Who should take home an IIFA award? You decide

Voting in all categories for the ceremony is now open to the public

By Jyoti Kalsi Gulf News Report

So will it be Big B or the Chote Nawab? Or will the Badshah of Bollywood conjure up a surprise like his ghostly character in Paheli?

Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan have got the thumbs up from their peers and the rest is in the hands of Indian cinema viewers worldwide.

YOU have a say in who wins not just the best male performance in a leading role, but in every category of the Popular Awards at the glittering Idea IIFA Awards 2006 ceremony that will be staged during the Tiara IIFA Weekend to be held in Dubai from June 14 to June 17.

Stellar performances

PriceWaterhouseCoopers have announced the nominations, which are based on votes cast by members of the film industry.

The nominations for the Popular Awards are now open for public voting.

In a year that saw some amazing films and stellar performances from stalwarts as well as debutantes, the choices are not easy.

As if choosing between Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan was not difficult enough, you also have to decide whether you liked Big B as the helpless old teacher of a blind girl in Black or the powerful don in Sarkar.

Or maybe you preferred Saif's charming take as the suave Bengali Babu in Parineeta - The Married Woman; or would you rather salute his liberated 'live-in' character in Salaam Namaste?

And can you ignore Shah Rukh in that moustache and turban in Paheli?

Stiff competition

The competition for best actress in a leading role is equally stiff.

Konkana Sen Sharma did justice to her role in Page 3, while Vidya Balan's was definitely an impressive debut in Parineeta - The Married Woman.

Preity Zinta deserves a salute for taking on a bold character in Salaam Namaste.

And how can you ignore Rani? The queen bee sure showed her histrionic range in the sombre Black and the rollicking Bunty aur Babli.

Difficult

It gets more difficult in the supporting role (male) category where father and son Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan are pitted against each other with John Abraham, Naseeruddin Shah and Sanjay Dutt adding to our dilemma.

It could be a day for families as Saif's ex-wife Amrita Singh is also in the running for best performance in a negative role.

So put on your thinking caps and listen to your heart - and have your say. And who knows while your favourite stars win the glittering gold plated trophy, you could win a chance to attend the awards ceremony right here in Dubai.

How to vote

The nominations envelope was presented by Partha Ghosh, senior partner, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and released by the IIFA management to the media.

In a unique system, similar only to the Academy Awards, the nominations were derived from the votes during IIFA Voting Weekend held in early April when producers, actors, directors, music directors, script writers, singers and other members of the film industry cast their votes for the Popular and Technical awards.

The nominations for the Popular Awards are now open for public voting, using the globally accessible www.msn.com/iifa and www.indya.com platforms.

The voting process is monitored and audited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, who are also the audit firm for the Oscars.