Thursday, Feb 06, 2014
Allow me to borrow an iconic dialogue from Bollywood blockbuster The Dirty Picture; a movie runs on three factors: entertainment, entertainment, entertainment.
The Zee Cine Awards discovered this magic formula long before that movie rolled out in 2011. The annual awards show, which has been honouring the best of Bollywood since 1998, is all about celebrating cinema in the most entertaining manner, with the winners are chosen through an online poll.
tabloid! will be in Mumbai this weekend to witness all the action from the 2014 awards. We will be your eyes and ears and tell you if Deepika Padukone will continue with her winning streak and whether Shah Rukh Khan still has that legendary charm.
But before we fly down to India’s commercial capital, we look back at some of the golden moments of ZCA over the years.
Zee Cine Awards 2013
Varun Dhawan goes shirtless...
Just when you thought that Salman Khan owned the space of dancing shirtless, along came Student Of The Year sensation Varun Dhawan. He burst onto the stage baring his bronzed torso. With a swagger that would make Khan proud, Dhawan — the son of legendary producer David Dhawan — proved that if you grew up on a diet of Bollywood musicals, then dancing with skimpy clothing comes naturally. More power to shirtless wonders.
Zee Cine Awards 2013
Shah Rukh Khan’s tribute to Yash Chopra’s heroines
Saving the best for the last, Khan ushered in the grand closing finale of ZCA 2013. In his tribute to legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra, who died in October 2012, Khan went down memory lane, bringing to life some of his biggest hits from his iconic films. Think heroines in white ethereal gowns extolling the virtues of everlasting love and Khan spreading his arms wide to accommodate all those lovely ladies — including Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma. If that wasn’t enough drama, Khan descended from the ceiling on a shiny white horse. Giving him company on stage were other Yash Raj heroines Deepika Padukone and Poonam Dhillon. After a long time, Karishma Kapoor also matched steps with Khan, her co-star from Chopra’s hit Dil To Pagal Hai.
Zee Cine Awards 2012
Ranbir Kapoor, the rockstar and Shahid Kapoor, the people’s guy
tabloid! saw him rehearse until 2am to get his moves right, and all that hard work paid off. At the ZCA 2012 show at the Cotai Arena in Macau, Ranbir Kapoor gave it his all for his first live stage performance. Just like his role in Rockstar, in which he played a troubled musician, Kapoor loved the public performance, bouncing off stage and running up a staircase erected in the audience stand, roaring “Sadda Haq” (the victory cry song from the blockbuster film). We also loved Shahid Kapoor’s expert dance moves and his lively interaction with the audience. At one point, he wove through his fans and onto the stage (it looks better in the movies).
Zee Cine Awards 2012
Vidya Balan hugs Ekta Kapoor
To see two women in Bollywood hug it out is a rare sight. But tabloid! witnessed girl power at its peak when The Dirty Picture heroine hugged her producer Ekta Kapoor for their combined awards glory. It was a big night for both of them as their blockbluster The Dirty Picture scooped several awards.
Zee Cine Awards 2011
Hrithik Roshan wooing Sussanne Khan on stage
Once upon a time in 2011, things were hunky-dory between Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan. In the skit played out by ZCA host Shah Rukh Khan in Singapore, he called upon Roshan and asked him to pay a tribute to his then-wife Suzanne Roshan. With the moral support of Khan, Roshan made her sit on a throne and serenaded her by singing Sajda from My Name Is Khan. It was all picture perfect — full marks to this couple for making their union look like something straight out of a fairytale.
Zee Cine Awards 2011
Priyanka Chopra puts on a funny hat
When it comes to mocking films, Priyanka Chopra has mastered the art. She was tasked with presenting the films in the Best Film category that year. From Shah Rukh Khan (who was nominated for My Name Is Khan) to Salman Khan (who was nominated for Dabangg), Chopra spared no one. We especially loved her imitation of cheery cop Chulbul Pandey. That year’s highlights also include Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who came up on stage to collect the Best Actress (critics) trophy for her role as a nurse in Guzaarish.
Zee Cine Awards 2008
Kareena Kapoor in her size zero avatar?
These days Kareena Kapoor cuts a healthy picture. But back in 2008 when she walked the red carpet for ZCA in London, Kapoor was at her thinnest and might we say, at her happiest? On her arm was her then-boyfriend, now-husband, Saif Ali Khan, and her sister Karishma Kapoor. The dashing trio cut a wholesome figure as they lauded London’s shopping potential.
Zee Cine Awards 2008
Rekha’s touching speech
We all knew that legendary actress Rekha has a soft spot for Shah Rukh Khan, but we witnessed their camaraderie at ZCA 2008. She said that she knew that this Delhi boy would go a long way in Bollywood. Her instincts were bang on. He won the Best Actor award for Chak De! India.
By Manjusha Radhakrishnan Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2014. All rights reserved.
