NEW DELHI: The Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Ra.One’ and Zoya Akhtar’s ‘Zindagi na milegi dobara’ has swept the Ninth Annual Central European Bollywood awards, bagging as many as five and four honours respectively.
Announced during the Indian Film Festival in Berlin at the ACEBA Award Show, the awards were given on the basis of votes by viewers who are mostly German speaking.
The awards are hosted by molodezhnaja.ch, the biggest German language Bollywood website with one of the most extensive review sections for Bollywood films found in Europe, as well as bollywoodforum.ch, the busiest Bollywood discussion panel in central Europe with many hundred users online throughout the day.
The BNA Germany and the Indian Film Festival in Berlin are partners in international promotion, press and hosting.
For the first time this year, an international jury with film critics and film journalists from India, Austria, UK, Italy, France, Germany and Turkey was responsible for the nominations.
Fans from all over Europe voted. The results were announced on 18 August at the ACEBA Award Show during the Indian Film Festival Berlin 2012.
Because molodezhnaja is a Swiss website hosted in German only, the award is also a German language event. The results are communicated in English at the Swiss Indian Film Bridge in Geneva, Switzerland, and later on the website in German and English.
‘Zindagi na milegi dobara’ received the best film award (51.99%), Best Director (44,03%), Best Screenplay - Zoya Akthar and Reema Kagti (46,31%), and Best Supporting Actor - Farhan Akthar (44,03%).
Ra.One received awards for Best Singer Male Shafqat Amanat Ali – ‘Dildaara’ (39.49%); Best Cinematography - V Manikandan and Nicolai Pecorini (36.65%); Best Soundtrack - Vishal-Shekhar (47.16%); Action/Special FX/Stunts (49.43%); and Best Choreography - Ganesh Hedge (59.66%).
The Salman Khan starrer ‘Bodyguard’ got two awards: Best Actress Kareena Kapoor (39.49%) and best Singer Female Shreya Ghoshal for ‘Teri Meri’ (49.43%).
Shah Rukh Khan got the Best Actor award for ‘Don 2’ (62.78%), while the Best Supporting Actress was Rani Mukerji in ‘No One Killed Jessica’ (68.75%).
The Breakthrough Role awards were given for Male to Prateik Babbar in ‘Dhobi Ghat; (31.53%), and Female to Parineeti Chopra for ‘Ladies vs Ricky Bahl’ (32.39%).
‘The Dirty Picture’, which has swept the private sector awards in India, received just one award: Best Costumes for Niharika Khan (31.82%).
The Indian Film Festival in Berlin commenced earlier this month with stage performances of Suzanne Bernert and Lamira Faro, an exclusive first look of "Heroine" presented by director Madhur Bhandarkar, and the opening film "Bodyguard".
Those who attended the festival included Prem Chopra, Madhur Bhandarkar, Omi Vaidya, Avtar Bhogal, Sarfaraz Alam, Rohit Khaitan, D.K. Desai, Sunny Singh and Suresh Singh and dancers, Lamira Faro and dancers, Bhangra Brothers, Prashant Jaiswal, Amrita Cheema, Marianne Borgo and Babita Sharda.
