Iifa Rocks, which is considered a dress rehearsal for the Bollywood awards presentation tonight in Bangkok’s Siam Niramit theatre, was off to a glittering start on Friday night as stars paraded down the green carpet in their fashion finest and let their hair down. It was a night where technical excellence in Hindi cinema was celebrated along with a mix of a fashion showcase by designer Vikram Phadnis and, of course, Bollywood song spectacles, but the young brigade led by the likes of Varun Dhawan and Arjun Kapoor made it a point to add a dash of zaniness.
Actor Dhawan, who was an absolute favourite among fans, and actress Shraddha Kapoor didn’t restrict themselves to paying lip-service to good cinema on the green carpet, but busted a few moves of their own to entertain the press that had flown in from across the globe to cover the three-day extravaganza.
Speaking to tabloid!, Dhawan gave a huge shout out to his fans in Dubai.
“Lot and lots of love to DXB. It’s amazing to be there and I am going to come back there as I do a lot of brand [endorsements]. I know Iifa’s [shows] are big there because there’s a huge Asian fraternity there. I hope these awards will go to the most deserving people,” said Dhawan on the green carpet. He also told us about his upcoming performance on Sunday night.
“Expect a lot of LED light displays. I hope I don’t get electrocuted. But it’s going to be a lot of fun. I am doing a lot of fun tracks and I am doing the song High Rated Gabru for the first time. I had just done a video, but it’s my first time performing live.” said Dhawan.
But dancing isn’t the sole event on his agenda. He has been chosen to bestow Anupam Kher with the ‘outstanding contribution to Indian cinema’ honour tonight.
Age-defying actor Anil Kapoor, who walked the ramp for designer Vikram Phadnis later that night, also spoke about Race 3, filmed partly in Abu Dhabi, and the scathing reviews that followed.
“The journey of Race was phenomenal. I just loved every bit of it and I loved working with Salman Khan, Bobby Deol, the entire team,” said Kapoor with diplomacy.
He also let us in on a little-known incident that took place during his early days in the industry. “The first time I walked the ramp was for Vimal fabrics in Mumbai … But when I walked the ramp, I stood there to interact with the crowd. It was my first experience at public feedback and I got carried away. I got a firing from the show choreographer who reminded me it was not a film, but a fashion show. But there has always been an actor in me even when I was modelling. That was the moment I realised that I am not cut out to be a model, but I am an actor,” said Kapoor.
Singer and rumoured girlfriend of Salman Khan, Julia Vantur, clad in a strapless floral Monisha Jaising gown, was also a total sport when asked about Selfish, a song from Race 3 that was heavily trolled for its lame lyrics. When tabloid! asked about her haters, she reacted like an absolute professional.
“We have done our work with so much love. If the audience loves it, that’s the biggest gift. If the audience makes fun of it, that’s OK too. As long as you do something with your whole heart, there’s nothing to feel sorry about,” said Vantur.
Shraddha Kapoor, who was wearing a black Reem Acra gown with transparent sleeves and glittering star motifs, also spoke about her experience of working in the Middle East and holidaying in Dubai.
“Shooting in Abu Dhabi in a bi-lingual film like Saaho was such a new experience for me. We had to film simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu and I am saying my own dialogues in the film. But what makes me happy is that I am doing it all on my own without any prompting,” she said. She’s also tipped to perform on the awards night.
“I will need a lot of nimboo pani [lime juice] to keep my energy levels high … But what I am looking forward to the most is to watch [actress] Rekhaji perform. She’s an absolute legend,” said Kapoor.
Producer and actress Dia Mirza, who will soon be seen in Ranbir Kapoor’s biopic on Sanjay Dutt titled Sanju, also used the green carpet to promote the cause of environment.
“There’s nothing more lame than packaging fruits and vegetables cling-wrapped in plastic and styrofoam. What’s that?” said Mirza.
Actress Kriti Sanon, whose hit film Bareilley Ki Barfi has been nominated for the awards, spoke about performing with actor Arjun Kapoor.
“First I will dance with him on stage and then proceed to act in a film with him,” said Sanon.
But that’s usually how Bollywood rolls.
The Iifa Rocks is just the beginning of the Iifa weekend. The annual travelling awards show will culminate with the presentation of popular awards on Sunday.
