“Indian film awards lack credibility, that’s why I do not attend them,” Aamir Khan told me last year in London at the Baftas where his film Rang De Basanti was nominated in the Best Foreign Film category. It was no surprise therefore that the Oscar nominated producer-star did not attend last Saturday’s 53rd annual Filmfare awards in Mumbai.

Khan has a point. Bollywood has as many as six film award functions, organised by the gossip magazines: the results are frequently accused of being rigged as the winners are often ‘good friends’ of the organisers. Khan’s directorial debut, Taare Zameen Par, swept the Filmfare awards winning him Best Director and Best Picture.

Held at the posh Yash Raj studios in north Mumbai, the glitzy event was co-hosted by best buddies Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar.

Why did Aamir’s film win and not Filmfare’s golden boy Shah Rukh Khan, nominated twice for his Chak De! India and Om Shanti Om? It is clear that Filmfare is trying to mend bridges with the talented actor who has stated that he will not give interviews to the publication as he dislikes the current editor.

Back to Bollywood

Meanwhile, over at the Oscars, Indian director Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth: the Golden Age picked up the award for best costumes. Kapur is pleased: “The Oscar is not a surprise at all. Clothes are as much a character in Elizabeth as in Jodhaa Akbar.” The Bandit Queen director is currently in Mumbai working on his first Bollywood film in fourteen years, Paani. Will it be a massive massala entertainer like his classic Mr India? “There won’t be any stars, only newcomers,” Kapur states.

The Cricket King and ‘the starlet’

Not content with acquiring the franchise for Kolkata in the newly formed Indian Cricket Premier League for £38 million, Shah Rukh Khan splashed out a further £3.1 million on acquiring players like Ricky Ponting, Brendon McCullom and Shoaib Akhtar at last week’s player’s auction in Mumbai. The King Khan is not the only Bollywood cricket-lover: Preity Zinta is the £39 million co-owner of Mohali, another of the ‘Super Eight’s. Since Zinta is one of the top 3 actresses in Bollywood, it irked me to see her described by the UK press as a ‘Bollywood starlet’ in their reporting of the event.

Bracelet Bonding

What do Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Kajol have in common besides immense star power? The beautiful trio are all sporting amulets made of coloured stones displayed prominently from their upper arms. This is the work of the newest astrologer on the block, Dr Dilip, who has managed to convince superstitious Bollywood that these ornaments ward off illnesses and will keep them healthy and fit forever.

Choosy Beauty

Unlike other actresses, sultry Bipasha Basu is turning down Hollywood offers. The Bengali beauty, soon to be seen in Race, revealed that she refused a part in the hit Amercian TV series Lost as “it would have taken more than six months out of my dates.” Further, Basu rejected the Indian female train attendant’s role in the recent The Darjeeling Limited. “I want to play mainstream characters in the West, not an ethnic Asian person.”

Comic Queen

Another week, another Bollywood remake of a Hollywood original. This time it is My Cousin Vinny (1992), repackaged as Banda Yeh Bindaas Hai. It stars ageing funny man turned politician Govinda and Lara Dutta. The former Miss Universe is excited: “Yeah, that’s one film I am looking forward to. It would be a great challenge matching comic timing with Govinda.”

MAMI

The 10th annual MAMI (Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image) international film festival kicks off in Mumbai on March 6th. It will showcase about 140 films from 45 countries including Andrej Wajda’s Polish Oscar nominee Katyn and last year’s Grand Prix Cannes winner, The Mourning Forest. British based female Indian director Meneka Das’s debut, ‘Little Box of Sweets’ will get its’ Indian premiere. She tells me: “I am so excited. Let me but you a drink in Mumbai, it’s more exotic!”