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29 March 2024

Will controversies affect celeb turnout at IIFA?

Shah Rukh and Salman Khan (AFP)

Published
By Bindu Suresh Rai

There never is a dull moment when IIFA or the International Indian Film Academy awards roll around every year.

Celebrity catfights, controversies and backstage gossip usually provides enough fodder to keep the fans, the media and the A-listers themselves talking about the drama for weeks after the red carpet has been rolled away.

This year’s IIFA is being held in Toronto, Canada, from June 23 until 25, with the awards ceremony being hosted by actors Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh on the final day.

Emirates 24|7 goes beyond a regular curtain raiser and gives you the inside scoop on the who will be attending, along with the fodder on who have already taken a stand and divorced themselves from the event itself.

Pre-IIFA controversy

Nothing creates more juicy fodder than a controversy even before the tickets have been booked for the A-listers.

A week ago, ‘inside sources’ from the IIFA camp had leaked to the media that Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were scheduled to stage a joint performance at the awards ceremony, marking it as the event’s biggest show-stopper.

Abhishek himself finally released a statement via micro blogging site Twitter, saying: “Just to clarify.... Neither Aishwarya nor I will be performing or attending IIFA Toronto. Classic case of jumping the gun!”

The initial news, of course, had come as a surprise to many considering family patriarch, Amitabh Bachchan, a one-time brand ambassador to IIFA, washed his hands off the awards itself when he tweeted earlier in the year: “Not coming to Toronto IIFA... IIFA says my services are not required.”

Was this, as Abhishek mentioned, a case of jumping the gun or was someone in the background looking for ways to throw an egg in the face of IIFA? Whatever the case, the gossipmongers are still lapping up this one.

And the attendees really are…

If the Bachchans aren’t coming, then all those who allegedly aren’t too keen on being caught in the same frame as the first family of Bollywood will most certainly make their presence felt.

First on the list is one-time gal pal of junior Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, who has revealed that her trip to Toronto will be a short one as she will be zipping in and out in 24 hours, with the awards as a pit stop before carrying on to her shooting.

Also scheduled to shake a hip on stage are the Deol trio, Sunny, Bobby and papa Dharmendra. It will be interesting to see how choreographer Shaimak Davar is going to manage this feat of making the men with two left feet dance with aplomb on stage.

While no other performers have been confirmed, it is said that the stars of “Double Dhamaal”, which is holding its world premiere at IIFA, will also shake a hip on stage to a special medley of the film’s songs. 

This simply means Deshmukh and Arshad Warsi will throw their arms up in the air, while Mallika Sherawat and Kangna Ranaut simper on the sidelines.

A-listers expected on stage include IIFA ambassadors Anil Kapoor and Preity Zinta, along with and leading man Saif Ali Khan, who will also host the IIFA Rocks fashion show at Ricoh Coliseum on June 24.

Other confirmed IIFA attendees include the Kapoors, comprising Ranbir, Rishi, Neetu and Rajiv, along with Hema Malini and daughter Esha Deol, Arbaaz and Malaika Arora Khan, Fardeen and Zayed Khan, Dia Mirza, Neha Dhupia, Madhavan, Ranveer Singh, Zeenat Aman, Sharmila Tagore and Shatrrughan Sinha.

A recipe for trouble?

Confirming his attendances with the world premiere of his film “Chillar Party”, is none other than Salman Khan. The actor’s Being Human charity foundation is coproducing the film with UTV Motion Pictures and Khan wants IIFA to be the showcase for his big project.

However, drama is expected to unfold considering the King of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan, has also confirmed his presence at IIFA, with the 45-year-old actor, producer and TV host being nominated for Best Performance in a Leading Role (Male) for the top hit “My Name is Khan”, which is nominated in seven categories, including Best Film and Best Screenplay.

Is a faceoff between the two actors inevitable? For all those looking for some gossip fodder, this is the perfect ground for a battle royale, considering Salman has made it very clear that no mediating or apologies are ever going to allow him to forgive Shah Rukh in this lifetime.

Definitely, IIFA this year is a perfect weekend to grab that tub of popcorn and be glued into the TV. Oh, yeah, watch out for the actual awards too.