Rather
than
do
the
Bachchans
a
gross
disservice,
their
separation
from
IIFA
is
a
blessing
in
disguise.
Explains
Sabbas
Joseph
of
Wizcraft,
"Every
time
a
member
of
one
family
won
an
award
or
presented
an
event,
there
would
be
a
hue
and
cry
about
one
family
monopolizing
IIFA.
This
was
so
unfair.
How
many
awards
did
Mr.
Bachchan
and
his
family
win
in
the
ten
years
of
IIFA's
existence?
He
got
one
for
Black
which
he
collected
and
another
for
Paa
(in
Sri
Lanka)
which
he
did
not
attend."
Sabbas
insists
the
Bachchans
are
an
integral
part
of
IIFA
even
now.
"We'd
like
nothing
better
than
to
have
them
attend
in
Toronto
as
guests.
Mr.
Bachchan
has
added
invaluably
to
IIFA.
But
now
the
brand
doesn't
really
need
an
ambassador."
The
separation
of
Amitabh
Bachchan
from
the
International
Indian
Film
Academy
(IIFA)
has
sent
shock
waves
across
the
film
industry.
After
the
Big
B
tweeted
his
inability
to
be
part
of
IIFA
any
more
a
young
A-lister
actor
on
condition
of
anonymity
said,
"Mr.
Bachchan
not
being
part
of
the
IIFA
is
unthinkable.
He
built
the
whole
IIFA
dream
from
the
scratch
along
with
Wizcraft.
I
don't
know
whether
I'll
attend
IIFA
anymore."
However
a
source
close
to
the
Big
B
sneers
at
such
display
of
despair
and
solidarity.
"Everyone
will
go,
you
watch.
Mr
Bachchan's
absence
makes
no
difference
to
anyone.
After
ten
years
they
decided
they
didn't
need
him
anymore.
The
seeds
of
discord
were
sown
last
year
when
Salman
Khan
happily
stepped
into
Mr.
Bachchan's
place
in
Sri
Lanka.
When
Wizcraft
opened
their
'Kingdom
Of
Dreams'
theatre
in
Gurgaon
(Delhi),
they
didn't
ask
Mr
Bachchan
to
inaugurate
it.
Now
we
have
Akshay
Kumar
who
is
a
citizen
of
Canada.
He
will
be
the
brand
Ambassador
for
IIFA
in
Toronto
this
year."
Sabbas
Joseph
-
Director
Wizcraft,
insists
there
is
no
brand
ambassadorship
for
IIFA
any
more,
"Last
year
at
Sri
Lanka
Salman
represented
the
'Habitat
For
Harmony',
not
IIFA.
That's
the
kind
of
pocket-representation
we
are
looking
at
now
at
IIFA.
We
would
not
even
have
announced
that
Mr.
Bachchan
is
no
more
the
brand
ambassador
if
he
had
not
tweeted
about
it.
To
us
it
makes
no
difference
whether
he
is
the
official
brand
ambassador
or
not.
Our
relationship
with
Mr.
Bachchan
and
his
family
remains
unchanged.
No
one
can
deny
what
an
important
part
he
has
played
in
giving
a
shape
and
direction
to
the
event."
Sabbas
thinks
the
IIFA
doesn't
need
a
brand
ambassador
any
more.
"You
are
the
first
person
I
am
actually
talking
to
on
this
subject…why
not
a
brand
ambassador?
I
think
by
not
having
a
brand
ambassador
we
will
eliminate
the
chances
of
one
important
member
of
the
industry
being
made
responsible
for
all
the
controversies
and
issues
related
to
the
event.
Now
if
a
group
or
a
community
decides
to
protest
about
an
issue
in
a
country
where
we
host
our
event
there's
no
Fall
Guy,
no
one
to
make
unnecessarily
answerable
for
everything
that
goes
wrong
or
seems
to
go
wrong.
Instead
of
bringing
members
of
Bollywood
together,
the
presence
of
a
brand
ambassador
was
isolating
them.
What
the
abolition
of
the
post
of
brand
ambassador
will
do
is
it
will
allow
a
more
collective
spirit
at
IIFA.
This
year
at
Toronto,
we
expect
stars
representing
more
causes
and
activities
than
during
earlier
years."
Story first published: Monday, January 24, 2011, 16:30 [IST]