Screen Scorchers

The 17th Star Screen Awards held in Mumbai.

It was an awards ceremony that celebrated small,offbeat films,debutant directors and fresh talent. But,it was a ceremony where big,mainstream films with big stars in the lead won too. It was also a platform where both the warring Khans won: Salman Khan received the Best Actor Award Jury for his cop act in Dabangg,while Shah Rukh Khan won the Best Actor Award Popular for My Name is Khan.

In many ways,the 17th Star Screen Awards,held at the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbais Bandra Kurla Complex,reflected a changing Bollywood,rewarding young,experimental filmmakers who put a good story above star cast,and recognising new talent in acting and music. It also gave a thumbs-up to mainstream masala films. So,while Dabangg,the biggest hit of 2010,got seven awards,Udaan and Band Baaja Baaraat,both directed by first-time directors,got four awards each. Udaan bagged two of the biggest trophies: Best Film and Best Director for Vikramaditya Motwane.

As he picked up the award for the Best Film,Udaans producers Sanjay Singh put it best: It took Rs 3 crore to make the best film of the year.

The Ramnath Goenka Memorial Award,given to socially relevant films,went this year to My Name Is Khan,which producer-director Karan Johar called the most important film he has ever directed.

2010 was a year of musical extravaganza. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy shared the Best Music Award for My Name is Khan with Sajid-Wajid for Dabangg. The Best Female Playback Singer Award was shared by Shreya Ghoshal for Bahara from I Hate Luv Storys and Mamta Sharma for Munni badnaam hui from Dabangg. Sharma also won the Karbonn Mobile New Music Talent for Munni while Farah Khan picked up the Best Choreography Award for the song.

In the final segment of the ceremony,Shahid Kapoor and Shah Rukh paid a tribute to four actors of yoreAsha Parekh,Zeenat Aman,Hema Malini and Rekha. It was an appropriate end to the evening. Welcoming new talent and new ideas that are redefining Bollywood,the Star Screen Awards also acknowledged veteran actors and enduring ideas that have made Hindi cinema what it is today.