You know how Aamir Khan never goes to award shows because he thinks they’re a sham right?* (Even though Akshay Kumar has forsaken his most popular actor award to Aamir Khan at the Star Screen awards**) Well his presence at Anu & Shashi Ranjan’s eighth GR8! Women’s Awards at a Sahar Hotel took everyone by surprise. Among the winners from B-Town were Asin, Avika Gor (Balika Vadhu), Deepika Padukone and Zeenat Aman (for lifetime achievement).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SJ2Yy7wOxs]
Awards are given in various categories to women achievers. The event was attended by Yash Chopra, Harman S Baweja, Roopkumar Rathod, Alka Yagnik, Prem Chopra and Farah Khan. While Celina Jaitley shook her booty to B-Town tracks. The theme of the event was “Beti” the cause against female foeticide.
*Rumor has it 18 years ago (1991) Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and Beta (starring Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit) were competing at the awards. Some say Anil Kapoor paid a bribe and took home the best actor and best actress awards. Aamir, who believed that Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar was a much more superior film should have won and was so upset that since then he hasn’t shown up at any awards (even if he wins!) Although I find what he said on the Rakhi Sawant show (because really, would you even be able to lie to a lady like that?) “I have nothing against award functions but it depends on the organization. I only go to awards that have some value to it like the National Award. But I avoid going to shows that hold no value to me.” a little more believable but then again, I’m his # 1 fan!
**Ironically the gossip here is that Akshay was promised Best Actor for Singh is King which went to Hrithik Roshan for Jodha Akbar instead and was too peeved to accept this “lesser honour.” Akshay was supposed to perform at the event and the organisers who were reluctant to pay him his hefty performance fee instead promised him the Best Actor award for his presence during the event. The buzz is that Akshay had apparently even written his winning speech and given it to be set on the teleprompter (seriously so filmy, I don’t believe it but I must repeat it!) Hrithik who was not expected to show, turned up at the last moment and had to be given the Best Actor award for his superb performance in Jodha Akbar (which incidentally has swept Filmfare too.)