Actors Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan have been cheered by thousands of fans at Indian cinema’s leading awards ceremony. The celebrity couple are among scores of stars at the International Indian Film Academy Awards in Sheffield.
Some 12,000 fans have gathered at the Hallam FM Arena, with thousands more at BBC big screens across Yorkshire.
The event is held in a different location around the world each year to increase the profile of Bollywood film.
Some 10% of income for Bollywood films come from outside India and Pakistan, while the UK is the second-biggest market for Indian films.
Other stars at the awards include Bachchan’s father Amitabh, Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty.
Bachchan told the BBC he found the reception from fans “overwhelming, really overwhelming,” while wife Rai said: “We reciprocate the love right back.”
Leading nominees include Rang De Basanti, which has 15 nominations and stars best actor nominee Aamir Khan.
It also stars Alice Patten – daughter of Chris Patten, the UK’s last governor of Hong Kong – and is about a film-maker who wants to make a movie about Indian nationalists who rose up against British rule.
Aishwarya Rai, a former Miss World, is nominated for best actress for action thriller Dhoom 2, which itself is up for 10 awards.
Meanwhile her husband Abhishek Bachchan will do battle with his father in the best supporting actor category – they are both nominated for Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.
Veteran actor and politician Dharmendra is due to receive a lifetime achievement awards.
A green carpet has been used at the arena instead of a red carpet to highlight environmental issues.
Events have been held in Yorkshire during the week to build up awareness of the ceremony. Sheffield has the third-largest population of British Asians in the UK, and tourist officials say the awards will bring £10m of income to the area.
bbc
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