STARRY,STARRY NIGHT

It was a year that saw Indian cinema take risks with fresh ideas,stories and faces. The Screen Awards honoured the best in the business
A glittering 45-foot-high trophy formed the backdrop to an evening dedicated to celebrating excellence in Indian cinema at the 16th Nokia Star Screen Awards held in Mumbai. B-town’s high-profile and most sought-after stars descended in huge numbers for the first and most important award ceremony of the new decade. 2009 was a significant year for Indian cinema: a year when the multiplex strike crippled the industry for almost three months and alternately,when 3 Idiots broke a 35-year-old box office record set by Sholay,changing the sombre mood of the industry to one of optimism.

This year,besides being bigger and more dazzling than usual,the Screen Awards recognised the subtle but significant changes in Indian cinema with a new category,Best Ensemble Cast,under which Firaaq,Delhi 6,Gulaal and Sankat City and Luck By Chance were nominated. Zoya Akhtar’s debut film won the award.
The drama unfolded with an energising performance by Bipasha Basu,while hosts Shahid Kapoor and R Madhavan tickled the audience with their easy repartee. They were joined by the delightful newbie Omi Vaidya and the inimitable Shah Rukh Khan.

Paa and 3 Idiots,though so completely different in content,pretty much ruled the ceremony,a testament to the versatile choice of the Indian viewer. Vidya Balan,gorgeous in a resplendent Kanjeevaram,gave a warm speech after receiving the Best Actor (Female) Award. “When I have kids,I can tell them my first son was Mr. Bachchan,” said Balan,giggling uncontrollably. Raj Kumar Hirani,who won the Best Director Award for 3 Idiots,dedicated the win to his parents and recounted anecdotes from the film’s shoot. “We ran into massive problems in Ladakh. We had to re-shoot the climax,my entire team insisted we go back. That is the commitment we had to this movie,” said Hirani,to thunderous applause. Eventually,all was well.