Culture Connection

The inaugural edition of SAIFTA brought together talent from India and South Africa

Well before his car pulled up outside the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Durban,South Africa,the crowd had started to chant Ranveer Singhs name. The excitement soared when he stopped to greet fans who had queued up. But Singhs voice was drowned by further cheering for Priyanka Chopra.

The locals people of Indian origin form a large part of the population had started to queue up at the Bram Fischer Road outside the venue over an hour before Indian film and television celebrities walked the red carpet at the South Africa India Film and Television Awards (SAIFTA) that took place in Durban on September 6. As everyone,from Madhuri Dixit-Nene,John Abraham and Abhay Deol to Manish Paul,Karan Wahi and Mona Singh,walked the red carpet,the fans showed how much they love both Bollywood as well as Indian television stars.

The event,in its first edition,is a strategic tie-up between the tourism department of South African province KwaZulu-Natal and a private Indian events agency,Celebrity Locker,aimed at strengthening ties between,and celebrating the talent from the film and television industries of the participating countries.

This was the first time that talents from the two countries shared the stage. For its inaugural event,Karan Johar played host alongside Dia Mirza and South African models Tatum Keshwar and Simba.

The performances,designed by Bollywood choreographer Geeta Kapoor,had Dixit-Nene perform some of her classic moves on Ghaghra from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani,among others. Ranveer danced to a medley of songs filmed on some of Indian cinemas biggest stars,including Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. Aunty Romba,a popular South African stand-up comic,matched Johars wit on stage.

The Best Actor awards in Hindi cinema went to Ranbir Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra for Barfi!,and the film also won Film of the Year award. Johar bagged the Best Director award on behalf of Abhishek Kapoor,for Kai Po Che!. Sidharth Malhotra bagged the Debut of the Year award (Student of the Year) and Abraham took the trophy for Special Award for Best Youth Icon.

The ceremony also showcased talent on television from both the countries. Gurmeet Chaudhary for Pavitra Rishta and Kratika Sengar for Punar Vivaah won the Lead Actor of the Year. Robert Whitehead (for Isidingo) and Baby Cele (for Zabalaza) were their South African counterparts.

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As the curtain fell,the audience rose in applause to demonstrate that the visual arts truly transcend boundaries.

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