IIFA Utsavam 2024 Highlights: Jailer Wins Best Picture; Aishwarya Rai and Nani Among Honorees

The IIFA Awards 2024 are currently taking place at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. This three-day event began on Friday and will wrap up on Sunday with the highly anticipated IIFA Rocks. The first day featured the IIFA Utsavam, which celebrated the achievements in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema. The evening was hosted by […]

IIFA Utsavam 2024
by Nisha Srivastava - September 28, 2024, 1:06 pm

The IIFA Awards 2024 are currently taking place at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. This three-day event began on Friday and will wrap up on Sunday with the highly anticipated IIFA Rocks. The first day featured the IIFA Utsavam, which celebrated the achievements in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema. The evening was hosted by South Indian actors Rana Daggubati and Teja Sajja, attracting a star-studded crowd from both South and North Indian film industries.

The ceremony was graced by notable figures including Nandamuri Balakrishna, Chiranjeevi, Venkatesh Daggubati, Mani Ratnam, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Javed Akhtar, Karan Johar, Shahid Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kriti Sanon, and Ananya Panday, all of whom brought a glamorous touch to the event.

Winners of the Night

Here is the complete list of winners from the event:

Best Picture (Tamil): Jailer

Best Actor (Telugu): Nani (Dasara)

Best Actor (Tamil): Vikram (Ponniyin Selvan: II)

Best Actress (Tamil): Aishwarya Rai (Ponniyin Selvan: II)

Best Director (Tamil): Mani Ratnam (Ponniyin Selvan: II)

Best Music Direction (Tamil): A.R. Rahman (Ponniyin Selvan: II)

Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema: Chiranjeevi

Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema: Priyadarshan

Woman of the Year in Indian Cinema: Samantha Ruth Prabhu

Best Performance in a Negative Role (Tamil): S.J. Suryah (Mark Antony)

Best Performance in a Negative Role (Telugu): Shine Tom Chacko (Dasara)

Best Performance in a Negative Role (Malayalam): Arjun Radhakrishnan (Kannur Squad)

Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Male – Tamil): Jayaram (Ponniyin Selvan: II)

Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Female – Tamil): Sahasra Shree (Chithha)

Golden Legacy Award: Nandamuri Balakrishna

Outstanding Excellence in Kannada Cinema: Rishab Shetty

Best Debut (Female – Kannada): Aradhana Ram (Kaatera)

Main Awards Night and Performances

Today, September 28, marks the main awards ceremony. Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar will be hosting the gala, with Vicky Kaushal also joining them on stage. The audience can look forward to spectacular performances by Shahid Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, and Kriti Sanon.

Rekha’s Special Performance

Veteran Bollywood actress Rekha will be captivating her fans with a 22-minute dance performance, accompanied by 150 background dancers in a custom-made ensemble by designer Manish Malhotra. Ahead of the event, Rekha expressed her sentiments, stating, “IIFA holds a special place in my heart, representing not just a celebration of Indian cinema but a vibrant fusion of art, culture, and love on a global stage,” as quoted by India Today.