Lisa Ray complains of lack of organization at IIFA Toronto 2011

India’s Bengali beauty Lisa Ray is the latest ambassador at the on going IIFA awards function in Toronto Canada and was rather unhappy with the way the organizers managed the event. The actress has been working hard these days for the promotion of the IIFA awards in her professional capacity in Canada, but had some issues with the organizers.

The actress recently had some complaints against the organizers of the show as she wasn’t happy with the treatment that she was given by the organizers of the function.

The ‘Kasoor’ actress was supposed to be the showstopper of a fashion show organized as a part of the awards function, bit Lisa wasn’t happy with the outfit that was given to her and had demanded to change the outfit.

Moreover, the actress had even said that she does not want any of the big Bollywood celebrities to walk down the ramp along with her, as it would take away all the attention from her. Being a cancer-survivor who wants to raise awareness of the disease, Lisa even had problems with the organizers as she was expecting some good support for promoting her project for the aid of cancer patients.

One of the organizing committee members had said that the actress did have certain issues with the organizers, but they have been sorted out. The organizing member added that it is wise not to mess with the ambassadors especially when she is a fiery one.

Well it’s time the underrated stars in Bollywood like Lisa Ray get some respect too, don’t you think?

'Dabangg' bags seven IIFA awards

Toronto, June 26 : Salman Khan starrer "Dabangg", last year's biggest Bollywoodhit, was adjudged the best film at the glittering 12th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards here. The action-comedy bagged seven awards.

Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was named the best male actor for his performance as an asperger patient in Karan Johar's "My Name Is Khan", while Anushka Sharma received the best female actor for her lively role of a wedding planner in "Band Baaja Baraat".

The city's Roger's Centre erupted in cheers Saturday evening when Shah Rukh received the award from Anil Kapoor and Hollywood actress Hillary Swank who greeted the audience with a "Namaste".

Paying tributes to Yash Johar, whose seventh death anniversary falls Sunday, King Khan said: "I am glad that I could receive this award on this day. I have received so much love that tonight I am a Torontonian."

Karan Johar, who got the best director award for "My Name Is Khan" and said: "This is my first IIFA award. It couldn't have been possible without the brilliance of the protagonist of the film - Shah Rukh Khan. I dedicate it to my dad...I love and miss him."

In all, "Dabangg" bagged seven awards, including best female debut for Sonakshi Sinha.

Presenting the award to Sonakshi, yesteryears' diva Hema Malini said: "I saw this girl and never thought she will become an actress."

A beaming Sonakshi said: "Toronto, itna pyar (so much love). Thanks for giving me the gift of IIFA. I will cherish it forever."

Ranvir Singh won the award for best debut male award for his role in "Band Baaja Baaraat" Accepting the award from veteran actor couple Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, the young actor said: "It is special to me as the award is presented by my idol. (But) it is just the beginning."

The award for male supporting role went to Arjun Rampal for playing a politician in the political thriller "Raajneeti".

"'Raajneeti' is very close to my heart...I hope that I can be like Dharamji fifty years in the industry," said Arjun. Prachi Desai won the trophy for female supporting role for her performace in underworld drama "Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai".

Mamta Sharma won the award for best female playback singer for her song "Munni Badnaam" in "Dabanng".

"I love you so much... Shah Rukh I love you much... Toronto I love you so much," said Mamta as Arshad Warsi handed her the award in the company of show co-hosts Boman Irani and Ritesh Deshmukh as well as Shah Rukh Khan.

The award for best male playback singer went to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for "Tere mast mast do nain" from "Dabanng".

For best lyrics, the award went to Niranjan Iyengar for penning "Sajda" and "Noor-e-Khuda" in "My Name is Khan". The award was accepted by Karan Johar on his behalf. For best music direction, the award went to Sajid-Wajid and Lalit Pandit for "Dabangg".

The award for best story went to Shibani Bathija for "My Name is Khan". It was presented by Brett Lee, Fardeen Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala.

The award for best screenplay went to Abhinav Kahsyap and Dileep Shukla for "Dabangg". Zeenat Aman, Prakash Mehra and Sant Singh Chatwal presented the award.

