'Dabangg' wins nine awards at the IIFA Awards 2011
25th June 2011

Hosted by Boman Irani and Riteish Deshmukh, the 12th IIFA Awards, held in Toronto, Canada paid tribute to a host of stars including Dharmendra, Asha Bhosle, Sharmila Tagore and Priyanka Chopra. 21,000 people turned out to see the biggest stars from Indian cinema fill the Rogers Centre where Hollywood personalities like Hilary Swank and Cuba Gooding Jr were in attendance. Jermaine Jackson and Sonu Nigaam were among of the entertainers for the IIFA Awards and IIFA Rocks events.

Dabangg, one of Bollywood’s biggest successes this year, bagged nine awards in Toronto. The Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty and director, Raj Kumar Hirani announced Dabangg as the voter’s choice. Best Direction went to Karan Johar for My Name is Khan. The director received the award from Cuba Gooding Jr and Bipasha Basu.

Once Upon A Time in Mumbai’s Prachi Desai won the award as Supporting Female actor for her flawless performance while Arjun Rampal received the Supporting Male Actor for his impressive performance in the political thriller, Rajneeti. The very talented Riteish Deshmukh won the award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for his rib-tickling performance in Housefull.

IIFA debutant awards were swept by Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha for Band Bajaa Baaraat and Dabangg respectively. Vishal Bharadwaj won the award for Best Dialogue for Ishqiya.

The stage was set on fire by the performances by Priyanka Chopra, Bipasha Basu, Kangana Ranaut, Ranveer Singh alongside Sonakshi Sinha and the Deol sons, Bobby and Sunny Deol with father, Dharmendra. Priyanka Chopra performed a touching tribute to melody queen, Asha Bhosle after which she was felicitated with the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award for her 65 years as a playback singer in the Indian film industry.

The nights festivities came to a close when Shah Rukh Khan hosted a Bollywood Dance-Master Class imitating signature dances including Aamir Khan’s Kya Bolti Tu, and Salman’s famed Dabangg dance, ending with his inimitable arms-wide-open classic – Tujhe Dekha Toh Ye Jaane Sanam.

IIFA AWARD WINNERS

Best Story
SHIBANI BATHIJA – MY NAME IS KHAN

Lyrics
NIRANJAN IYENGAR – SAJDAA (MY NAME IS KHAN)

Music Direction
SAJID-WAJID & LALIT PANDIT – DABANGG

Playback Singer (Female)
MAMTA SHARMA – MUNNI BADNAAM (DABANGG)

Playback Singer (Male)
RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN – TERE MAST MAST DO NAIN (DABANGG)

Debutant Star Female Award
SONAKSHI SINHA – DABANGG

Debutant Star Male Award
RANVEER SINGH – BAND BAAJA BAARAAT

Best Director
KARAN JOHAR – MY NAME IS KHAN

Performance in a Comic Role
RITEISH DESHMUKH – HOUSEFULL

Performance in a Negative Role
SONU SOOD – DABANGG

Performance in a Supporting Role (Female)
PRACHI DESAI – ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI

Performance in a Supporting Role (Male)
ARJUN RAMPAL – RAAJNEETI

Performance in a Leading Role (Female)
ANUSHKA SHARMA – BAND BAAJA BAARAAT

Performance in a Leading Role (Male)
SHAH RUKH KHAN – MY NAME IS KHAN

Best Picture
DABANGG

IFA SPECIAL AWARDEES

Honouring 50 years in the Film Industry
DHARMENDRA

Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema
SHARMILA TAGORE

Lifetime Achievement Award
ASHA BHOSLE

STAR PLUS Hottest Pair 2011
Anushka Sharma & Ranveer Singh

IIFA Green Award
PRIYANKA CHOPRA

Outstanding Achievement in International Cinema by an Indian
IRFANN KHAN

Click here to read about the IIFA Technical Award Winners.