The Sanjay Dutt – Vidya Balan – Arshad Warsi starrer Lage Raho Munnabhai bagged the Best Film award at the 2nd Global Indian Film Awards at Kuala Lumpur
The Vidhu Vinod Chopra produced film upstaged Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra ‘s Rang De Basanti which dominated the glitzy Bollywood night by winning in eight categories.
Over 4000 ecstatic fans thronged the Putra Stadium to witness the five-hour award function on Saturday night, attended by Malaysia’s Queen, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and Deputy Premier Najib Tun Razak and the cream of Indian cinema.
Chopra also won the award for the Best Story for his super hit movie that has grabbed the imagination of Indians with its theme of “Gandhigiri”- a coinage for Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings.
Hrithik Roshan walked off with the Best Actor award for his superhero role in Krrish and Bipasha Basu won the Best Actress award for her role in Corporate .
Mehra’s ‘Rang De Basanti’ – India’s official entry for the Oscars in the Best Foreign Film category, had in its kitty awards in the categories of Best Director, Best Supporting Actress ( Soha Ali Khan ), Best Music ( A R Rahman ), Best Lyrics, Best Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Background Score (AR Rahman) and Best Art Director.
The audience were handed out the usual Bollywood fare of songs and dance on elaborate sets and fireworks, but the Oscar-style event had its share of slip-ups, including flat jokes by hosts Arbaaz Khan and Arjun Rampal and long-winding speeches. A globe on the award trophy came off several times during the ceremony.
Abhishek Bachchan won in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna , beating his own father mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan .
Hrithik dedicated his award to his father Rakesh Roshan and described him as a “true superhero.”
A separate award was given to Rakesh Roshan for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema over the past 35 years.
The crowds went wild as heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan appeared on stage. However, his fans were disappointed when the actor said that he will not be able to dance as he had suffered a thigh injury.
However, SRK’s comments about Malaysians having more than one wife, which he thought was “good” and said women activists back home would not like that, left many in the audience puzzled.
SRK also got the inaugural award for the Most Searched Actor on the internet while Priyanka Chopra got it for Most Searched Actress.
Rosmah Mansor, wife of Malaysia’s Deputy Premier and Patron of GIFA 2006, in her speech said that Hindi films had become a powerful unifying tool across the world.
She noted that the culture depicted through the Indian films had spread and noted these films were about good cultural values, familial piety and virtuous behaviour and hoped it never changed.