The award for best dialogue went to Vishal Bharadwaj for "Ishqiya". Mallika Sherawat and Brian White - her co-star in a Hollywood movie - presented the award.

Sonu Sood received the award for best performance in a negative role for "Dabangg".

Dharmendra won an award for his half-century in Indian cinema, while the Outstanding Achievement Award went to Sharmila Tagore.

Handing Sharmila the award, Shabana Azmi said: "I am honoured to present this award to an actress for whom I have the highest regard - a path-breaker, achiever, a person who has been successful in every avatar she has chosen."

Sharmila said the award was "such a satisfying thing. It's fantastic. After Dharamji, it is a tough act to follow".

She recalled Dharmendra's large heartedness when he agreed to a change in schedule for the shooting of a film when she had to "rush to Calcutta for personal reasons as Tiger (her husband) was in the West Indies".

Asha Bhosle received the Lifetime Achievement Award. "She has been my favourite singer. She creates magic in ordinary songs," said Subash Ghai, presenting her the award. Priyanka Chopra wowed the crowd by performing a medley of Bhosle's songs before the award was presented.

For the first time at the IIFA, Star Plus channel presented the Hottest Pair award to Anushka Sharma and Ranvir Singh for which 15 million votes were cast online.

"Anushka, you make me feel hot," said Ranvir accepting the award in her company.

The first Green IIFA Award by Panasonic went to actress Priyanka Chopra. "This was totally unexpected," the actress said.

Ritiesh Deshmukh bagged the award for best performance in a comic role for the film "Housefull". Irrfan Khan, whom Anil Kapoor lauded for his performances on the global stage, received the IIFA award for his international performances.

With stars, dance, music - IIFA spreads Indian fever in Toronto

Toronto, June 26 : It was a weekend Canada will remember for a long time. With one of the largest turnout of Indians ever, the three-day International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) extravaganza awed the city of Toronto with everything Bollywood - celebrities, dance, music, glamour and color!

For many NRI Indians, it was a chance to connect to their roots, and like for a mini Punjabi wedding, they dressed up in their Indian fineries, and for other nationalities, it was a perfect window to the wonders of Indian film culture.

"The last time I saw such a turnout for Indians was for the Temptations tour in 2006. But this IIFA event was massive. So many Indians stood united to cheer for Bollywood. It was indeed a memorable experience," Alfreeda Islam, a student here, told IANS.

Day after day, the inflow of fans and audience members was on a steady rise at the Fairmont Royal Park hotel here in downtown Toronto - and it wasn't just Indians who queud up to add to the frenzy. Eager foreigners were equally upbeat about getting a taste of Indian cinema.

The IIFA Weekend kickstarted Thursday with a host of Bollywood celebrities like Boman Irani, Dia Mirza, Riteish Deshmukh, Mallika Sherawat, Bipasha Basu and international artist Jermaine Jackson at the inaugural press conference. 

The evening saw a star-studded green carpet event for the world premiere of "Double Dhamaal" at the SilverCity Theatre in Brampton city, the event saw hundreds of fans.

The second day saw the FICCI-IIFA global business forum, where dignitaries from both the countries discussed possibilities of boosting tourism, business and co-productions. Around the same time, Ontario had a taste of the phenomena called Shah Rukh Khan.

Hundreds gathered in the lobby of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel to welcome King Khan, one of the most popular stars in Bollywood. 

Making his return to the IIFA after a gap of six years, Shah Rukh came despite a knee injury and broke into an impromptu jig just for his fans the moment he entered the hotel premises. For a lot of fanatics, the glimpse was a "lifetime chance". People flew in from Los Angeles, Montreal, Chicago and even Afghanistan, among other places, just for the moment of being able to "as close as it gets" to SRK.

While Shah Rukh's magic continued to charm everyone in the hotel, his friend-turned-foe Salman Khan's debut co-production "Chillar Party" kicked off the IIFA Film Festival, but sans Salman. The actor was supposed to attend the event, but couldn't make it due to his shooting schedule for "Bodyguard".

