Delhi 6)
Sunidhi Chauhan - Chor Baazari (Love Aaj Kal)
Shilpa Rao - Moodi Moodi (Paa)
Tulsi Kumar - Hafiz Khuda (8X10 Tasveer)

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Protests against Big B's proposed Sri Lanka trip

Tamils shouted slogans outside his home over his decision to visit as IIFA chief guest

Hundreds of Tamils protested outside the bungalow of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan in Mumbai today (April 25), shouting slogans against his decision to visit Sri Lanka as chief guest for the India International Films Awards (IIFA) function in June.

"We urge him not to attend the function in Colombo as a symbol of solidarity for the Tamilian cause in Sri Lanka. Tamils have been subject to atrocities and war crimes perpetrated by the Mahinda Rajapaksa government in that country," C. Rajendran, spokesperson for the protesters, told IANS.

The protesters marched from Bachchan's Pratiksha bungalow to his Jalsa residence, where a delegation met him and two IIFA office bearers, who assured the representatives that they would convey the sentiments of Tamils to the IIFA governing board and take a suitable decision.

Later, Rajendran told mediapersons that the Sri Lankan government had allegedly killed over 1.5 lakh Tamils during its war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the last couple of years. He claimed that over 3.5 lakh Tamils continue to face a "hostile administration" in that country.

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Superstar Amitabh Bachchcan in Sri Lanka

Indian Bollywood star Amitab Bachchan arrived at the Bandaranaike International airport in Katunayaka today morning. The renowned Indian Actor is here to attend the press conference announcing the Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) ceremony to be held in Colombo in July 2010.

The Sri Lanka Tourist Board sponsored IIFA event will be held with the patronage of many Bollywood stars like Aishwarya Rai and Sharukh Khan. Several other events will also be organized in light of the film awards during the IIFA week in Colombo.

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IIFA 2010: Sri Lanka to host IIFA Awards in July

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards will be held this year at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo from July 2 to July 4.

The country’s Minister for Tourism, Achala Jagoda, revealed that several countries had competed to host the event, but Sri Lanka finally got the nod. Mr. Jagoda described it as an international achievement, and added that several events such as an Indian business meeting, would be held on the event’s sidelines.

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards are presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood. Instituted in 2000, the ceremony is held in different countries around the world every year.

The first ceremony was held in London at The Millennium Dome. From then on the awards were held at locations around the world signifying the international purpose of Hindi cinema. It has been held in South Africa (twice), Malaysia, Singapore, The Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, England, Thailand and Macau.

While Sri Lanka will host the event in 2010, the 2011 event is expected to be held in Toronto.

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