A glamorous dress code at the International Indian Film Academy awards is a given. But this year, the invite should have also carried a warning: "All those with sensitive souls are barred from entering the Singapore Indoor Stadium."
Reason? First-time IIFA hosts Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar did not spare anyone. In the line of fire were their peers, their fans, the paparazzi and above all, themselves. Though their relentless ribbing may not have gone down well with the veterans and their media friends, the viewers loved it — especially when the joke was not on them.
The cracking duo, who replaced four-time IIFA hosts Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh this year, timed their jokes and jibes well. To take the bite out of their barbs were the suitably-timed dazzling performances from a set of good-looking stars.
tabloid! picks our top moments from the event.
Rishi Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor’s on-stage spectacle
Ask any IIFA regular about their favourite IIFA moment and the gig where the Bachchans — Abhishek, Aishwarya and Amitabh — came together for a dancing finale in 2008 would likely figure on that list.
But it’s time to make place for a new pair. Say hello to father-son duo Rishi and Ranbir. They may not have found a perfect script for a father-son film, but their dance face-off at IIFAs on Saturday was riveting.
And for all those who doubted it: Kapoor Sr has still got it. With the crowds rooting for the father, Ranbir had a point when he asked reporters on the green carpet to root for him in case he was overshadowed by his daddy dearest.
Shotgun Sinha hijacked Rekha’s Lifetime Achievement honour… well, almost.
We all know Shatrughan Sinha loves to talk about himself. But surely, there’s a time and place for everything. Talking yourself up and listing your credentials as an ace actor-politician while you are being called on stage to decorate somebody else is a tad distasteful.
There was even a point when we wondered if it was Sinha who was receiving the Lifetime Achievement award instead of Rekha. Hope came in the form of his daughter Sonakshi, who spoke warmly of her mother-figure Rekha.
Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar pose as entertainment journalists:
Excerpts from the conversation between the two "reporters" and heart-throb Ranbir Kapoor, who is constantly asked about his love life.
Journo 1 (Shahid): "Ranbir, Ranbir – what do you think of the price of petrol going up?"
Journo 2 (Farhan): "Ranbir, Ranbir – what do you think of the price of diesel going up?"
Ranbir Kapoor: "Petrol is my friend. Diesel is my friend. Actually, we are just friends."
Journo 1 & 2 together: "Breaking News: Ranbir has admitted that he’s just friends with diesel and petrol."
Priyanka Chopra gets a thumbs-up from Rekha
It’s not easy to impress the legendary diva Rekha but Priyanka Chopra made it seem effortless. Dancing to remixes of Rekha’s classics such as Aankhon Ki Masti, she even went up to Rekha, who was seated, and prompted her to dance along. Going by the cheers emerging from the packed stadium, the audience loved the drama.
Shahid’s highly inappropriate but thoroughly enjoyable sperm-oriented jokes
Spurred by the success of Vicky Donor — a quirky film on sperm donation — Shahid Kapoor went around the star-studded audience asking for their contribution. Dressed as the Punjabi Dr Chadda, Kapoor zoomed in on the elder actor Boman Irani, Casanova Ranbir Kapoor and more. Dissecting their virility — or lack thereof — was his plan. While many enjoyed it, there were some awkward glances thrown around.
Bipasha Basu and Sonakshi Sinha’s dramatic entries
Basu chose to emerge from a gigantic tiered white cake. Sinha came on a bike dressed as a cop. Both get full points for dramatic entries.
IIFA Utsavam announced
South India cinema fans rejoice. IIFA has now entered your terrain.
Very soon, you will have IIFA Utsavam — a weekend that will celebrate the best in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. Plus this year also saw a pronounced South Indian star presence with stars like Kamal Haasan and Prabhu Deva taking part in IIFA celebrations.
Jibe of the night:
"Vidya, do you get some discount in saris? If yes, can tell me where?" Farhan Akhtar takes a swipe at Balan’s habit of wearing saris at award functions.
Chunky Pandey — victim of the year?
If there was one person who was mercilessly teased at the IIFA grand finale, it was fading actor Chunky Pandey. He was subject to taunts by Boman Irani, Farhan Akhtar and Shahid Kapoor. From being called an actor turned IIFA black-market ticket dealer, to insinuating that he was not treated like royalty due to his questionable star status, it was a tough night for Pandey.