The Raj Kapoor street naming ceremony also took place on day two of IIFA. Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell gave a warm welcome to the popular Kapoor family - Raj's widow Krishna Raj Kapoor, his sons Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv, and daughters-in-law Ritu, Reema and Neetu, as she unvelied a placard which read Raj Kapoor Crescent. The placard will be placed on a new street to be built in the city. 

There was a lot waiting for Bollywood fans in the evening with the IIFA Rocks - a music and fashion event, which left many in awe of what Bollywood is capable of. The Ricoh Coliseum saw a flurry of fans yet again, vying to see, touch, and talk to their favourite celebrities.

Hosted by Karan  and Anushka Sharma, the IIFA Rocks saw a performance by American musician Jermaine, who also teamed up with Indian singer Sonu Niigaam to pay a tribute to his younger brother, late King of Pop Michael Jackson.

The event also saw a fusion of fashion and music as models in creations by Indian designers Rajesh Pratap SIngh, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Vikram Phadnis, and Canadian clothing store The Bay, sashayed down the larger than life ramp, with music director trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy playing a medley of their songs in the background.

Showstoppers like Brett Lee, Rahul Khanna, Zayed Khan, Sonakshi Sinha and Neha Dhupia, a retro performance by Dia Mirza, a saucy dance by Mallika Sherawat, an energetic show by Canadian rockers RDB and a rock-qawalli MIX BY Sonu Niigaam enthralled the audience.

The last day saw the coming together of two worlds as Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, lyricist Javed Akhtar and composers Vishal Bharadwaj and Salim Merchant conducted a music workshop to share and promote the music of both countries. After an interactive session with the audience, Javed and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy got together to compose live, and Salim Merchant gave an impromptu piano performance.

The evening saw the Roger's Centre filling up with people. There were an estimated 30,000 people outside the grand venue, and they incessantly cheered for each of those who walked the green carpet.

The loudest cheers were heard for Shah Rukh and "Slumdog Millionaire" actor Anil Kapoor, as the he ushered in the surprise guest of honour for the show, Oscar winner Hilary Swank. Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. also made for a surprise element at the event, where star power and fan turnout was unlike any edition that IIFA has seen before.

The main show sparkled with scintillating performances, awards distribution and Bollywood magic. But one hopes the buzz caused by IIFA translates into increased tourism and business opportunities in both the countries.

Shah Rukh Khan blames smoking habit on days with theatre

Toronto, June 27 : Bollywood super star Shah Rukh Khan blames his initial days with theatre for his smoking habit.

Recalling his days as a theatre actor in Delhi, he said: "I remember when a fireplace was put up, the guys used to go behind the fireplace to smoke and put out the fire. That's how I also started smoking and it is not my fault. It has (this habit) got all to do with theatre."

The Badshah of Bollywood, who arrived in Toronto for the 12th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony, said he would love to return to theatre as it was his first love.

"I belong to theatre. I started off doing a lot of stage in Delhi... first small time and then a little on the streets. Always the desire was to be a theatre actor. I used to work with John Barry and even Sheilaji - a lot of wonderful producers, directors. We used to go out and perform in small little theatres and on stages."

He added, "The Kingdom of Dreams (in Gurgaon) wants me to come and perform under the tutelage of Shiamak Davar."

Challenging Dawar and making fun of his knee problem, he said, "My dance is better than yours even on one leg."

When a reporter asked him in lighter vein in Hindi, "Kya mard ko dard naahi hota: (whether a man like him doesn't feel pain) - Shah Rukh replied in the same vein - "Mard ko bahut dard hota hai" (the man feels a lot of pain). 

The actor said he was advised two weeks ago not to perform, but he didn't want to go back on his commitment to Wizcraft "who have been very kind to me all these years".

He said his knee surgery is scheduled for July. 

IIFA announces awards for its technical category

Toronto, Jun 25 : Mega-hit Bollywood blockbluster 'Dabangg' along with 'Band Baaja Baraat' and Robot' won three technical awards each in the IIFA awards presented last night during the IIFA Rocks.

The awards were presented by Bollywood actors including Shahrukh Khan, Anil Kapoor and others amid cheers from the crowd. 

