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?
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.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
More on animal trafficking
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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