To more networking

IIFA DIARY: DUBAI

The IIFA weekend had plenty happening, though mostly in disguise it would appear.

By now, we all know that Black was the winner all the way at the IIFA awards in Dubai: best film, best director, best everything... everyone from Rani Mukherji to little Ayesha Kapur had their speeches pat, by-hearted from all those other times they've said exactly the same polite things.

But deja vu is not the only thing IIFA must worry about when it goes to Yorkshire next year. Better management would help. The awards also need wider participation from the film fraternity. As of now, too much falls on too few shoulders, particularly those of Karan Johar and Amitabh Bachchan.

Both are superb communicators, but yet... Bachchan senior looked strained for the first two days of the event, holding press conferences but refusing to take questions "" and, no, it had nothing to do with the tax queries.

"They are just doing their work..." he told concerned reporters later. Which is why perhaps we should excuse him for conforming to the worst Bollywood stereotypes and arriving for the Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna launch with sun shades. In imitation, son Abhishek and grandson Agastya wore shades too "" and indoors, at that.

Johar too had his plate overloaded. The poor guy, allegedly, pleaded with the Wizcraft brass for some relief "" and played hookey at a FICCI-Dubai Chambers of Commerce discussion on the business of entertainment that he was supposed to moderate. Instead, he went shopping.

Vinod Khanna (with wife Kavita and daughter) had the same thing on his mind, and instead of dropping in to say hello to old friend Feroze Khan, all taken up with his Kurbani (Khanna starred in the old one), he was spotted with Ferragamo shopping bags.

Actor Arbaaz Khan, on the other hand, visited one of Dubai's best known seafood restaurants, Fish Market at the Intercontinental, off-hours. And as for Hollywood actor Jean Claude Van Damme, a special IIFA invitee, he was happy downing beer at a local club before jumping into the hotel pool (to work off the calories, hopefully).

So if you think the IIFA weekend in Dubai was more party than work, you're right. But, then, partying is work too in showbiz. In London, seven years ago, as legend has it, it was at one such event that Angelina Jolie asked to be introduced to Ashok Amritraj. That's how Original Sin happened. To more networking, then.