DUBAI: There is no biz like showbiz. And the Subhash Chandra-promoted Zee Telefilms Ltd is proving just that with the craze for the Zee Cine awards here reaching its peak as Indian celebrities and stars started trooping in since yesterday.
 

In a place like Dubai, where a large section of the local population comprises, what Chandra calls, the Indian diaspora, the award ceremony at the Dubai media center is one of the most sought after venues in the city.

A person accosted this correspondent in the Dubai airport when he learnt that I am part of the Indian delegation for the cine award and asked, with desperation written all over his face, "If you don't have an extra invite to the event, can you please tell me from where I can obtain one?" One had to leave the guy disappointed, but not before he was put on to the local co-ordination team with a request that, if possible, he should be helped out.

At the hotel where part of the Indian media delegation was put up, the commonly debated issue was that of the cine awards.

A girl, who seemed to have walked out straight out of the pages of Vogue, was overheard excitedly telling her friends the stars she had managed a glimpse of. "Shah Rukh looks so cute and John Abrahams is so handsome," she almost swooned at the mention of the names as she narrated how Abraham was just wearing a tight T-shirt and jeans that played up his physique.

With the craze for Indian films, dresses, food and of course, the film stars, this desert city is wearing a resplendent look that, probably, could be compared to the only other event in recent times held at such a large scale.

With approximately 8,000 people expected, the post-event party is another happening that is sought after by the glitterati and chaterrati of Dubai. Of course, Hyatt, which is the venue for the party, is basking in reflected glory and not minding it at all.

However, amidst this hype and hoopla, what can, probably, take a bit of a sheen away from Chandra's - and his trusted lieutenant Yogesh Radhakrishnan's, show is the Mariah Carey performance that is also taking place later in the evening.

What the heck? The glitter of the Indian stars, complete with plunging necklines and rising hemlines, can, probably, take on the assets that Carey boasts of and flaunts all too often.