For an industry wrecked by the coronavirus pandemic, Bollywood still had a lot to celebrate on Saturday night as it recognised the best of 2020 at the Filmfare Awards.
The long-running awards show, which was held under strict coronavirus restrictions, was mostly devoid of major stars, thanks to scant film releases in 2020 as cinemas were shuttered, but meant smaller films got much-deserved time in the spotlight.
Thappad, a film about a woman who begins to question her marriage, and her worth, after she's slapped by her husband, was the big winner of the night, taking home seven awards. It won Best Film, Best Actress for Taapsee Pannu and Best Story, among others.
"Thappad keeps leaving memories to cherish," the actress posted on Instagram soon after her win.
Pannu also won the Best Actress award in 2020 for her role in the biopic Saand Ki Aankh.
Another big winner on Saturday night, with six awards, was Gulabo Sitabo, the comedy starring Indian acting heavyweight Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana. Bachchan won Best Actor (Critics), while Farrukh Jaffar won Best Supporting Actress.
There were also colourful entertainment performances, always one of the highlights of the annual show. Superstar Hrithik Roshan danced to some of his biggest hits, as Khurrana performed songs inspired by the festivals of India. The country celebrates the festival of colours, Holi, on Sunday.
Sara Ali Khan, who won Best Debut in 2019, also performed for the first time on the Filmfare Awards stage.
Other performers included Sunny Leone, Nora Fatehi and actor Rajkummar Rao, who also hosted the show.
Actor Irrfan Khan, known for his work in both Bollywood and Hollywood, was also posthumously honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as a Best Actor trophy for his role in the satire Angrezi Medium. Khan, who was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumour in 2018, died last year in April.
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who died last year in June, was also remembered, as choreographer Farah Khan won Best Choreography for the title song of Dil Bechara, featuring Rajput. Dil Bechara, a remake of the Hollywood film The Fault in Our Stars, was Rajput's last film.
Alaya F, the daughter of actress Pooja Bedi, who starred in Jawaani Jaaneman, won Best Debut. The comedy, also starring Saif Ali Khan, was one of the last big films to release in 2020 before cinemas were shut.
Khan also won for a Best Supporting Actor award for his role in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, the period epic based on the life of a Maratha warrior. Starring actor Ajay Devgn in the lead, the film was a critical and box office hit, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2020 in India.
Here is the full list of Filmfare Award winners
Best Film: Thappad
Best Director: Om Raut for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Best Film (Critics): Eeb Allay Ooo!
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Male): Irrfan Khan in Angrezi Medium
Best Actor (Critics): Amitabh Bachchan in Gulabo Sitabo
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female): Taapsee Pannu in Thappad
Best Actor (Critics): Tillotama Shome in Sir
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male): Saif Ali Khan in Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Best Actor in a Supporting Actor Role (Female): Farrukh Jaffar in Gulabo Sitabo
Best Story: Anubhav Sushila Singh and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul for Thappad
Best Screenplay: Rohena Gera for Sir
Best Dialogue: Juhi Chaturvedi for Gulabo Sitabo
Best Debut Director: Rajesh Krishnan for Lootcase
Best Debut Female: Alaya F in Jawaani Jaaneman
Best Music Album: Pritam for Ludo
Best Lyrics: Gulzar for Chhapaak
Best Playback Singer (Male): Raghav Chaitanya for Ek Tukda Dhoop from Thappad
Best Playback Singer (Female): Asees Kaur for Malang title song
Lifetime Achievement Award: Irrfan Khan
Best Action: Ramazan Bulut, RP Yadav for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Best Background Score: Mangesh Urmila Dhakde for Thappad
Best Cinematography: Abhik Mukhopadhyay for Gulabo Sitabo
Best Choreography: Farah Khan for Dil Bechara title song
Best Costume Design: Veera Kapur Ee for Gulabo Sitabo
Best Editing: Yasha Pushpa Ramchandani for Thappad
Best Production Design: Manasi Dhruv Mehta for Gulabo Sitabo
Best Sound Design: Kaamod Kharade for Thappad
Best VFX: Prasad Sutar, NY Vfxwaala for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
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Read more:
Karan Johar launches Shanaya Kapoor in Bollywood debut, sparking nepotism debate again
Bollywood films for 2021: All the titles set to hit cinemas this year
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PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar
Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Read more from Mina Al-Oraibi
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPayal%20Kapadia%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kani%20Kusruti%2C%20Divya%20Prabha%2C%20Chhaya%20Kadam%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Sunday's fixtures
- Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
- Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
RESULT
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 0 Al Ain 6
Al Ain: Caio (5', 73'), El Shahat (10'), Berg (65'), Khalil (83'), Al Ahbabi (90' 2)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Know your cyber adversaries
Cryptojacking: Compromises a device or network to mine cryptocurrencies without an organisation's knowledge.
Distributed denial-of-service: Floods systems, servers or networks with information, effectively blocking them.
Man-in-the-middle attack: Intercepts two-way communication to obtain information, spy on participants or alter the outcome.
Malware: Installs itself in a network when a user clicks on a compromised link or email attachment.
Phishing: Aims to secure personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Ransomware: Encrypts user data, denying access and demands a payment to decrypt it.
Spyware: Collects information without the user's knowledge, which is then passed on to bad actors.
Trojans: Create a backdoor into systems, which becomes a point of entry for an attack.
Viruses: Infect applications in a system and replicate themselves as they go, just like their biological counterparts.
Worms: Send copies of themselves to other users or contacts. They don't attack the system, but they overload it.
Zero-day exploit: Exploits a vulnerability in software before a fix is found.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule
12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)
2pm Formula One final practice
5pm Formula One qualifying
6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)
Fixtures:
Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm
Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm
Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
