What will Sallu say?

...when Akki-Kat perform at IIFA finale this month

Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif will team up for the IIFA finale in Bangkok. This will be the first time the actors will be paired opposite each other at an award function.

Sources reveal that they will be seen together for a promotional song of their forthcoming release Singh is Kinng.

Interestingly, this is the first time that Salman Khan will not be attending IIFA.

A source reveals the finale will also involve lot of background dancers, colourful ensembles and some pyrotechnics. “The IIFA highlight this year is, undoubtedly, the Akki-Kat act.

Everyone wants to make it happen. The two have been the biggest acts of the past year. The two performing on stage together for a live audience is a very big deal.”

Katrina confirmed that she is working out an act with Akshay, “The performance is being worked out. We are trying to figure out what we can do at the grand finale.

As of now I will be performing to my Race songs. If Akki and I do perform together it will be for our Singh is Kinng act.”

Akshay has been in South Africa for the last few weeks shooting episodes for his reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi. As soon as he gets back, the actor will start rehearsing for his IIFA act with Katrina.

Bebo is a Size One

“Kareena is in Australia shooting for Mr and Mrs Khanna with Salman Khan and I have been told that she will be the star show stealer for my collection. And now that she is a size one, I have to work doubly hard to get the clothes to fit perfectly”, opening lines as I chat up with ace fashion designer, Manish Malhotra.
Yes, after achieving the much-talked about international figure and initiating a trend of sorts, Bebo is now a size ‘one’. Post-the Tashan and bikini hoopla, Kareena who is currently shooting with Salman Khan in Australia for ‘Main Aur Mrs. Khanna’ is finally giving into the ‘Kapoor urge for food’. That and the hectic shoot schedules are eating up into Kareena’s workout time who will make her first public appearance in the newly acquired figure at IIFA 2008.

Scheduled to be held at Bangkok from June 6-8, IIFA will not just see Kareena grooving to some chartbusting numbers along the likes of Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif and Govinda, but also walking the ramp for her favourite designer Manish Malhotra. B-town’s blue-eyed stylist who’s responsible for the makeover of some of the biggest stars, Manish is checking everything twice over to make sure that this one goes smooth.

The designer who will present a bridal collection focusing on Indians colours, will also experiment with the colour ‘black’. Manish discloses, I am looking forward to the international Indian platform that will allow me to showcase my art. I will be using 15 female models and 5 male models. But right now, I am concentrating on Kareena.”

Kareena will fly down to Bangkok on the 7th, a couple of hours before the fashion extravaganza. No wonder Manish is having sleepless nights !!!

Priyanka, Kareena, Harman, Vidya, Vivek, Zayed to walk ramp

The International Indian Film Academy [IIFA] will be showcasing unique events in an attempt to enable Indian cinema aficionados experience stardom. The highpoint of this year's IIFA celebrations would be the glamorous IIFA Fashion Extravaganza with leading Indian and Thai designers presenting their fashion lines at this prestigious platform.

What makes the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza even more special is that the beneficiary is the IIFA Foundation, a charity organization set up by IIFA to support families of the film industry workers who have been adversely affected during the production of a film. .

Scheduled on the second day of the IIFA Weekend Bangkok, the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza, presented by alternative clothing brand Mufti and Audi, the German luxury car manufacturer, will be held at one of Thailand 's most high-profile venues, the Siam Paragon Hall. .

The glitzy extravaganza, hosted by Karan Johar, will showcase designs by Alta Moda, Mufti, Sabyasachi, Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra and Vikram Phadnis. Choreographed by Lubna Adams, it will feature 25 Thai models and 15 Indian models adorning jewelry from Gitanjali Lifestyle and Diamrusa. .

Leading Indian stars will walk the ramp as showstoppers for their favorite designers. While Vidya Balan will add elegance to Sabyasachi's line, Kareena Kapoor will up the glam quotient for Manish Malhotra's designs. The cast of the forthcoming film DE TAALI, Aftab Shivdasani, Riteish Deshmukh and Ayesha Takia, will walk the ramp for Vikram Phadnis and the LOVE STORY 2050 couple -- Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja -- will be showstoppers for Rohit Bal. .

