The IIFA Utsavam 2024 lit up Abu Dhabi, gathering some of the biggest names from South Indian and Bollywood cinema for a night of glitz, glamour, and accolades. The star-studded event saw icons like Mani Ratnam, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Chiranjeevi, Nandamuri Balakrishna, AR Rahman, Rana Daggubati, and Venkatesh Daggubati grace the red carpet. Bollywood was also well-represented, with celebrities such as Aishwarya Rai, Shahid Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Kriti Sanon, Karan Johar, Javed Akhtar, and Shabana Azmi in attendance.
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the winners, recognizing excellence across South Indian cinema. Notably, Jailer took home the award for Best Picture (Tamil), while Nani won Best Actor (Telugu) for Dasara and Vikram secured Best Actor (Tamil) for his performance in Ponniyin Selvan: II. Aishwarya Rai, for her role in Ponniyin Selvan: II, was named Best Actress (Tamil), and Mani Ratnam won Best Director (Tamil) for the same film. AR Rahman also took home the award for Best Music Direction (Tamil) for his outstanding work on Ponniyin Selvan: II.
The night also celebrated lifetime contributions to Indian cinema, with Chiranjeevi being honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema award, and acclaimed director Priyadarshan receiving the Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema award. Samantha Ruth Prabhu was recognized as the Woman of the Year in Indian Cinema, further cementing her impact on the industry.
Here's a look at some of the major winners:
Best Picture (Tamil): Jailer
Best Actor (Telugu): Nani (Dasara)
Best Actor (Tamil): Vikram (Ponniyin Selvan: II)
Best Actress (Tamil): Aishwarya Rai (Ponniyin Selvan: II)
Best Director (Tamil): Mani Ratnam (Ponniyin Selvan: II)
Best Music Direction (Tamil): AR Rahman (Ponniyin Selvan: II)
Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema: Chiranjeevi
Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema: Priyadarshan
Woman of the Year in Indian Cinema: Samantha Ruth Prabhu
Best Performance in a Negative Role (Tamil): SJ Suryah (Mark Antony)
Best Performance in a Negative Role (Malayalam): Arjun Radhakrishnan (Kannur Squad)
Best Performance in a Negative Role (Telugu): Shine Tom Chacko (Dasara)
Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Male – Tamil): Jayaram (Ponniyin Selvan: II)
Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Female – Tamil): Sahasra Shree (Chithha)
Golden Legacy Award: Nandamuri Balakrishna
Outstanding Excellence in Kannada Cinema: Rishab Shetty
Best Debut (Female – Kannada): Aradhana Ram (Kaatera)
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The three-day IIFA celebration kicked off with IIFA Utsavam, an event exclusively honoring Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema. The excitement continues on the second day with Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal, and Karan Johar taking center stage to host the IIFA Awards night. Legendary actress Rekha is also set to make a special appearance, returning to the IIFA stage after years.
Additionally, performances by Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal will keep the audience entertained. The IIFA festivities will conclude on September 29 with IIFA Rocks, an invitation-only event featuring live performances from artists like Honey Singh, Shilpa Rao, and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
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