When you have a galaxy of Bollywood stars turn up in fancy gowns and sharp tuxedos, can drama and action be far behind?
Gulf News was on the green carpet as stars such as Salman Khan, Sara Ali Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Ananya Panday and Lara Dutta strode down the green carpet with a confidence that’s hard to match.
But anchoring yourself on the green carpet for several hours also means that you get to speak to the stars as they let their hair down. Here are five fun bits from the IIFA Rocks night on June 3.
Sara Ali Khan talks about her dream to go skydiving in the UAE
On the outside, Sara Ali Khan cut a poised and chic figure in her black gown. But she told reporters on the green carpet that her mother disapproved of her adrenalin-fuelled plans to go skydiving in the UAE. Her mom and actress Amrita Singh thought it was a tad too adventurous, but Sara hopes to get a reluctant yes from her parent.
It was cute to see a young woman who was just like every 20-something asking their parents for permission. As of now, she’s stick to relatively safer tourist activities like checking out Warner Bros World indoor theme park. She also had our hearts when she said that she was a big fan of rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh.
“That gentleman out there that you see next to me on the green carpet, I am a massive fan! I am looking forward to him performing,” said Sara.
Sharvari channels her inner Marilyn Monroe and hopes Abu Dhabi is lucky for her
Actress Sharvari, who’s nominated for the best debut (female), hopes Abu Dhabi will prove lucky for her.
“‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’ was shot in Abu Dhabi and we shot here for around 30 days … Life has come full circle now,” said Sharvari. She also told Gulf News that her ‘Bunty Aur Babli 2’ co-star Rani Mukerji had sent in a message wishing her luck and commenting on her returning to Abu Dhabi for an awards night.
“This is my first awards night in my life and I have grown up watching and idolising the stars who turned up at IIFAs … This is a magical time for me,” said Sharvari in an exclusive interview with Gulf News. She also spoke about how her parents, who have been her biggest cheerleaders in her life, are travelling with her to see her shine.
Fardeen Khan cleans up well
The usual suspect from Bollywood were on the green carpet laid out at the IIFA Rocks. But the one who had our hearts is actor Fardeen Khan. He has undergone a dramatic transformation and is now coming back to the screens after a whopping gap of 12 years. He looked on top of his game and it was wonderful to see Fardeen clean up so good.
“It feels wonderful to be back at the IIFAs after so long,” said Fardeen.
Chunky Panday was a proud dad
To watch Ananya Panday’s father and actor Chunky Panday cheer his girl on stage made you smile. His daughter, who is one of the star performers of IIFA 2022, was also the show-stopper for designers Falguni Shane Peacock and it was her dad who was clapping and cheering her on. It might be an example of privileged children from the industry getting a better platform than outsiders, but it was still sweet to see the father-daughter share a knowing moment on stage.
Yo Yo Honey Singh lies prostrate to seek AR Rahman’s blessings
Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh may look like a cool dude, but he turned a fan boy when he saw Oscar-winner AR Rahman on the front during his live performance at the IIFA Rocks. He laid prostrate and touched the maestro’s feet to seek his blessings in between his gig. Here’s a fine example of how musicians deeply admire each other.