The MISSION ISTANBUL cast -- Zayed Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Shriya Saran, Shabbir Ahluwalia, Nikitin Dheer, Shweta Bharadwaj -- also promise to set the ramp on fire, while showcasing the look of the film. ACID FACTORY, a film that has just begun production, will also share its first look with Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan, Dino Morea and Aftab Shivdasani walking the ramp, partaking in the revelry.

Diamond-studded business card for Aishwarya!

The IIFA weekend in Bangkok has more surprises in store…Read on!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan would be smiling all the way to Bangkok for the Idea IIFA 2008 award night, this June. Celebrating its association with IIFA, Gitanjali Lifestyle is reportedly presenting an exclusive diamond-studded Business card to Ash at the award night. The business card is studded with a fine blend of 7900 diamonds and 40 grams of gold, costing approximately Rs. 1 crore.

Brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan would be welcoming this year's IIFA delegation with the gracious Thai greeting, "Sawadee ka", which in English translates to “Hello”.

The IIFA weekend has more surprises in store. Nobel Laureate Dr. R.K.Pachauri will be honoured with the IIFA Global Leadership Award. Indian and Thailand business leaders are to meet at the FICCI IIFA Global Business Forum and top Indian designers would be showcasing their creations at the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza.

This year, the Bachchan clan would be premiering the much-awaited, much-hyped 'Sarkar Raj' in Bangkok. Speaking on his association with IIFA, Amitabh Bachchan said, "It's not just another film award. It's an award that would match up to the Academy Awards. Cinema is a medium that brings people together. When we are looking at the screen, we are mesmerised and caught in the magic of it. It does not matter who is on the seat next to us...what our medium does is, in a way, go on to strengthening bonds. And IIFA, by going global, is working on bridging the gap.”

Shyam Benegal (outstanding contribution to Indian cinema), AR Rahman (outstanding contribution by an Indian in international cinema) and Mumtaz (lifetime achievement award) will be honoured.

‘Guru’, ‘Chak De India’, ‘Jab We Met’, ‘Om Shanti Om’, ‘Life In A Metro’ and ‘Partner’ will be fighting for best picture category. For best performance (male) Abhishek Bachchan (‘Guru’), Akshay Kumar (‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’), Salman Khan (‘Partner’), Shah Rukh Khan (‘Chak De India’) and Shahid Kapoor (‘Jab We Met’) are the nominees. Aishwarya Rai (‘Guru’), Deepika Padukone (‘Om Shanti Om’), Kareena Kapoor (‘Jab We Met’), Tabu (‘Cheeni Kum’) and Vidya Balan (‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’) will fight it out for the best actress award.

Debutant actor Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra will showcase Harry Baweja's ‘Love Story 2050’; Aftab Shivadasani, Riteish Deshmukh and Ayesha Takia will dance to the ‘De Taali’ beats; the ‘Mission Istanbul’ cast of Zayed Khan, Vivek Oberoi and Shriya Saran would be staging their bit, and 'Acid Factory' will have Dia Mirza, Fardeen Khan, Dino Morea and Aftab Shivdasani showcasing their moves!

Harman to perform at IIFA

He is in the spotlight. And Harman Baweja is enjoying every moment under the sun. For an actor who is yet to make his debut, Harman is a very busy man... acting, playing cricket and dancing too !!!

One of the best platforms for an actor to establish his credentials is IIFA. And the young debutant will be taking centre stage in Bangkok, come the first week of June.

The actor promises his performance to be a niche act. “My act will be unveiled in a very interesting manner unlike other performances”, claims Harman. “I will be dancing to a track from my film Love Story 2050 titled ‘Milo Ya Na Milo’ .”

Ask him for more details and Harman adds, “The number has been specially choreographed by Shaimak Davar. In fact Shaimak is taking special interest in my IIFA act. Unfortunately Shaimak had to leave for US and is not present for the rehearsals of the song for IIFA. However he has been calling from US every single day and asking us about the rehearsals. The same will start from today”.

