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As Saturday night fell over Jaipur, the Pink City shimmered in a glow that rivalled the starlit sky. With the who’s who of Bollywood gathering at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC) for the 25th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, the city buzzed with excitement. Glimpses from the event that have surfaced online reveal that the first day of the ceremony was all about rekindling connections and sharing moments of joy among celebrities.
From Kareena Kapoor Khan and Shahid Kapoor to Madhuri Dixit, Karan Johar, Bobby Deol, Kriti Sanon, Vijay Varma, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shreya Ghoshal and Nora Fatehi, the star-studded night was graced by some of Bollywood’s biggest names. Many of them also took to the stage from time to time, much to the delight of the audience. One of the evening’s biggest highlights was ex-couple Kareena and Shahid catching up and sharing a delightful chat after years of an estranged equation. The night also witnessed the conferring of the first-ever IIFA Digital Awards, honouring the finest in streaming content.
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The celebrations commenced with Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, and filmmaker Karan Johar inaugurating the IIFA Challenge for Green. Speaking to the media, Sharma highlighted that the state had hosted the shooting of 61 films, web series and television shows in the past year. “It’s a historic moment that the silver jubilee of the IIFA Awards is being held in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. It’s not just an awards show it is also a symbol of the global reach of Indian cinema and culture,” he added.
Meanwhile, the glamour quotient soared as the IIFA Digital Awards took centre stage. Among the stars, Kareena Kapoor captivated the most in a deep red and gold ensemble, featuring an intricately embellished blouse with delicate straps, a flowing draped skirt and an ornate dupatta with gold borders. She completed her look with a striking emerald choker, matching earrings and gold bangles, while her sleek bun and minimal makeup accentuated her natural beauty.
The night was also a treat for music and dance lovers. While Madhuri Dixit enthralled the attendees by dancing to her iconic number “Ek Do Teen” from Tezaab (1988), Shreya Ghoshal paid tribute to legendary singers with soulful renditions of their songs. Even as Nora Fatehi set the stage ablaze with her electrifying performances, Mika Singh wowed the audience with his powerhouse vocals. However, despite all these, hosts Vijay Varma, Aparshakti Khurana and Abhishek Banerjee stole the show with their funny banter, playful monologues and comedic bits, adding a lighthearted charm to the vibrant evening.
The ceremony also saw the presentation of the first-ever IIFA Digital Awards. While Amar Singh Chamkila was named the Best Film, earning Imtiaz Ali the trophy for Best Director too, Kriti Sanon and Vikrant Massey bagged the awards for best performances for their work in Do Patti and Sector 36, respectively. As Anupriya Goenka (Berlin) and Deepak Dobriyal (Sector 36) took home the trophies for Best Supporting Actors, Kanika Dhillon (Do Patti) bagged the IIFA Digital Award for Best Story.
In the streaming shows categories, Panchayat Season 3 dominated, winning Best Series, Best Director (Deepak Kumar Mishra) and Best Leading Actor (Jitendra Kumar). While Shreya Chaudhry (Bandish Bandits Season 2) was named Best Leading Actress, Faisal Malik (Panchayat Season 3) and Sanjeeda Shaikh (Heeramandi) won for Best Supporting Roles. Other winners included Puneet Batra and Arunabh Kumar (Kota Factory Season 3) for Best Story, Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives for Best Reality/Non-Scripted Series, Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous for Best Documentary, and Ishq Hai (Mismatched Season 3) for Best Title Track.
The ceremony will continue on Sunday with the main IIFA Awards for films set to take place, where Kartik Aaryan will take on hosting duties. Adding to the star power, Bollywood’s Baadshah Shah Rukh Khan will also be in attendance and is set to deliver a spectacular performance.
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