The award for best Cinematographer was won by Sudeep Chatterjee for Guzaarish, while Namrata Rao got the award for editing in the film Band Baaja Baaraat. Art Director Sabu Cyril was declared the winner for the film Robot.

Choreographer Farah Khan bagged award for 'Munni Badnam Hui' dance for the film Dabangg, while S Vijayan was selected for the award for the action in the same film.

Pritam Das was selected for the award for best sound recording for the film 'Love, Sex Aur Dhokha', while Vijay Dayal was given award for song recording of 'Ainvayi Ainvayi' in the film 'Band Baaja Baaraat'. 

Leslie Fernandes was selected for the award for Sound Re-recording in the film Dabangg.

Indian Artists got special effects award for the film Robot, Background Score award was won by Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy for the film 'My Name Is Khan'. Costume Designer Niharika Khan was awarded for her work in Band Baaja Baaraat, while for the category of Make-up Banu (For Rajnikant) was selected for the film Robot.

The spectacular, Floriana IIFA Awards would be held here tomorrow.

Ash: Past, present and future

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is pregnant. And at the time when IIFA is on top of the mind, Sr Bachchan’s ‘Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap’ is all set to release and Aishwarya’s film ‘Heroine’ is on the floors, frenetic activity all over and the announcement by a proud grandfather – dadaji to be has started creating a frenzy of speculations and stories about the pregnancy, the timing of the film among others.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is pregnant. And at the time when IIFA is on top of the mind, Sr Bachchan’s ‘Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap’ is all set to release and Aishwarya’s film ‘Heroine’ is on the floors, frenetic activity all over and the announcement by a proud grandfather – dadaji to be has started creating a frenzy of speculations and stories about the pregnancy, the timing of the film among others.

After Bachchan tweeted about Ash’s pregnancy, he got over 2843 new tweets in half an hour congratulating him. But then the Twitter world was also abuzz with some accusations – One whether he had timed the announcement to scuttle the IIFA awards of which he was the Brand Ambassador earlier. Or whether he had done the announcement to publicise his low profile film ‘Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap’.

But whatever the accusations may be, Amitabh is surely a prod Dada now.This ensures that they have the third generations Bachchans by birth. As Amitabh tweets and we retweet, “Amitabh and Ajitabh, first generation Bachchan... then Abhishek and Bhim and now Abhishek’s and Aishwarya's…”

Ash’s pregnancy has thrown up many interesting angles.

1: What happens to Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Heroine’?

A: Madhur was made aware of her pregnancy before the shooting went on floors. Ash has been finishing her shots with ease and ensuring that she finishes her work before she puts on a lot of weight. Ash is still making public appearances and is looking plump as well. And that has also made Madhur wary of a lot of things. The kind of shots he has been taking are all his wide angle shots. Madhur has also used a second camera to do the close up shots so that he does not need to get the same location later as well.

2: What happens to other announcements like Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Ladies And Gentlemen’?

A: This film may well be shelved or postponed. Santoshi had been refused by many actors and his film ‘Power’ went powerless after Ajay Devgn pulled out of it. His Katrina Kaif starrer also had to be shelved because the actress was not giving him dates. That left him with this film starring Abhishek and Ash. But then this romantic comedy may well be shelved because of that.

3: What happens to Ashutosh Gowariker’s dream of uniting Ash and SRK?

A: Well, that does not seem possible for a few years now.

IIFA Awards: Bollywood stars cast spell on Toronto

By Gurmukh Singh , Toronto, June 23 : Bollywood cast its spell on Toronto and the city's landmark 'Raja' York Hotel looked like an extension of any Indian hotel as scores of stars streamed in for the 12th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards June 25.

 A roar went up every time a star entered the hotel. GulshanGrover broke away from his minders to pose with his fans and sign autographs. Arshad Warsi could be seen talking animatedly to his well-wishers before disappearing in the elevator.

Kabir Bedi, JavedAkhtar, Shabana Azmi and Lisa Ray had a lively chat during a discussion on 'Hollywood, Bollywood and Beyond'.