And how excited is Harman about his debut performance on stage? “I am not just excited. I am nervous, thrilled, eager, anxious and going through an entire gamut of emotions”.

Like his debut film where everything is flying in air, Harman too is clearly reaching for the skies, having already having another film Victory (opposite Amrita Rao) on his list. Also Ashutosh Gowariker’s film is surely in the pipeline. Wishing him all the luck!

Akki vs Sallu

IIFA organisers, Wizcraft cannot decide who should perform the grand finale ceremony in Bangkok

Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan are going from clash to clash with remarkable regularity. In their latest clash (one, which they have no inkling about), the two have put IIFA organisers, Wizcraft in a quandary. Wizcraft hasn’t yet been able to decide which of the two will perform the grand finale at the awards ceremony to be held at Bangkok on June 8 this year.

The funny thing is that neither Akshay (currently shooting in Egypt for Vipul Shah’s Singh Is Kinng) nor Salman (currently shooting in Australia for Sohail Khan’s Main Aur Mrs Khanna) are aware of Wizcraft’s dilemma.

Says a source, “Akshay Kumar has had a fantastic year with five bumper hits (Phir Hera Pheri, Namastey London, Bhool Bhulaiya, Heyy Babyy! and Welcome). Today, he commands a huge price at the BO and his wish is any producer’s command. Akshay is hot and much in demand in the overseas market. Katrina Kaif is also expected to perform at the IIFA awards this year. If all three perform, one can expect some fireworks at the IIFA awards this year.”

In Salman’s case, Wizcraft’s dilemma is an emotional one. Adds the source, “Except Partner, Salman hasn’t delivered any big hits in 2007. Despite that, he still is a popular star. Also Salman is very close to Andre Timmons from Wizcraft. But the three directors, Andre Timmons, Sabbas Joseph and Viraf Sarkari are close to Akshay too. Naturally, Wizcraft cannot decide what they want to do: feature Salman or Akshay? Two huge stars, both equally popular it’s a tough decision to make and they don’t want to upset either one.”

Dinesh Gupta of Wizcraft says, “These are creative details which are privy only to the three directors.” Anuja,also from Wizcraft, said tersely, “All these speculations are baseless. We will make a formal announcement on which stars will be attending the IIFA awards on May 27.”

Salman Khan has always bailed Wizcraft out whenever he has been called even at the last moment — which included Star TV’s Nach Baliye last year. Salman was called at the last moment in place of Amitabh Bachchan who couldn’t make it to the finale. Salman was also present at Andre’s wedding last year.

IIFA'08 Technical Awards Announced

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) recently announced the awards in the Technical category.

And no prizes for guessing the winners as it were the regular suspects who walked home with the prestigious honors. The winners included superhit like Chak De India (five awards) and Om Shanti Om (four awards). While Chak De India bagged the awards in Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Recording, Best Sound Re-recording, Best Screenplay (shared it with Life in a Metro), Om Shanti Om got it for Best Art Direction, Best Special Effects, Best Costume designing and Best Makeup.

The choreography award has gone to Vaibhavi Merchant for Aaja, while Javed Sheikh & Ejaz Sheikh won the best action award for the movie Shootout at Lokhandwala.

The Award for Best Sound Recording went to H. Sridhar for Guru, while A. R. Rahman won the Idea IIFA Award for Best Background Score for the movie Guru. Imtiaz Ali won the IIFA for Best Dialogue for Jab We Met.

The prestigious IIFA awards are to be held Bangkok, from June 6 -8 ‘08.

Big B hits out at Shatrughan Sinha in blog

MUMBAI: The normally taciturn Amitabh Bachchan has stepped into the world of blogs to air his views - and hit out at co-star Shatrughan Sinha's insinuation that the nominations list of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards was fixed.

Stepping right into the controversy over the IIFA awards, of which he is brand ambassador, Amitabh goes to some length to explain his standpoint in his blog.

"A section of the print media carried comment from my colleague and friend and neighbour, Shatrughan Sinha. It reportedly quoted his reactions to the nomination list of the IIFA awards, wherein he has purportedly stated that sab kissika beta hai, ya kissiki bahu, ya kissiki biwi ', and the media adding there interpretation to it, stating that this was directed to a particular family of 'guru' fame," he states.

