The excitement for the Indian International Film Awards (IIFA) has been heating up as the date of the star-studded weekend grows ever closer. With six days left until the main events start, fans in Toronto and those planning on travelling to the city for the celebrations are eager to learn what will be in store.
Things kick off on Thursday, June 23rd with the World Premiere of Double Dhamaal, starring Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Ashish Chowdhry, Javed Jaffery, Sanjay Dutt, Mallika Sherawat and Kangana Ranaut. This sequel to the 2007 comedy film Dhamaal is bound to bring in the laughs and is the perfect choice to set the tone for the entire weekend. Fresh, fun and filmi!
On Friday, June 24th we will see the premiere of Chillar Party, superstar Salman Khan’s very first production. The movie is already creating buzz for including a first-ever item number by heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor.
The evening of June 24th is when things really start to spice up and the star quotient is sure to impress. IIFA Rocks – the annual fashion extravaganza – will be hosted by none other than the inimitable Karan Johar and vivacious Anushka Sharma. What a pair they will make bringing in the crowds with their charm! Many entertaining acts will wow the masses, such as unmatched crooner Sonu Niigaam teaming up with Michael Jackson’s brother Jermaine Jackson for an exclusive collaborative performance. To top it off, IIFA Rocks will also include performances by Dia Mirza, Mallika Sherawat, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy along with Kunal Kapoor, Rahul Khanna, Neha Dhupia and Bipasha Basu walking the ramp. Finally, the Technical Film Awards will be presented at the event.
For fans of the legendary Kapoor family there is the RK Retrospective Gala opening on June 26th. The event includes a chat with the Kapoors, hosted by none other than Anupam Kher. It is set to be an extremely interesting Q&A session, especially for classic film buffs.
Another extremely interesting event on June 25th is the Music Workshop, which will be run by such prominent musical talents as Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Salim-Suleiman, Vishal Bharadwaj and Javed Akhtar. Music is such an integral part of Hindi cinema and the best of the best in the music industry are the perfect mentors to share their insight on the craft. All music lovers take note!
Finally, on the evening of Saturday, June 25th is the big event that will definitely have the throngs of fans screaming for more: the IIFA Awards Presentation Ceremony. It doesn’t get better than this and the Bollywood lovers of Toronto are proud to be the first North American city to host this event.
So who will be seen at this extravagant awards show? Hosted by the hilarious Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh, the performances will surely set the stage on fire. First, the Deols – Dharmendra and sons Sunny and Bobby – reunite for a thrilling multi-generational treat. Next up is the current beauty and brains of Bollywood, the Desi Girl herself Priyanka Chopra. With her mesmerizing dance moves the crowd will surely be on its feet. What can get better than this? Well, leave it to IIFA to save the best for last. The King Khan of Bollywood himself is making his presence known at IIFA after being absent for the past seven years by giving the finale performance at the IIFA Awards Ceremony, ramping up the level of excitement to an entirely new level. Watch out, Toronto, because you are about to be romanced by the Badshaah himself!
So, the countdown is on and we here at Bollyspice are all geared up to bring you the latest and greatest from the spectacular IIFA Weekend in the coming days. Stay tuned!
