Bollywood fantasy film Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva and gritty biopic Gangubai Kathiawadi were the big winners at this year's International Indian Film Academy Awards.
Held across two days, on Friday and Saturday, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Bollywood's biggest and brightest stars paid tribute to their colleagues and celebrated with some colourful performances.
The IIFA Awards are an annual celebration of all things Bollywood. Abu Dhabi was hosting the event for the second year in a row.
IIFA 2023: Bollywood stars walk the green carpet in Abu Dhabi
On Friday at IIFA Rocks, a night dedicated to music and fashion, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period biopic Gangubai Kathiawadi was the big winner in the technical categories, clinching trophies for cinematography, screenplay and dialogue. The film, about real-life gangster Ganga Harjivandas Kathiawadi, a mafia chief in 1960s Bombay, stars Alia Bhatt in the lead.
Bhatt won the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) for her performance in the film.
Hrithik Roshan won the leading actor trophy for his role in the Abu Dhabi-shot Vikram Vedha.
Anees Bazmee's Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, the horror comedy starring Kartik Aaryan and Tabu, won two awards – Best Choreography for title track and Best Sound Design.
Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva won the majority of the awards on Saturday at the gala event, including Best Playback Singer for Shreya Ghoshal (Female) and Arijit Singh (Male), as well as Best Supporting Actor (Female) for Mouni Roy.
Babil Khan, the son of late Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, shared the Best Debut (Male) award with Shantanu Maheshwari. Khan was celebrated for his role in the film Qala, and Maheshwari for starring in Gangubai Kathiawadi.
Khushali Kumar won the Best Debut (Female) awards for Dhoka Around the Corner.
Here are all the winners at the IIFA Awards 2023:
- Best Film: Drishyam 2
- Best Director: R Madhavan for Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female): Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male): Hrithik Roshan for Vikram Vedha
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female): Mouni Roy for Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male): Anil Kapoor for Jugjugg Jeeyo
- Outstanding Achievement for Fashion in Cinema: Manish Malhotra
- Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema: Kamal Haasan
- Best Adapted Story: Aamil Keeyan Khan and Abhishek Pathak for Drishyam 2
- Best Original Story: Perveez Sheikh and Jasmeet Reen for Darlings
- Outstanding Achievement in Regional Cinema: Marathi film Ved, directed by Riteish Deshmukh
- Best Debut (Male): Shantanu Maheshwari for Gangubai Kathiawadi and Babil Khan for Qala
- Best Debut (Female): Khushali Kumar for Dhoka Around the Corner
- Best Playback Singer (Female): Shreya Ghoshal for the song Rasiya from Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva
- Best Playback Singer (Male): Arijit Singh for the song Kesariya from Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva
- Best Music Direction: Pritam for Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva
- Best Lyricist: Amitabh Bhattacharya for the song Kesarya from Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva
- Best Cinematography: Gangubai Kathiawadi
- Best Screenplay: Gangubai Kathiawadi
- Best Dialogue: Gangubai Kathiawadi
- Best Choreography for title track: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
- Best Sound Design: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
- Best Editing: Drishyam 2
- Best Special Effects (Visual): Brahmastra: Part One - Shiva
- Best Background Score: Vikram Vedha
- Best Sound Mixing: Monica O My Darling
