IIFA 2006 in Dubai

Friday, June 02, 2006

Mumbai (UNI): Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherji are leading the list of nominations in best actor and actress categories for the 7th International Indian Film Academy (IFFA) awards to be held in Dubai on June 16. Amitabh has been nominated for Black and Sarkar while Saif Ali Khan for Parineeta and Salaam Namaste in the best actor award category. Shah Rukh Khan has been nominated for Paheli, which was the country's representation at the Oscars awards last year in the best foreign film category. Rani Mukherji has been nominated for Bunty Aur Babli and Black in the best actress category. Konkana Sen Sharma (Page 3), Preity Zinta (Salaam Namaste) and Vidya Balan (Parineeta) are the other contenders.

Black, Parineeta, Bunty Aur Babli, Iqbal, No Entry, Page 3 will vie for the best film award. Madhur Bhandarkar (Page 3) and Nagesh Kuknoor (Iqbal), Pradeep Sarkar (Parineeta), Prakash Jha (Aparahan), Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Black) are in the race for the best director award. Abhishek Bachchan (Sarkar), Amitabh Bachchan (Bunty Aur Babli), John Abraham (Garam Masala), Naseeruddin Shah (Iqbal) and Sanjay Dutt (Parineeta) are the nominees for the best actor in supporting role category. Ayesha Kapoor (Black), Juhi Chawla (My Brother Nikhil), Lara Dutta (No Entry), Shernaz Patel (Black) and Shweta Prasad (Iqbal) are in the race for Best actress in supporting role. Akshay Kumar (Garam Masala), Boman Irani (Waqt), Isha Koppikar (Kya Kool Hai Hum), Javed Jaffery (Salaam Namaste) and Riteish Deshmukh (Bluffmaster) have been nominated for best actor in comic role. Ajay Devgan (Kaal), Amrita Singh (Kalyug), Nana Patekar (Apaharan) and Pankaj Kapur (Dus) are the nominees for best actor in negative role.

Himesh Reshamiya (Aashiq Banaya Aapne), Shankar Ehsan Loy (Bunty aur Babli), Shantanu Moitra (Parineeta), Vishal-Shekhar for Bluffmaster and Dus are vying for the best music director award. Madhur Bhandarkar (Page 3), Nagesh Kuknoor (Iqbal), Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Black), Sudhir Mishra (Hazaron Khwaishen Aisi) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Pradeep Sarkar (Parineeta) are in the race for best story award. Gulzar for Dhire Jalna-Paheli, Kajra Re-Bunty Aur Babli and Naam Ada Likhna-Yahaan, Sameer for Ashiq Banaya Aapne, Swanand Kirkire for Piyu Bole-Parineeta are the nominees for best lyricist category award. Aatif Aslam (Woh Lamhe -Zeher), Himesh Reshamiya (Aashiq Banaya Aapne), Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (Jiya Dhadak-Kalyug), Shaan and K K (Dus Bahane -Dus), Sonu Nigam (Piyu Bole-Parineeta) are vying for the best playback singer (male) award. Alisha Chinoy (Kajra Re-Bunty aur Babli), Kavita Krishnamurthy (Main Vaari Vaari-Mangal Pandey), Shreya Ghosal (Piyu Bole-Parineeta), Sunidhi Chauhan (Deedar De-Dus and Kaisi Paheli-Parineeta) are the nominees for best playback singer female award.

The IIFA award for Outstanding Achievement in Indian cinema for 2006 will be given to industry veteran Asha Parekh who ruled the silver screens in the 60s and 70s. IIFA also announced that the award for 'Outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema' this year will be presented to the veteran film script and dialogue writer known for his patriotic zeal, Mr O P Dutta and ace cinematographer K K Mahajan known for his spectacular work in films like Chitchor, Amrit and Akayla.

The winners are selected by the IIFA advisory board, which comprises the most influential luminaries of Indian cinema. The Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema And Outstanding contribution to Indian Cinema Awards honors stalwarts of Indian cinema with an illustrious career and are seen today as industry icons.

Asha Parekh popularly known as the 'Dancing queen of the sixties' was the unanimous choice of the board for her multi-faceted career as an actress, producer and the first female chairperson of the censor board. K K Mahajan, another industry stalwart to be awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema Award, has had an outstanding career as a cinematographer and he continues to contribute actively in Indian cinema.

In a career spanning over forty years, veteran director and writer O P Dutta has ruled the hearts of many through films like Aangan, Surajmukhi, Yateem, LOC Kargil, Border and Refugee. His latest offering Umrao Jaan is much awaited. The IIFA Advisory Board conferred the honour on Mr Dutta for his valuable and unrelenting contribution to Indian cinema.

The IIFA Workshop hosted by Dubai Media City on June 15 as part of the IFFA weekend from June 14 to 17 will feature two renowned international film personalities- noted Hollywood film producer Ashok Amritraj and celebrated international theatre, television and film actor Kabir Bedi. The IIFA Workshop will be an open forum for film students, professionals, industry stalwarts to come together and discuss international cinema. At a time when Cinema is breaking through boundaries of territory and language and coming together across cultures and continents, the IIFA Workshop brings together two Indian cinema personalities who have made a mark on global shores. Ashok Amritaj and Kabir Bedi would share and discuss their experience in international cinema and their journey from Indian to international Cinema.