Football Stars at IIFA 2009

IIFA Awards 2009 will kick off with Football stars John Terry and Frank Lampard

IIFA is back and so are the stars, the glamour, the performances and some light hearted moments. Starting from 11th June in Macau, it will end with the award ceremony on the 13th.

But its time to rejoice for you football fanatics as ace Chelsea footballers John Terry and Frank Lampard too will be at the event.

Last year's host, Ritesh Deshmukh and Boman Irani will host the show this year too.
Kareena Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Sonam Kapoor are all set to sizzle the stage with their performances.

As usual the grand affair will see not less than 500 luiminaries form Bollywood film industry to witness this extravaganza.

Amitabh and IIFA Association

The year - 2007, the city - London, the venue - House of Commons. IIFA Brand Ambassador Mr. Amitabh Bachchan was to give a welcome speech and announce the IIFA Yorkshire 2007 and meet the then Prime Minister of the UK, Mr. Tony Blair.

Channel Four, BBC, GM TV, all the top broadcast channels from the UK ready to pan the mighty Big B as he strides in along with the Minister of Culture Tessa Jowell, Minister for Foreign and Commonwealth Office Keith Vaz, Lord Swaraj Paul, NRI Industrialist and British Ambassador
for Overseas Business, Indian High Commissioner Kamlesh Sharma, and scores of members of both houses of Parliament. What followed were some memorable speeches made by the dignitaries, a photo call, handling of the Big B with Big Ben picture and the famous Tony Blair
speech.

The Brand Ambassador speech was the most endearingly likeable. He had to say: "About fifty sixty years ago, acting in films was not considered an honourable profession and many families in fact disapproved of their children taking to acting. But today it is a matter of pride that I am being showered with love and affection in this August House, mainly because of the eminence and appreciation the Indian films have earned in the overseas."

The conference got over and I was told to travel to Yorkshire in the same train in which Mr Bachchan was travelling to announce the IIFA awards up north. He has worked to take IIFA where it has reached now.

A great moment. The torch bearer Bachchan was busy then and is doubly busy now as the IIFA gets set to take Macau by storm in what's said to be the golden decade for the IIFA. His speeches, his humorous remarks, his dazzling performances on stage, him honouring the Lifetime Achievers and many more such instances makes IIFA worth it's wait, and no matter what people say about the IIFAs, for me, it's about this one man Amitabh Bachchan, who has lifted the IIFA torch with utmost pride, passion and conviction since a decade.

A man, who is admired, loved and worshipped the world over for his undeniable support towards the Indian Film Industry - the larger than life Amitabh Bachchan.Await him at the 10th Anniversary of IIFA.

Special Awards Nominees at IIFA 2009

Celebrating its tenth year, IIFA Academy will bestow a special set of Awards to commemorate the last decade of Indian Cinema from 1999-2009.

Therefore, celebrating the best of the best, it has put together nominations in five major categories for The Videocon IIFA Golden Decade Honours which will be announced at the IDEA IIFA Awards on the 13th of June, in Macau.

The five categories are Star of the Decade – Male, Star of the Decade
– Female, Movie of the Decade, Director of the Decade and Music of the
Decade.

The nominations are listed here.
Star of the decade – Male: Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan.
Star of the decade: Female: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji, Preity Zinta and Priyanka Chopra.
Music of the decade: Taal – 2000 AR Rahman; Kaho Na Pyaar Hai – 2001 Rajesh Roshan; Lagaan – 2002 AR Rahman; Saathiya – 2003 AR Rahman; Kal Ho Na Ho – 2004 Shankar Ehsaan Loy; Veer Zaara – 2005 Madan Mohan; Bunty Aur Babli – 2006 Shankar Ehsan Loy; Rang De Basanti – 2007 AR Rahman and Guru – 2008 AR Rahman.
Director of the decade: Sanjay Leela Bhansali – Hum Dil De Chuke Saname 2000, Devdas 2003 & Black 2006; Rakesh Roshan – Kaho Na Pyaar Hai 2001 & Koi Mil Gaya 2004; Ashutosh Gowarikar – Lagaan 2002; Yash Chopra – Veer Zaara 2005; Raj Kumar Hirani – Lage Raho…. 2007 and Shimit Amin – Chak De India 2008.
Movie of the decade: Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam – 2000; Kaho Na Pyaar Hai – 2001; Lagaan – 2002; Devdas – 2003; Kal Ho Na Ho – 2004; Veer Zaara – 2005; Black – 2006; Chak De India – 2008 and Rang De Basanti – 2007.

