IIFA Fever hits Toronto !!!!!!
The International Indian Film Academy is bringing its star-studded Awards Gala to North America for the very first time! The top names of the Bollywood industry will be converging on the city’s centre. Consider this the equivalent to Hollywood's Oscars!
For those of you who don’t know what IIFA is all about well, in a nutshell, it is a global showcase of Indian cinema. The IIFA Weekend and Awards is a celebration of Indian Cinema consisting of fun-filled activities that brings the fans close to their favorite stars. The highlight of the Weekend is the IIFA Awards Ceremony that honours the best of Indian cinema.
Wow! It is easy to believe that the thousands of available tickets that went on sale, sold out in a mere 10 minutes! An estimated 22,000 fans will be packed into the Rogers Centre come Saturday evening and will be entertained to the fullest!
Saif Ali Khan, Mallika Sherawat, Sonu Nigam, Preity Zinta, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Dharmendra, Karan Johar, Kabir Bedi, Hema Malini, Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Javed Jaffrey are just some of the Bollywood stars that will set foot in Toronto. But by far the biggest attraction will be the “King of Bollywood” himself – Shah Rukh Khan.
I know my daughter is a HUGE fan of “King Khan” and so desperately wanted to be a part of the festivities – but that plan didn’t materialize for us. We will be watching the star-studded show come Saturday evening along with millions of other viewers!
With events already in motion in and around the Greater Toronto area, there is a definite “buzz” in the air. Here is a run-down of what’s happening where!
June 24-26
IIFA Film Festival
IIFA-nominated movies from 2011 as well as years past are screened at various theatres, including the Coliseum Mississauga, Cineplex Odeon Sheppard, Silvercity Brampton and Cineplex Odeon First Markham Place.
June 24
IIFA ROCKS fashion show at Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto, ON (6:30 p.m.)
Hosted by Indian movie personality Saif Ali Khan, this show features a musical performance by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and international models displaying designs from India and Canada
June 25
IIFA Workshop: Music — Bringing Cinema Alive (11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.)
In this professional seminar, speakers Vishal Bhardwaj and the trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy offer insights into writing music for Indian cinema. The event will culminate with an interactive jam session where the composers and audience members create a live track.
Samsara: Feel the Flow in Toronto (2 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.) Taking place in the shadow of the Rogers Centre — where the IIFA gala will be held later in the day — this free arts festival will feature live music performances, including an Indo-Brazilian drum line, as well as dancing and a fashion show. The event will finish with the arrival of Indian film stars on the "green carpet" for the IIFA ceremony.
IIFA awards ceremony at the Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON (8 p.m.)
This is it, the glitzy, star-studded gala where India's biggest cinema stars will be celebrated with hardware.
Happy Star-Gazing Everyone!!!!!