Chakpak Movies (News)

Scene and Heard with Udita

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 11:51:00 +0530

A behind the scenes look into the contemporary world of Bollywood movies and Bollywood stars. What?s hot, what?s not; how things work and who are the people pushing the buttons that make it work.?Udita Jhunjhunwala

Last weekend all eyes were trained on the galaxy of Bollywood stars that descended on the Canadian city of Toronto for the 12th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards. The paparazzi, stationed at Mumbai?s international airport, first snapped pictures of the stars leaving, and continued a hawk-eyed watch for returning celebs, armed with bags of duty free.

The cast & crew of Double Dhamaal

The IIFA weekend started June 23 (Thursday) and ended late Saturday with the actual awards night. Before that there was the premiere of Double Dhamaal and fashion shows by various Indian designers besides a host of press conferences, a film festival, more screenings and many opportunities for the smallest of actors to feel like the biggest of stars.

At one IIFA, I noticed non-filmy, non-stars posing for pictures and being photographed by Bollywood mad (and clearly ignorant) fans. The formula to pass off as someone famous is simple. For women: wear large sunglasses, carry an over-sized designer bag and have a size zero-size two figure. It helps if you are over 5 foot 6 inches. Men need to have muscles, a tight shirt, sunglasses and an air of self-importance. A PYT on your arm helps. If you can match this list, you will be able to fool those hysterical fans thronging the arrivals gate and even the hotel lobby that you might be almost famous.

Whats in a name? Sanjay Bhanali with mother 'Leela'

The IIFA awards are always ripe for hilarity. At the very first one at the Millennium Dome in London in 2000, I recall producer Bharat Shah announcing the award for best director. He opened the envelope and read: ?The award goes to Sanjay ?Leeli’ Bhansali?. While the audience was in splits, Bhansali did not miss a beat. He took his mother Leela?s (not Leeli?s) hand and escorted her on stage to collect his award for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. I wonder if someone has since corrected Shah about the director?s correct name!

Bollywood stars lap up the adulation showered on them in foreign lands where such weekends have been hosted over the last 11 years. This year, as i saw them step into the spotlight, I spared a thought for the designers who had to work tirelessly to manage their egos and wardrobes. One leading film fashion designer called me in a huff last week, complaining about this young star. ?He?s just back from his shoot and leaving tonight for IIFA and now suddenly he needs help and attention with everything from his nasal hair to his suit and the outfit he has to wear during his performance. I was so frustrated I almost told him to take something from the costume cupboard from his last film and just wear that!? fretted the designer before scurrying off to placate the insecure actor and add some bling to his black suit.

Dharmendra, Priyanka Chopra & Bobby Deol

Closer to Toronto, and working out of New York where he was shopping for clothes for the young actors in Karan Johar?s Student of the Year, designer Manish Malhotra was calm. ?I finished all the clothes for my stars before I left. I don?t have the time now,? he said before he too packed a bag to make a one-day trip to IIFA.

Wonder what Manish is planning to do about Heroine star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan whose pregnancy has just become public news. The designer has been entrusted with her look for the Madhur Bhandarkar film. Maybe he should make a quick visit to the maternity section of Bloomingdales, add some chiffon sleeves and sequins to an outfit and voila, it will instantly become a much-wanted Manish designer gown which might just win awards at next year?s IIFA.

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