The International Indian Film Awards, nicknamed Bollywood Oscars was held in Tampa, Florida, Saturday
Bollywood film "Bhaag Milka Bhaag" may not have won any Oscars but it definitely was the biggest winner at the International Indian Film Awards, touted to be the Bollywood Oscars, held for the first time in the United States
The prestigious event was held in Florida over the weekend with celebrities like Kevin Spacey and John Travolta attending. According to a Daily Mail report, the show was likened to the Super Bowl in terms of its security needs, traffic management and planning.
"Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" took home five of the biggest awards of the night including best director, best picture and best actor. The film is a biographical sports drama based on the life of Milkha Singh, an Indian athlete who was a national champion runner and an Olympian.
Actress Divya Dutta also took home the Best Supporting actress award from her role in the film, which also earned the award for best story.
Deepika Padukone was given the "Best Actress" award for her role in another Bollywood Blockbuster "Chennai Express." She also took home the award for Entertainer of the year.
"2013 was an amazing year for me," Padukone said after her win. "I left home with a suitcase and a dream, and I thank my parents for allowing me to follow my dream."
Other winners of the night included:
- Best supporting Actor: Aditya Roy Kapoor for "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani"
- Best Newcomers: Dhanush and Vani Kapoor
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Shatrughan Sinha
Organizers of the event confirmed that the four-day extravaganza generated about $11 million in revenue, according to Reuters. Although Hollywood generates five times more revenue, the $2 billion Bollywood industry is known to make twice as many movies in a year.
IIFA is presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honor both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood. The event was last held at Macau in 2013. Instituted in 2000, the ceremony is held in different countries around the world every year. Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan was the Brand Ambassador of the IIFA until 2010.
