The International Indian Film festival, IIFA lights up Abu Dhabi's Yas Island with a star-studded press conference
When you've grown up watching Hindi cinema for most of your childhood, it feels unreal to see filmstars as ordinary people. That happened this morning, when 'reel heroes' took to the stage and sang, danced and entertained all the media present, with a totally bindaas (carefree) attitude.
The highly anticipated 24th edition of the IIFA Festival 2024 kicked off with a spectacular showcase of stardom from five iconic film industries — Hindi and South Indian cinema (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada)—at the official press conference on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Held at Etihad Arena, the Middle East’s largest indoor entertainment venue, it celebrated the grandeur of Indian cinema, the IIFA Festival. The event is being held under the esteemed patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance & Coexistence, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Miral, for an unprecedented third year.
The conference today had a mix of IIFA Awards hosts and performers in attendance, featuring Vicky Kaushal, Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, along with IIFA Utsavam 2024 hosts and performers, including Rana Daggubati, Teja Sajja, Akul Balaji, Vijay Raghavendra, Sathish, Diya Menon, Sudev Nair, Pearle Maaney, Rockstar DSP, Shane Nigam, Raashii Khanna, Pragya Jaiswal, Malashri, Aradhana Ram, and Regina Cassandra. Joining the line up were IIFA Rocks hosts and performers, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Abhishek Banerjee, Shilpa Rao and Karan Aujla.
I was particularly thrilled to see Indian film director, Ramesh Sippy there. This was the second time that I've seen him. The first was at Bollywood Parks in Dubai.
IIFA also introduced its transformative initiative, “I Can Make A Difference” advocating Small Steps, Big Impact or empowering change through collective action. This initiative is taken to represent both the academy and the individual’s ability to make a difference.
The press conference also featured the unveiling of the Kuberan Film City and Institute, a new world class production and talent training-development facility that’s being set up in Goa, a destination where multiple films and OTT projects are filmed. After watching the promotional video, I hope that it will ensure that Goa's residents will get more opportunities for employment in the state.
Andre Timmins, Founder/Director, IIFA stated, “We are thrilled to unite the grandeur of Indian cinema for a historic star-studded celebration of five iconic industries this 27th -29th September, our biggest and most spectacular IIFA Festival yet. This year’s IIFA will be a celebration of unprecedented scale, transcending cinematic boundaries with the convergence of Hindi Cinema and South Indian cinema, set against Yas Island’s unmatched hospitality and breath-taking backdrop as a premier international destination."
What was incredibly evident is that all the entertainers were happy to be in the UAE. Ananya Pandey seemed happy to belt out a tune so that some of the actors could fascinate the audience with their dance moves. While journalists, bloggers and photographers were making a beeline for their favourite personalities, I decided to watch from a distance and soak in all the excitement. Tell me who's your favourite. @cinema @bollywood @iifafestival