Contributor Iris Chan reports on the International Indian Film Academy Awards.
On Saturday June 25, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards were held in Toronto, Canada – the first ever North American country to host! Bollywood (with a bit of Hollywood) descended upon the green carpet with glitz and glamour.
For such a historic affair, it’s no wonder the South Asian Canadian community excitedly came to the occasion. I strolled through the crowd and met some of the fans.
In the U.S., we have Avatar and Titanic. China has Aftershock, a re-recreation of the deadly Tangshan earthquake. In India, it’s 3 Idiots that is the highest grossing film of all time.
Now, that’s no small feat for a country that churns out more than 1,000 films a year to a population of 1.2 billion. The multiple award-winning Bollywood film (it swept the International Indian Film Academy Awards) not only packs some serious star power (including Aamir Khan), it addresses some serious societal issues, all wrapped up in a heartfelt comedy starring three charming and lovable heroes.