It saw actors Farhan Akhtar and Shahid Kapoor poking fun at the CBFC. And superstar Salman Khan for his performance chose songs that made many wonder if he was apologising for his "rape" comment. The IIFA awards night here was packed with fun, drama and entertainment that left the audience wanting for more.
The 17th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards night on Saturday started much later than the scheduled time, causing agitation among the audience. But when the hosts Farhan and Shahid hit the stage on donkeys, they brought a smile to everyone's face.
But before them, actor-producer Anil Kapoor talked about the healthy relation between India and Spain and how Indian cinema is hugely appreciated here.
Shahid and Farhan then took over as Papu and Raju. While they managed to make the audience laugh at some of their jokes, there were times when the guests rooted for the popular comedian Kapil Sharma and demanded to call him on stage.
Actor Hrithik Roshan was the first performer of the night. He mesmerised the audience with his moves to songs like "Ek pal ka jeena" and "Baawre".
Shahid and Farhan then got back on the stage and touched upon many hot topics like "Ghar Wapsi", "Award Wapsi" and the behaviour of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) towards a few films.
Shahid almost imitated on the IIFA stage in a hilarious way the famous urination scene from his latest film "Udta Punjab". The Bombay High Court had directed the makers to delete the scene. He even mentioned the name of CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani in a funny way.
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Another high point of the night was the performance of globally popular actress Priyanka Chopra, who shook a leg to songs from her films including "Dil Dhadkane Do". She also sung live on stage. Actress Deepika Padukone, daughter of ace badminton player Prakash Padukone, used the platform to promote the importance of sports in people's life, including hers.
"Heropanti" star Tiger Shroff paid tribute to late singer Michael Jackson and his idol Hrithik through his act on stage. He wasn't the only one who paid tribute to stars. Actress Sonakshi Sinha did the same for veteran actress Sridevi, who was felicitated for her contribution to Indian cinema. However, the "English Vinglish" star wasn't seen at the venue.
Anil also announced the launch date of the second season of his TV show "24" through a small act on the IIFA stage, where he was seen fighting off the villains. The show will air on Colors starting July 23.
Deepika returned to the stage and gave a stellar performance to songs from her films, including "Bajirao Mastani". But it was her performance to her co-star and rumoured boyfriend Ranveer Singh's song "Malhari" that grabbed everyone's attention. Ranveer was moved by her performance.
The last act of the night was of Salman, who received a thunderous welcome on stage by the audience in the form of loud cheer, whistles and 'We love you bhai'.
Though earlier he had said that "Don't expect me to dance like Hrithik and Tiger", the superstar got everyone dancing when he performed to songs like "Tadap tadap ke" and "Humko maloom hai" that has lyrics like "Dil se.. ho jati hai galtiyan".
No wonder, his choice of songs made many think it was an act to apologise for his recent comment on "raped woman". "Is he saying sorry for his comments?" asked one of the guests who sat right behind this visiting IANS correspondent.
Moving on to awards. Bollywood stars Deepika and Ranveer bagged the Best Actor (Female) and Best Actor (Male) trophies at the extravaganza for their performance in "Piku" and "Bajirao Mastani" respectively.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali won the Best Director for "Bajirao Mastani", and Salman-starrer "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" was named the Best Film at the glittering ceremony here.
"I won't thank anyone because thank you is not enough for this film," Bhansali said after receiving the award.
In the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category, Anil won the award for "Dil Dhadakne Do", and Priyanka received the honour for her act in "Bajirao Mastani".
Priyanka -- who has scaled international presence with her role in American TV series "Quantico" and has also landed a part in Hollywood film "Baywatch" -- was bestowed a Special Award: Woman of the Year. She said that the accolade came as a surprise.
"This one comes as a surprise. I won't lie, it's definitely difficult to find your own way in Hollywood as it's just about one per cent of what Indian actors deserve in the world in today's time," she said after receiving the award.
Among debutants, Vicky Kaushal took home the laurels for "Masaan" and among the ladies, Bhumi Pednekar won it for her endearing performance in "Dum Laga Ke Haisha".
The Jodi of the Year Award went to Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty for "Hero" and they both thanked Salman for giving them the chance to make a mark in Bollywood. Sooraj seemed to be emotional while talking about the "Dabangg" star.
Darshan Kumar was awarded for his negative role in "NH10", and Deepak Dobriyal was honoured for Best Comic Role in "Tanu Weds Manu Returns".
Amitabh Bachhan and Deepika-starrer "Piku" got the Best Story and Best Dialogue Awards for Juhi Chaturvedi.
In the singing category, the mellifluos song "Moh moh ke dhaage" was a winner. Monali Thakur and Papon won the Best Playback Singer (Female) and Best Playback Singer (Male) for the track, while Varun Grover won for penning its lyrics.
The gala -- which celebrates the magic of Indian cinema at an international destination every year -- began on June 23. Madrid is the fourth European destination to host the IIFA extravaganza.
(The writer's trip is at the invitation of the IIFA organisers. Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)
--IANS
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