Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (PTI): Shah Rukh Khan’s stellar performance in “Jawan” earned him the Best Actor award at the IIFA Awards, while Ranbir Kapoor’s “Animal” was crowned Best Picture.
The awards ceremony, hosted by Shah Rukh Khan, Vicky Kaushal, and Karan Johar, was a star-studded affair filled with memorable moments. Khan’s charismatic presence, from his signature pose to his impromptu dance moves with Kaushal, entertained the audience throughout the night.
Notably, Khan’s “Dil Se…” director Mani Ratnam and music maestro A R Rahman presented him with the Best Actor award, a touching moment that saw Khan touch Ratnam’s feet in gratitude.
Other notable winners included Rani Mukerji for Best Actress (“Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway”), Shilpa Rao for Best Playback Singer (Female) (“Chaleya” from “Jawan”), and Vidhu Vinod Chopra for Best Director (“12th Fail”).
“Animal” also had a successful night, with Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol winning Best Supporting Actor and Best Negative Role, respectively. Deol’s acceptance speech included a recreation of his popular dance steps from the film.
While Ranbir Kapoor was absent to celebrate his birthday, his film “Animal” also received awards for music direction and several other technical categories. Bhupinder Babbal’s “Arjan Vailly” from the film won both Best Playback Singer (Male) and Best Lyrics.
Johar’s “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani” also garnered awards, with Shabana Azmi winning Best Supporting Actress and the writing team receiving the Best Story award. Veteran actress Hema Malini was honored with the Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema award, escorted to the stage by Shah Rukh Khan.
Newcomers Alizeh Agnihotri and Karan Boolani were recognized as Best Debutante Actor and Best Debutant Director, respectively.
Beyond the awards, the show featured electrifying performances by Rekha, Prabhudeva, Shahid Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Nora Fatehi, Kriti Sanon, and Ananya Pandey.
