Radio Mirchi and Happy New Year win big at Masala Awards

From Fawad Khan to Abhishek Bachchan, A-list Bollywood stars and UAE-based celebrities were out in force for the glittering Masala Awards in Dubai.

From left, Jeetendra, his daughter Ekta, wife Shobha and son Tushhar. Jeff Topping for The National

Radio Mirchi was declared Best Radio Station for the third consecutive year and the Hindi film Happy New Year won big at the fifth edition of the Masala Awards at the Madinat Arena in Dubai's Souk Madinat Jumeirah on Friday night. And in true Bollywood tradition, the glittering ceremony started a good two and a half hours late.
A strong contingent of A-listers attended the event, which celebrates the contribution of the UAE's Asian community in lifestyle, business and Bollywood. Top stars included the legendary actor Jeetendra, who arrived with his daughter, the TV mogul Ekta Kapoor, and his son, the actor Tusshar Kapoor; the Pakistani actor Fawad Khan; and the actor Abhishek Bachchan and the filmmaker Farah Khan, who were in Dubai only last month to promote their blockbuster Happy New Year. Also on the guest list were the Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra, the Pakistani actress Humaima Malik and the ex-Pakistani cricket player Rameez Raja. Local celebrities included Raza Beig, the chief executive of Splash Fashions, and the TV presenter Uma Ghosh.
The night was hosted by the actor and comedian Vir Das, who described Dubai as the shiniest city in the world - and that wasn't far off the mark. From opulent jewellery to Swarovski-encrusted heels and sequinned saris, the red carpet dripped with bling.
In true stand-up fashion, Das kept alive what would have been a long and tedious affair - the awards were spread across a staggering 40 categories - and stole the show with his witty one-liners and double ­entendres.
Among the top gongs handed out, Radio Mirchi (operated in the UAE by Abu Dhabi Media, which publishes The National) won Best Radio Station; Best Asian Restaurant (Casual Dining) went to Qureshi's Kebabs & Kurry; the Fine Dining award was given to Rang Mahal by Atul Kochhar; Shamsheer Vayalil of the Burjeel group was declared CEO of the Year; Colors won Best TV Channel; Jeetendra was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award (Bollywood), while Fawad Khan won Best Debut Actor. Abhishek Bachchan walked away with two gongs - Best Supporting Actor (Happy New Year) and Best Entertainer; and HNY was declared the Box Office Blockbuster of the Year.
The high points of the evening were three performances.
Humaima Malik danced to the popular songs Baby Doll, Lovely and Devil, the singer Shilpa Rao delivered a somewhat shaky, shrill set, and the Bollywood hunk Varun Dhawan shone in a spectacular finale, getting through some quick costume changes (gold and black biker jacket and a sleeveless red leather vest) while performing to remixes of Hindi film songs (Main Tenu Samjhawan, Saturday Saturday, Palat and Lucky Tu Lucky Me.
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