The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) are returning to the UAE capital later this month for the third straight year. But this time, organisers are adding South Indian star power to the mix.
To be held across three days at Etihad Arena, the IIFA Festival, as it is called this year, will begin with IIFA Utsavam on September 27. It will honour the best South Indian entertainment of the past year, with stars from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada film industries expected to attend.
The second night, on September 28, will be the flagship IIFA Awards, which honour the best of Bollywood or the Hindi film industry. The festival will close with IIFA Rocks, a night dedicated to music and fashion. All three nights are expected to feature top stars from India's entertainment industry.
The IIFA Awards were traditionally held in a different country each year, but Abu Dhabi has hosted the IIFA Awards and IIFA Rocks since 2022.
What are the IIFA Awards?
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Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was the final performer of the night, dancing to many of his hits from over the decades. All photos: IIFA -
Salman Khan on stage -
Hrithik Roshan with his Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male) award for Vikram Vedha -
Hrithik Roshan dances on stage with host Vicky Kaushal -
Hrithik Roshan and Vicky Kaushal dance next to Abhishek Bachchan -
Nora Fatehi's cabaret act included a medley of songs such as Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, Aaj Ki Raat and Aao Na -
Nora Fatehi on stage -
Jacqueline Fernandez took made an impressive entrance with the song Paani Paani. She continued with the thumping beats of Show Me the Thumka -
Kamal Haasan being honoured with the Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema award by A R Rahman -
Rakul Preet Singh paid tribute to old Bollywood, and performed classic hits including Aaiye Meherbaan, Babuji Dheere Chalna and Ajeeb Dastan -
Rakul Preet Singh on stage -
Kriti Sanon began her performance with the song Apna Bana Le from the film Bhediya -
Kriti Sanon was joined by viral Norwegian dance crew Quick Style -
Kriti Sanon on stage -
The cast of Netflix reality show Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives - Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey, Seema Kiran Sajdeh and Neelam Kothari -
Varun Dhawan was the first performer of the night -
Varun Dhawan made his entrance from the back of Etihad Arena and danced down the aisle to the tune of Naach Punjaban -
Varun Dhawan performs -
Varun Dhawan on stage -
Performers take part in the gala's Opening Act -
The performance combined Indian and Emirati cultures -
The opening performance took the audience on a cultural journey across the Emirates -
Dancers perform for Opening Act -
The event began with a performance called Opening Act -
Hosts Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal dance on stage -
Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal hosted the Bollywood event this year -
Vicky Kaushal and Abhishek Bachchan made their entrance together with a little dance routine, reciting couplets featuring names of films nominated this year -
Hosts Abhishek Bachchan and Vicky Kaushal on stage -
Anil Kapoor on stage -
Actor Anil Kapoor began the show by saying: 'When we came to Abu Dhabi last year, we were bestowed with love and this love has pulled us back to entertain you'
First held in London in 2000, the IIFA Awards were conceptualised by Mumbai event company Wizcraft International Entertainment to honour the best Hindi films and movie talents of the previous year. It has been instrumental in boosting Bollywood's global popularity.
Dubai hosted the event, back in 2006, and so has Bangkok, New York, Colombo, Amsterdam, Madrid, Florida, Kuala Lumpur and Macau. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2021 version took place online before Abu Dhabi took on the host city duties in 2022.
As a nod to the rising stature of films from South India, Wizcraft launched IIFA Utsavam in 2016, to honour films and talent from Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada film industries.
Who are the IIFA Festival 2024 hosts?
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will host this year's IIFA Awards alongside producer and director Karan Johar and actor Vicky Kaushal. The trio have all hosted the awards separately in the past.
“IIFA is a celebration of Indian cinema that resonates across the globe and being a part of its journey over the years has been amazing,” Khan said. “I look forward to bringing the energy, passion, and grandeur of IIFA to life once again as we gear up for an unforgettable celebration of Indian cinema this September.”
Johar said he is looking forward to sharing the stage with his “dear friend” Shah Rukh Khan. He added: “We’re about to light up Yas Island like never before.”
Kaushal, who will also be performing, said being on the IIFA stage was "pure magic". "Returning to IIFA at the breathtaking Yas Island, Abu Dhabi is an experience I’ve eagerly anticipated," he said."I'll try this time too to ignite the stage with fresh energy and create unforgettable memories with the amazing IIFA family."
Meanwhile, IIFA Utsavam will be hosted by stars representing each of the regional South Indian languages. Rana Dagubatti and Teja Sajja will host the Telugu awards, while Sathish and Diya Menon will represent the Tamil film industry. For Kannada films, actors Akul Balaji and Vijay Raghavendra will host, while the Malayalam segment will be hosted by actor Sudev Nair and actress Pearle Maaney.
IIFA Rocks will close out the three-day event, with Bollywood actors Siddhant Chaturvedi and Abhishek Banerjee hosting the music and fashion night. While Chaturvedi is known for his roles in films such as Gully Boy and Gehraiyaan, Banerjee has received acclaim for films such as Stree and the series Paatal Lok.
Who are the performers?
So far, confirmed performers for the IIFA Awards include Bollywood veteran Rekha and actors Vicky Kaushal, Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Janhvi Kapoor.
Kaushal, who hosted the awards last year, is set to perform the viral song Tauba Tauba from his 2024 film Bad Newz, among others. Kapoor and Sanon's film Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya also comes with a number of hits including the title track and Akhiyaan Gulaab, the video for which was filmed in the UAE.
For IIFA Utsavam, performers include actresses Pragya Jaiswal, Raashii Khanna, Regina Cassandra and Aradhana Ram as well as actor, director and choreographer Prabhu Deva and actor Shane Nigam. Composer Devi Sri Prasad, popularly known as DSP, will also perform. More will be announced soon.
DSP, the headline act at IIFA Rocks in 2022, is one of the busiest music directors in India today, known for many hits including the viral Oo Antava Mawa and Srivalli songs from the Telugu superhit Pushpa: The Rise.
IIFA Rocks will begin with the Bollywood music trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. The group are behind multiple hits spanning more than three decades and are made up of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. They have also composed for multiple Indian languages Hindi. They will be honoured on the nigh, for their contribution to Indian cinema.
Singer Shilpa Rao, known for her powerful vocals and versatility, will also join Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy on stage. Rao's voice has been featured in a number of hit Bollywood songs including Ishq Shava in the film Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Malang from Dhoom 3 and Manmarziyaan from Lootera.
Rapper Honey Singh will also return to the IIFA stage. Known for his fusion of rap and Bollywood beats, Singh's popular hits include Brown Rang, Desi Kalakaar and Blue Eyes. Romanian actress Lulia Vantur, known for her work in Bollywood, will also perform at IIFA Rocks.
How much do tickets cost?
Tickets are priced separately for all three nights, starting at Dh100 each. Tickets for IIFA Awards have sold out but are still available for IIFA Utsavam and IIFA Rocks. Show timings and other additional information is available on the Etihad Arena website.
