Lanka rolls out red carpet for IIFA stars
Ruwini JAYAWARDANA
The Sri Lanka Tourist Board said some of the most popular Indian
actors have confirmed their participation at the 11th International
Indian Film Academy Awards which will be held at the Sugathadasa Indoor
stadium on June 5. Actors Sanjaya Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Sharman Joshi,
Genelia D’Souza, Rajiv Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Aamna Sharif, Sarina Khan
and others will arrive to take part in the three day gala event.
Both Indian designers, Vikram Phadnis and Manish Malhotra, who will
take part in the ‘IIFA Fashion Rocks’ extravaganza have arrived in Sri
Lanka with top Indian models. IIFA Awards hosts Lara Dutta, Boman Irani
and Ritesh Deshkmukh arrived yesterday at the Bandaranaike International
airport.
Directors Dinesh Gupta and Mani Shankar, ApoorvaLakhia and producer
Ramesh Tanrami too will fly to Sri Lanka.
The hosts of the fashion extravaganza Vivek Oberoi had already
arrived while Dia Mirza had confirmed that she will take part. Indian
vocalists Kailash Kher and Anushka Manchanda too will be here to enchant
music lovers with his songs.
“More artistes will be arriving tomorrow to take part in the Videocon
IIFA Weekend and the Micromax IIFA Awards,” a Sri Lanka Tourism source
revealed.
Actors Hrithik Roshan and Sunil Shetty will be skippers for the IIFA
‘Charity for Children’ fund raising cricket match between Bollywood
stars and Sri Lankan cricketers. Sanjaya Dutt and Bipasha Basu will toss
the coin at the event which will fund the constructions of 100 houses in
a village for refugees in Kilinochchi.
The proceedings will also go to UNICEF for the rehabilitation program
for former child-soldiers and displaced children in the north. Salman
Khan is the Charity Ambassador for the event.
“IIFA has given us an opportunity to further its profile in the
international market and generate positive interest within the Indian
film industry due to the country’s proximities. IIFA will support the
country’s efforts in promoting our destination as a film shooting locale
and strengthening the historic bilateral ties between India and Sri
Lanka that has contributed greatly in developing the country’s economy,”
Economic Development Deputy Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana said.
Actors Bobby Deol and Mugdha Godse will unveil the first look of their
horror-thriller, Rajeev Virani’s Help at the IIFA awards 2010.
“I am very happy that the first look of our film will be unveiled at
an International platform like IIFA,” Deol told the media. The film will
hit theatres July 9.
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