The Mani Ratnam directed Guru , starring Amitabh's son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai, has been nominated in all the main categories of the IIFA awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Performance in a leading role.

"I believe what is being insinuated is that there is partiality or some 'fixing' in the choice of the nominations carried by IIFA. And as the report concluded, the indication was towards one family, not difficult to guess which one," Amitabh writes.

The actor, who is readying for the release of his next film Bhootnath , says he is surprised by Shatrughan Sinha's allegation and harks back to the past to make a point.

"I am surprised at this observation, especially since, during the time of the National Award selection for best actress in one of the past years, when the award went to Raveena Tandon, it was alleged that Shatrughan Sinha's wife, the lovely and graceful Poonam, a great friend of Raveena's mother had recommended the appointment of MacMohan, the brother of Raveena's mother, on the board of the jury (structured by the government, in power - in this case the BJP, of which Mr. Sinha was a Minister of State) in order that he may cast his vote in favour of Raveena Tandon."

"If this alleged story is true then I do value Mr. Sinha's alleged statement of sab kissika beta, kissiki beti, kissiki biwi - you are so right Shatru," he wrote.

"Of course, this does not take anything away from Raveena's very deserving award - she has been a wonderful and talented co-artist in many films of mine, or, MacMohan, the Sambha of Sholay , who has remained a dear friend and has worked with me in several films. As has Mr. Sinha."

Commenting on the IIFA nominations, Amitabh said the names were finalised through computerised voting system.

"And may I also state that IIFA nominations come from the film fraternity through computerised voting systems, audited and compiled by PriceWaterhouse Coopers, an international company of repute and standing."

"And Shatru! I have seen some very encouraging reports of the film, where your son is being introduced to this great industry. May he prosper and succeed even more than his illustrious father and may he never have to face a slighted accusation of 'fixing', when his name comes up for an award in future."

This year, the IIFA weekend will be held in Bangkok from June 6-8.

IANS

Amitabh: I wanted TZP in IIFA

Bachchan expresses his unhappiness on the Aamir Khan film not being under contention for the awards

The movie industry has been unanimous in its approval for Taare Zameen Par. It has even won countless awards but the film’s producer-director Aamir Khan has consistently shunned all of these ceremonies because they go against his principles. Now, however, because of Aamir’s refusal to apply for the IIFA, TZP will not even be a contender. Brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan tells us more…

Taare Zameen Par hasn’t been nominated for the IIFAs, what’s your reaction?
IIFA rules and procedures, approved by the governing body, states that it is mandatory for a producer seeking nomination for an Award category, to make a formal application. If the formal application is not made, irrespective of the status and merit of the film, it does not become eligible for a nomination. Aamir as a producer, did not put in that formal application making it very difficult for IIFA to consider TZP in any category.

As a brand ambassador did you think of inviting him personally?
IIFA and I also as its Brand Ambassador spoke to Aamir personally on this issue, because we did not want his film to go unrecognised and possibly unrewarded. But he told us that it was against his principles with regard to award ceremonies. He wished to be excused and I think we should honour that. Much as though we would have wanted to accommodate his film, it would have gone against the principles of the IIFA regulations. It would have set a wrong precedent unfortunately, for producers, who were following the regulations of IIFA. I have expressed to Aamir how immensely we shall miss his presence.

Your take on Aamir’s stand to boycott award ceremonies?
This is Aamir’s personal take on the matter and I shall respect it.

Have you watched the film?
I have not. But have heard glorious talk about it. Aamir has invited us to come and see it. Unfortunately, all of us have been travelling extensively and in different directions. As soon as we are all in town together, we shall watch it. I am in touch with Aamir on this.

Your reaction at TZP not being a part of IIFA?
Yes, I am deeply disappointed.

IIFA is in it ninth year. As the ambassador, how have you seen the show develop over the years
What started off as another one-day award show has now developed into an important three-day event. Its growth as a brand and a movement has brought immense visibility not just to the Indian entertainment industry, beyond Indian shores, but also proved to be an asset to the host nation.

