The rain-soaked streets of Toronto seem to have come alive with the buzz of the coming 12th Indian International Film Awards (IIFA), a celebration of everything Bollywood. With close to 50,000 Canadians, including non-resident Indians and Asians, expected to witness the show on Saturday, this edition of IIFA is by far the largest conglomeration of any film-based awards function hosted in North America outside of the Oscars.
?We worked hard to land IIFA?s North American debut and we are excited it?s finally here,? Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, said.
The 12th IIFA weekend celebrations are being hosted at the prestigious Toronto?s Rogers Centre where 22,000 tickets have already been sold much in advance. Almost 700 million viewers are expected to watch the event live on television, said McGuinty. According to an initial estimate made by the local government, Toronto will generate revenues in excess of R35 crore from the IIFA awards weekend from June 23 to June 26. A senior official in the Ontario government said Toronto alone is set to receive over 40,000 overseas visitors for IIFA, who are expected to spend an average of $1,200 each in next three days.
IIFA kicks off on Friday with the gala opening of Salman Khan?s debut production Chillar Party, a comedy about children of different backgrounds. The hit Bollywood gangster movie Once Upon a Time in Mumbai leads the field in nominations, having been nominated in 12 categories, including best film and best male lead. Salman Khan?s successful Dabangg is close behind with 11 nominations.
Commenting on IIFA?s North American debut, Sabbas Joseph, director, Wizcraft International, the event management firm that owns IIFA awards, said: ?The partnership that we have struck with Ontario will lead to great benefits to both countries in terms of entertainment, trade and tourism.?
Speaking on IIFA, actor Anil Kapoor, a well-known face in North America because of his television series 24, said: ?I could not be happier that Toronto is hosting the IIFA Awards. I am thrilled to be a part of it.?
Launched in 2000 at the Millennium Dome in London, the annual IIFA awards have been held in 11 cities around the world, including Colombo, Macau, Bangkok, Dubai, Amsterdam and Johannesburg.
?Tickets sold like hot cakes for this year?s ceremony, snapped up within minutes of going on sale,? said a senior executive of Wizcraft International Entertainment.
Presented by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and hosted by the Ontario government, the IIFA weekend will give fans an opportunity to meet the Indian film industry in international territories. The weekend celebration comprises six major events, including the Ficci-IIFA Global Business Forum, IIFA Rocks, IIFA Film Festival, IIFA Film Workshop, IIFA World Premiere, IIFA Awards and a myriad of interactive community events in and around the Greater Toronto area.
(The correspondent?s visit for this report was sponsored by Ficci)