IIFA musings... after the blast

By Subhash K Jha Jun 19, 2006, 13:01 GMT

Mumbai, June 19 (IANS) Rishi Kapoor is humbled and embarrassed. Karan Johar has lost his voice. And Amitabh Bachchan is deeply satisfied. They're back in Mumbai after days of hectic merrymaking and dancing at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards function in Dubai last week.

The most moving experience for fans of Rishi Kapoor was the dancing tribute that Saif Ali Khan paid the charismatic star.

Saif had made it clear that he wasn't going to emulate Rishi's steps. Which basically meant Saif had no time or maybe no patience with practising, let alone perfecting, Rishi's real steps from 'Karz', 'Hum Kissi Se Kam Nahin' and all those spectacular musicals from the 1970s and 1980s.

Said a star who watched the Rishi-razzmatazz. 'These homages to stars look funny when the actor doing the tribute doesn't even know the original steps.'

But Rishi who watched Saif do his own thing was impressed. 'I'm deeply humbled and also embarrassed by Saif's homage. I'm not used to being given my due, I guess,' Rishi laughed.

However, the one dancing star who got more than his due was Sikandar Kher. This was his debut performance and he was nervous as hell. 'Imagine dancing on the same stage as Salman, Saif, Akshay and Hrithik. I was sh****** bricks. It was the most scary moment of my life, and yet the most exciting for both me and my co-star Neha Oberoi.'

As the two newcomers danced to Anu Malik's song from their debut film 'Woodstock Villa', Sikandar's mom Kirron Kher looked visibly moved.

Aishwarya came away in only a day on June 14. 'That was all I could afford to get away for. I attended the premiere and was back shooting for 'Guru' in Channai. The response to my film 'Provoked' was overwhelming. Personally, the media out there had very positive things to say about my performance. Rushed back to shoot with a fever.'

If Ash is down with a fever, Karan Johar has lost his voice for the second time this year.

'I don't know how I got through all the talking and socialising,' he whispered from Dubai on Saturday morning. 'But I'm happy because the music release of my 'Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna' (KANK) went well in Dubai and earlier in London.'

A mock-episode of his chat show 'Koffee With Karan' was staged at the IIFA with Anil Kapoor, Riteish Deshmukh and Katrina Kaif. He asked guest Katrina to start a rumour. 'That you're getting married?' Katrina ventured.

Karan laughed, 'It was just for fun. And since I'll be coming back with another season of the talk show soon, a good teaser trailer.'

IIFA's brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan came back deeply satisfied. 'It was fun and it served its purpose of giving our cinema one more opportunity to be noticed globally.'

AB Sr performed a skit choreographed by Shiamak Davar on the multiple award-winning film 'Black' with his co-stars Rani Mukherjee and Ayesha Kapoor.

'It was a small token performance for a film that has broken so many barriers. We missed Sanjay Bhansali at IIFA. He deserves every award he got for Black,' said AB emotionally.

© 2006 Indo-Asian News Service