Business forums in league with FICCI have added an enormous economic dimension to this event. I feel very proud of this fact and I wish it greater success in the future years as well.

Tushar Joshi

Nominations for the IIFA Awards 2008

Best Picture
Guru
Chak De India
Jab We Met
Om Shanti Om
Life In A Metro
Partner

Best Direction
Anurag Basu - Life In A… Metro
Imtiaz Ali - Jab We Met
Mani Ratnam - Guru
Priyadarshan - Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Shimit Amin - Chak De India
David Dhawan - Partner

Performance in a Leading Role (Male)
Abhishek Bachchan - Guru
Akshay Kumar - Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Salman Khan - Partner
Shah Rukh Khan - Chak De India
Shahid Kapoor - Jab We Met

Performance in a Leading Role (Female)
Aishwarya Rai - Guru
Deepika Padukone - Om Shanti Om
Kareena Kapoor - Jab We Met
Tabu - Cheeni Kum
Vidya Balan - Bhool Bhulaiyaa

Performance in a Supporting Role (Male)
Anil Kapoor - Welcome
Govinda - Partner
Irrfan Khan - Life In A... Metro
Mithun Chakraborty - Guru
Rajat Kapoor - Bheja Fry

Performance in a Supporting Role (Female)
Chitrashi Rawat - Chak De India
Konkona Sen Sharma - Life In A... Metro
Rani Mukerji - Saawariya
Vidya Balan - Guru
Zohra Sehgal - Cheeni Kum

Performance in a Comic Role
Govinda - Partner
Irrfan Khan - Life In A... Metro
Paresh Rawal - Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Rajpal Yadav - Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Vinay Pathak - Bheja Fry

Performance in a Negative Role
Arjun Rampal - Om Shanti Om
Kay Kay Menon - Life In A ... Metro
Shilpa Shukla - Chak De India
Vidya Balan - Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Viveik Oberoi - Shootout At Lokhandwala

Music Direction
A.R. Rahman - Barso Re Barso Re (Guru)
Mika Ganpat - Ganpat (Shootout At Lokhandwala)
Monty Sharma - Saawariya (Saawariya)
Pritam - Hare Ram Hare Ram (Bhool Bhulaiyaa)
Sajid - Wajid - Do U Wanna Partner (Partner)
Salim - Sulaiman - Chak De India (Chak De India)

Best Story
Anurag Basu - Life In A… Metro
Feroz Abbas Khan - Gandhi My Father
Imtiaz Ali - Jab We Met
Jaideep Sahni - Chak De India
Mani Ratnam - Guru
R. Balki - Cheeni Kum

Lyrics
Gulzar - Tere Bina (Guru)
Jaideep Sahni - Chak De India (Chak De India)
Javed Akhtar - Main Agar Kahoon (Om Shanti Om)
Sameer - Jab Se Tere Naina (Saawariya)
Sayeed Quadri - In Dino Life In A… Metro In Dino

Playback Singer (Male)
KK - Aankhon Mein Teri Om (Shanti Om)
Neeraj Shridhar - Hare Ram Hare Ram (Bhool Bhulaiyaa)
Shaan - Jabse Tere Naina (Saawariya)
Sukhvinder Singh - Chak De India (Chak De India)
Wajid, Laabh Janjuwa - Soni De Nakhre (Partner)

Playback Singer (Female)
Shreya Ghoshal - Barso Re (Guru)
Shreya Ghoshal - Dholna (Bhool Bhulaiyaa)
Shreya Ghoshal - Thode Badmash (Saawariya)
Shreya Ghoshal - Ye Ishq Hai (Jab We Met)
Sunidhi Chauhan - Aaja Nachle (Aaja Nachle)

Amitabh Bachchan at the press conference of IIFA Awards 2008

Amitabh Bachchan inaugurates IIFA Voting Weekend by casting the first vote

Industry voting begins for the IDEA IIFA Awards nominations

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) raised the curtain on the IDEA IIFA Awards 2008 with Brand Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan starting the voting process by casting the first vote. The Industry Voting for the IDEA IIFA Awards Nominations would be open from March 28th to 30th 2008. During the IIFA voting weekend, industry stalwarts, actors, directors, producers, technicians, composers and behind the scenes communities are expected to cast their votes, which would decide the nominations for the main awards. This year the star-studded glamorous IIFA weekend is being held from June 6th - 8th in Bangkok, the shopping paradise of Amazing Thailand.