According to organisers, Zeenat Aman, Vikas Bahl, Irshad Kamil, Sajid Sharafat Khan, Madhavan, Mamta Sharma, Esha Deol, Nikhil Dwivedi, Syed Javed Ahmed Jafri, Kunal Kapoor, Hema Malini, Ameesha Patel, Chandan Sanyal, Abhinav Kashyap, Genelia D'souza, Kangna Ranaut, Kunal Kapoor, Mahie Gill, Rakesh Roshan, Ronit Roy, and Subhash Ghai too have arrived in Toronto.

Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Zayed Khan, Bipasha Basu, Sonu Sood and Boman Irani are already in Toronto for the biggest-ever Bollywood show in North America.


The show begins officially Thursday with the screening of 20 films in threatres across the Greater Toronto Area. These films include "Chak De India", "Singh is Kingg", "Patiala House", "Namastey London", "Dil To Pagal Hai", "Dabangg", "Border" and "Dil Bole Hadippa".


The show will culminate in awards in 15 categories Saturday.


Nominations for the best film include "Band Baaja Baaraat", "Dabangg", "My Name is Khan", "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai", and "Raajneeti".


For best direction, nominations include Maneesh Sharma ("Band Baaja Baaraat"), Abhinav Kashyap ("Dabangg"), Sanjay Leela Bhansali ("Guzaarish"), Karan Johar ("My Name is Khan"), Milan Luthira ("Once Upon a Time in Mumbai") and Vikramaditya Motwane ("Udaan").

Salman Khan ("Dabangg"), Hrithik Roshan ("Guzaarish"), Shah Rukh Khan ("My Name is Khan"), Ajay Devgan ("Once Upon a Time in Mumbai") and Ranbir Kapoor ("Raajneeti") will vie for honours in the male lead role.

For lead female role, Anushka Sharma ("Band Baaja Baaraat"), Kareeena Kapoor ("Golmaal 3"), Ashwariya Rai Bachchan ("Guzaarish"), Vidya Balan ("Ishqiya") and Katrina Kaif ("Raajneeti") are in the fray.


"Dabangg", "Ishqiya", "Raajneeti" and "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai" have also been nominated for screenplay and dialogue.

Over 800 delegates, including Bollywood stars, directors and producers, are being flown from India, according to organizers. 

Over 40,000 visitors are expected to descend on Toronto to pump nearly $30 million into the city's economy.

IIFA starts today

Toronto, Jun 23 : The world's biggest Bollywood bash in the North American city of Canada begins here today, as India's cinematic royalty descends on the city to mark their entry in the American-Indian community.

The lavish, three-day showcase of film, music and fashion known as the International Indian Film Academy(IIFA) celebrations promises to unleash a cavalcade of Indian song, dance and matinee idols. It all leads up to a performance-laden awards ceremony set for Saturday that is often-described as the Indian Oscars.

Indian actor Boman Irani, who will co-host the festivities at the Rogers Centre, promises all the subtlety of an impromptu Bollywood group-singing when festivities officially launch while his co-hosts of Saturday's bash with Ritesh Deshmukh, who landed in Toronto will introduce his feature, "Double Dhamaal" with co-star Mallika Sherawat at a gala screening tonight.

King Khan along with his family is expected to reach Toronto this afternoon while Roshan family including Hritik, Javed and Shabana Azmi, Anil Kapoor and several others have reached the city.

The awards bash has proven to be the hot ticket of the weekend. All 16,000 of the 22,000 tickets available to the public sold out in minutes. Irani, who reached here yesterday along with other actors told UNI that there's going to be lots of songs and dance, lots of colours, besides lots of fun and the people of Toronto would be able to see their actors performing in front of them.

More than 200 filmmakers and stars are expected from India and overseas, including three generations of the famed Kapoor clan headed by legendary patriarch Raj Kapoor, the Deol dynasty including Dharmendra and his sons Sunny and Bobby, superstar Shah RukhKhan, "Slumdog Millionaire" actor Anil Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

There would be the premier of the film 'Chillar Party' tomorrow.

Various star-studded events include a film festival, music workshop, business forum and a music and fashion extravaganza known as IIFA Rocks expected to be hosted by Saif Ali Khan. 