Kareena Prepares for Performing at IIFA '09

Bebo is now learning belly dancing for a performance in international film awards event that will take place next month in Macau, The IIFA Awards 2009. Kareena will be taking belly dancing lessons from Shiamak Davar. He is also choreographing her act. Bebo starts her lessons from tomorrow after returning from Hyderabad.

Apart from the fact that Bebo’s being paid a whopper she is easily the highest-paid actress in the show lineup. Kareena is pulling out all the stops for her act. It’s an all-out Billu act with a
Turkish-Arabian feel.

Manish Malhotra is designing her outfits. In one of the songs, she will be dressed like an Arabian princess with gold harem pants made of silk, satin and lace. Kareena will perform to Marjaani from Billu .

She is doing things back to back, she goes to perform for a show, comes back tomorrow, shoots for a jewellery ad shoot and in the evening starts her belly-dancing classes.

Says Bebo, "I’m performing at the awards this year and am taking belly dancing classes for my act. This will be the first awards event I perform at this year. I’ve become very choosy about where I perform. I am performing at this particular award show as it gives me an
international standing. Also, this awards event celebrates its 10th year and this is the third consecutive year I will be performing for them." Is she also going to perform for Saif? "Well he’s attending the awards as he’s having a press show for his home production Love Aaj
Kal, so he better be watching my act!"

IIFA Awards to be hosted by Boman Irani and Ritesh Deshmukh

With their inimitable humor, Boman Irani and Ritesh Deshmukh had the audience in splits at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards last year in Bangkok. The duo is all over again set to play hosts to the glitzy cine event that will be held in Macau.

Apart from spoofs on popular movies and their witty jokes, Boman Irani had even donned a Scottish skirt during the show much to the amusement of the viewers. This year as well the Boman and Ritesh are ready to create fun riot on the stage. Sounds interesting !!!

Also completing a decade of its existence, the star-studded event will be held at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel at Macau starting June 11-13.

There will be host of Indian celebrities as well as international film personalities including brand ambassador megastar Amitabh Bachchan and his family, actors Hrithik Roshan, Jab We Met superstar-Shahid Kapur, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta at the three-day-long weekend.

American actor John Terry might also grace the event, it added. Sonam Kapoor, the Delhi 6 cute girl will also be making her debut on stage at this event.

Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd, the organizers of the event have promised a whole set of surprises for the 10th year celebrations.

IIFA 2009 Who's there and Who's not?

Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife

For the IIFA 2009 awards in China that are still a month away are raging with controversies. Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar is outraged that although he has been nominated in the best-director category, his film, Fashion, didn’t make the best movie shortlist.

And alike SRK, Salman Khan has also reportedly backed out of the famous IIFA Awards 2009 in Macao.

Just like the last year, this time as well, the event is expected to be Bachchans bastion.

Loosing some of the star power last year itself, IIFA 2009 after the withdrawal of Salman Khan could give a huge setback to organizers of this event.

This is because Salman Khan was supposed to perform at the awards night and also promote his upcoming flick ‘Wanted Dead And Alive’, stepped out at the last minute.

Salman had missed this event last year as well supposedly because Katrina Kaif had performed with Akshay Kumar.

What to Expect at IIFA 2009, Macau

10th IIFA Awards in the year 2009 will be held in Macau next month. They are promoted on name of 'Best of the Decade', 'Green IIFA' awards, which are special awards this season. The Brand Ambassador of IIFA is bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

First that is 'Best of the Decade' Special Award will be given for the five popular categories of Best Film, Director, Actor, Actress and Music Composer. And 'Green IIFA' Special Award will be presented to a film personality who has been working in the area of creating
environment awareness.

Speaking about the choice of the venue of the 10th IIFA, Sabbas said Macau presents a meeting ground for Indian, Chinese and Hong Kong film industries. "IIFA has carefully chosen 'The Venetian', the venue of the three-day event to give finishing touches to organisation of the
gala event," he said.

Choice of the film for the premiere would be decided in a few days depending upon how producers who had stopped new releases in multiplexes since last month, take a decision on fresh release dates. Kaminey and Aladin are on board already and three more films are in
the process of being finalised.

Sonam Kapoor will give her first stage performance ever for IIFA 2009 keeping aside her stage fright. Ritesh Deshmukh and Boman Irani, hosts of last year's IIFA awards event in Bangkok, will entertain this time too.

IIFA's 'Green Agenda' will continue this year too.TERI's campaign 'Lighting a Billion Lights' in association with IIFA has been well received, he said. IIFA has discussed the possibility of a separate event to celebrate non-Hindi language films. Hope this idea also materializes.

The three-day IIFA event will commence on June 11 and the award ceremony will take place on June 13.