Speaking on the occasion, IIFA Brand Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan said, Casting my vote is important as it gives me a chance to participate in the decision making process with my peers in the Indian film industry. It is very heartening to see IIFA grow in scale and prominence over the years. IIFA entering its 9th year is a testament to its endurance and importance in the industry. The credible and distinct place that IIFA enjoys in the Indian film industry is due to the professional and confidential election process that ultimately decides the nominations and awards. IIFAs adherence to international guidelines is critical to the results, which are only revealed on the IDEA IIFA Awards night.

The IIFA Weekend and the IDEA IIFA Awards, spearheaded by Wizcraft International Entertainment is a movement dedicated to promoting Indian cinema and business across the world, providing a global pedestal to encourage international interaction and further business opportunities between India and the host countries.

The IIFA Voting process is a stringent and methodical procedure that is closely monitored by PriceWaterHouse Coopers, the official auditors for the event. To begin with, the Industry is invited to cast their votes and shortlist nominations in the category of the Popular Awards. The Technical Award winners and the Popular Award nominations are derived from this voting weekend. The popular category nominations are put up on iifabuzz.com for the global audience to participate in the voting process. The final winners of the IDEA IIFA Awards are revealed by PriceWaterHouse Coopers only on the night of the Awards ceremony when the envelope is opened on stage, in front of the live audience. The results are kept secret and the credibility of the voting process is one of the key parameters of this prestigious award.

Also present at the occasion were IIFA Weekend 2008 associates and supporters, CMO of IDEA Cellular Pradeep Shrivastava, Star TV CEO Uday Shankar, Head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in India Mr.Chattan Ayudhya, Gitanjali Group GM Commercial Anuj Rakyn, Wizcraft Directors, Andre Timmins, Sabbas Joseph and Viraf Sarkari amongst others.

Sharing his views on the long-standing association with IIFA, Managing Director of IDEA Cellular, Sanjeev Aga said, We are proud to be associated with the IIFA movement in recognising the worthy talent in the Indian film industry. We are keenly looking forward to the celebrations at the IDEA IIFA Awards in Bangkok this year. In this day and age of convergence, the IDEA IIFA Awards signal the coming together of two powerful mediums Television and Mobile. The day is not far when the power of television will be available on the IDEA mobile platform.

This year, the IIFA Weekend will be held from June 6-8, 2008 in the amazing city of Bangkok, Thailand which is South East Asia's premier location drawing over 12 million visitors a year. Thailand is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, ancient temples and hospitable people. Bangkok is a modern city that retains its historical traits. It is an economic and financial centre with a wealth of cultural sites, making it one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. The people of Thailand believe in honesty, enterprise, delivering on promises, striving to achieve success and creating opportunities for all. The IIFA Weekend is the perfect platform for people and businesses to come together and collaborate to create economic opportunities for the region.

IIFA has travelled to six countries across the world and has left a mark in the minds and hearts of the people. The IIFA Weekend in Bangkok will install yet another milestone in our endeavors to continue to take Indian Cinema to the Global platform. With the IDEA IIFA Awards 2008, we will continue to provide the impetus for the crossover of Indian cinema to global audiences and delight the Indian diaspora with the grandest celebration of Indian cinema, said Wiz Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft International Ent. Pvt Ltd.

The IDEA IIFA Awards is broadcast on the Star Television network and the final presentation night with exciting star-studded performance will reach global viewers this June. Star TV is India's most-watched satellite channel. Along with terrestrial broadcasters from across more than 50 countries, IIFA programming reaches an audience of over 500 million people, making it one of the most-watched events in the world.

International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) is a movement pioneered by Wizcraft International and brings together the worlds of Indian and International Cinema and business on one common global platform. It strives to build bridges through cinema to create one people, one world.

India Infoline News Service