Marquee concert tomorrow is expected to feature Jermaine Jackson in a special performance to commemorate the second anniversary of his brother Michael's death.

TIFF Bell Lightbox, the home of the Toronto International Film Festival will hosts a salute to the Kapoor dynasty on Sunday when the clan is expected to walk a red carpet and discuss their long and influential career. 

After moving through Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East now IIFA has come to North America. The 12-year-old celebrations have previously been held in London, Malaysia, Dubai, Amsterdam, Singapore, Bangkok, Macau and Johannesburg.

The multimillion-dollar show is being billed as the biggest production in the film academy's history. Organizers estimate the elaborate staging involves between 800 and 1,000 performers, crew, designers, production managers, and talent .

Salman to skip IIFA

New Delhi, June 21 : All those who were expecting a face-off between the two Khans of Bollywood - Salman and Shah Rukh - at the forthcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend will be disappointed as Salman has decided to skip the award ceremony.

Here to promote his debut movie production "Chillar Party", Salman confirmed that he won't be present at the three-day event which will kick off Thursday in Toronto.

"I am shooting for my next 'Bodyguard' and it is an action movie, so yes, you people won't see me there. IIFA will miss me this time," Salman told reporters at the Film Division here Tuesday.

This year, Shah Rukh is performing on the IIFA stage after seven years. The actor has attended two editions of the IIFA Weekend in the past - in Singapore in 2004, and Amsterdam in 2005. 

As "Chillar Party" will open the 12th IIFA awards ceremony and this being Salman's first production, his presence was more than expected. But it seems the rift between the two Khans has pushed Salman to stay away from the ceremony.

Bollywood fever grips Toronto as stars land for IIFA show

By Gurmukh Singh , Toronto, June 22 : Frenzied scenes were witnessed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport Tuesday when Bollywood stars started descending here for the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards June 25.

Crowds of admirers went wild when Anil Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Zayed Khan, Bobby Deol and Arshad Warsi stepped out of the airport terminal.


Wearing a spiked-up hairstyle and dark glasses, Anil Kapoor said, "I am just going to have a good time. I am looking forward to every moment.''


The Slumdog Millionaire actor, who was here in January with Preity Zinta to formally announce the hosting of IIFA Awards in Toronto, said the Bollywood show would spell "happiness, colour and a lot of fun'' for audiences.


Dia Mirza, who will perform at the awards ceremony, said she felt excited "to know there's such a large community here that loves Indian cinema.''


There was noisy welcome also for Bobby Deol who will perform with father Dharmendra and brother Sunny at the awards. Mobbed by autograph-seeking fans, Bobby said he was excited but "more nervous'' about his performance at the mega-show.


Zayed Khan told the screaming crowd that he couldn't wait to " explore'' as he left the airport for the city.


Arshad Warsi and Sonu Sood were quickly whisked away by IIFA organizers in waiting vehicles.


In keeping with the IIFA aim of promoting awareness about global warming, Bollywood stars were accorded a green-carpet welcome at the airport.


As all 17,000 tickets for the Awards finale sold in minutes, organizers have warned fans about fake tickets being sold for the sold-out event.


With reports of fans trying to buy tickets from sellers through Craiglist and Kijiji websites, IIFA spokesperson Noreen Khan said the organizers would honour only those "tickets that are sold through them and the original type, and so we would hope that anyone who obtains tickets in any other manner is just very vigilant about knowing the source of them and what they are and where they're coming from.''

IIFA show is 'Indian kitsch', not Indian culture: Deepa Mehta

By Gurmukh Singh , Toronto, June 22 : Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta has described the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards here this week as "Indian kitsch".

The three-day Bollywood show does not represent Indian culture, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker said here Tuesday.

"Bollywood is not Indian culture, it's pop culture. There's a big difference," Mehta told the Canadian Press.

To describe the IIFA Awards as representation of Indian culture is just like calling teen pop sensation Justin Bieber a representative of Canadian culture, the "Water" director said.

Mehta, who herself was honoured at the 2007 IIFA Awards, said though she will attend the weekend ceremonies, she doubts whether the mega-show will enhance Bollywood's appeal in North America.

She said North America can hardly add much to Bollywood's bottom line.

"It's hardly relevant. Of course there's a (North American) audience but it's a very limited audience. It's an audience that really is comprised of Southeast Asians," Mehta said.

Since IIFA organizers have been taking the show to the world's major cities each year to popularise Bollywood on the global stage, she said, "They are there for a purpose - they galvanize a nation for a period of time into really thinking about popular culture and that's fun. It's good, IIFA is what it is, which is pure entertainment but I think it's sort of dicey when you start thinking of it as something serious."

Wizcraft director Sabbas Joseph has described the Toronto IIFA Awards as "India's cinema's gateway to North America".

Major theatres and venues across Toronto and its surrounding Indian-dominated cities of Mississauga, Brampton, and Markham have been screening Bollywood films and shows since June 17 before the three-day extravaganza that will culminate in IIFA Awards at the city's Rogers Centre June 25.

Salman Khans Chillar Party to be Premiered @ IIFA Awards

After the success of the movie ‘Dabangg’, Bollywood star Salman Khan has decided to turn producer. The actor is all set to premier his first ever Home production ‘Chillar Party’ at an awards ceremony.


The ‘Taal‘ actor is co-producing the movie along with UTV Spotboy. Salman was initially not satisfied with the trailer of the movie and reportedly decided to write the script of the trailer himself. The ‘Dabangg’ actor felt that there was something missing from the trailer.

Salman then added a voice over, which introduces the characters of the movie. The actor not only penned down the script, but also gave his own voice with his trademark style.

The story of ‘Chillar Party’ is about a group of children from Chandan Nagar, India. The characters in the movie have got some unique names like Jhangia, Encyclopedia, Secondhand, Akram, Panauti, Aflatoon, Silencer and Shaolin. Later, the gang is also joined in by Fatka and Bheedu and how things change after they enter the gang!
Chillar Party will be releasing on 8th July and is directed by Vikas Behl and Nitesh Tiwari. The music in the movie has been produced by Amit Trivedi. The trailer of the film will be premiered at an awards ceremony on 24th June 2011.

Shah Rukh Khan not skipping IIFA Awards

By Gurmukh Singh , Toronto, June 21 : Wizcraft, the organizers of the International Indian Film Academy(IIFA) Awards, have denied reports that Shah Rukh Khan may skip the awards ceremony here this week due to his knee injury.

"That's not true. These are just rumours spread by the media. He is definitely coming. Don't believe in these rumours," a Wizcraft media representative told IANS here.

Apart from performing at the IIFA Awards, Shah Rukh Khan will also join Vivek Oberoi at a red-carpet welcome by local South Asian cultural organizations at Sheraton Hotel Friday.

King Khan is one among the biggest Bollywood star gathering ever in North America.

As Canada's biggest city braces for its biggest South Asian show, Bollywood stars have started streaming into Toronto. "Some of these stars are already here. Bobby Deol is definitely in town," the Wizcraft representative said.

Zayed Khan, Dia Mirza, Sonu Sood, Vijay Singh Deol, Anil Kapoor and Shekhar Kapur are among those arriving Tuesday before the IIFA kick-off Thursday.

A major highlight of the IFFA Awards is that Jermaine Jackson, elder brother of Michael Jackson, will team up with Sonu Nigam to pay tributes to his brother and the late 'King of Pop'.

This performance will be part of IIFA Rocks to be presented by The Bay (short for the Hudson Bay Company - the world's longest surviving registered company) which is a famous fashion name in Canada.

To be hosted by Karan Johar and Anushka Sharma, IIFA Rocks will also feature performances by Neha Dhupia, Dia Mirza, Mallika Sherawat, the cast of Double Dhamaal, and Shankar-Eshaan-Loy.

This event will also feature collections from Indian designers Sabyasachi, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Vikram Phadnis.

The IIFA events will culminate in Floriana IIFA Green Carpet and Floriana Awards ceremonies at Toronto's famous Rogers Centre June 25.

(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)