B-town eager to give best at awards gala

It's known as the Las Vegas of the East but this weekend Macau is bracing itself for a Bollywood extravaganza. Yesterday, the who's-who of the Indian film industry descended upon the palatial Venetian Macao Resort to make this year's Zee Cine Awards, being held tonight, an occasion to remember. Actors including Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Shahid Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan are some of the faces already spotted in the glitzy city. The awards ceremony is as much a star-studded spectacle filled with action and drama as it is about honouring talent from the Bollywood fraternity. Winners are chosen in an online poll. While Ranbir Kapoor was practising till about 2am to perfect his ‘Rockstar' performance, Vidya Balan — whose risque drama The Dirty Picture has been nominated in several categories at the awards — is paying tribute to the dancing stars of the ‘80s, including the doomed sex siren Silk Smitha. Vidya was equally thrilled about the series of nominations for her film including The Best Film, Best Actress and Best song. "I am very glad that I have been nominated. One has received so much appreciation for the film [The Dirty Picture]. Let's see what happens now," she said in an interview with Gulf News backstage at the rehearsals yesterday. "The film got a better reception than I ever anticipated — both critically and commercially. These nominations are like an icing on the cake," said Vidya, adding that the last three years in her life had been career-altering. "It started off with Paa, then came Ishqiya, then The Dirty Picture. It was all new and bold. But it paid off." Stage set Meanwhile, the stage has been set for the likes of Katrina Kaif and Shahid Kapoor to showcase their dancing skills. If the rehearsals yesterday were any indication, Kaif promises to emerge from swathes of glittering silk and dance to her hit songs from films including Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. The star-studded awards night at the expansive Cotai Arena is tipped to attract more than 15,000 Bollywood fans from across the world. Some of the ardent fans just couldn't seem to wait, turning up in numbers at the Venetian Macao Resort to indulge in some star-spotting. Stargazers thrive "I love Bollywood films and I have been outside this area for more than an hour hoping the stars may come out after rehearsals," said Jayanthi Raghavan, a Hong Kong resident. It has also been a busy time for the officials at Macau Ferry terminal as they gear up to welcome stars attending the gala event. Stars including Priyanka Chopra, Kalki Koechlin of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara fame and a tantrum-prone Rajiv Kapoor (the brother of Rishi Kapoor) made their way into Macau yesterday. Kapoor — who was asked not to carry a wheelchair beyond a certain security point at the Macau ferry terminal — did not take the suggestion too well and decided to hurl profanities to express his anger. This drama aside, Shah Rukh Khan — one of the chief attractions of tonight's show — was expected to address the press and kick off the glitzy affair. Both his epics Ra.One and Don 2 feature heavily in the nominations list. Read tabloid! for interviews, inside gossip and more. Tabloid! will be reporting live from the awards tonight [sat]. Follow us on twitter @gulfnewstabloid and at on the web at gulfnews.com It's known as the Las Vegas of the East but this weekend Macau is bracing itself for a Bollywood extravaganza. Yesterday, the who's-who of the Indian film industry descended upon the palatial Venetian Macao Resort to make this year's Zee Cine Awards, being held tonight, an occasion to remember. Actors including Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Shahid Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan are some of the faces already spotted in the glitzy city. The awards ceremony is as much a star-studded spectacle filled with action and drama as it is about honouring talent from the Bollywood fraternity. Winners are chosen in an online poll. While Ranbir Kapoor was practising till about 2am to perfect his ‘Rockstar' performance, Vidya Balan — whose risque drama The Dirty Picture has been nominated in several categories at the awards — is paying tribute to the dancing stars of the ‘80s, including the doomed sex siren Silk Smitha. Vidya was equally thrilled about the series of nominations for her film including The Best Film, Best Actress and Best song. "I am very glad that I have been nominated. One has received so much appreciation for the film [The Dirty Picture]. Let's see what happens now," she said in an interview with Gulf News backstage at the rehearsals yesterday. "The film got a better reception than I ever anticipated — both critically and commercially. These nominations are like an icing on the cake," said Vidya, adding that the last three years in her life had been career-altering. "It started off with Paa, then came Ishqiya, then The Dirty Picture. It was all new and bold. But it paid off." Stage set Meanwhile, the stage has been set for the likes of Katrina Kaif and Shahid Kapoor to showcase their dancing skills. If the rehearsals yesterday were any indication, Kaif promises to emerge from swathes of glittering silk and dance to her hit songs from films including Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani. The star-studded awards night at the expansive Cotai Arena is tipped to attract more than 15,000 Bollywood fans from across the world. Some of the ardent fans just couldn't seem to wait, turning up in numbers at the Venetian Macao Resort to indulge in some star-spotting. Stargazers thrive "I love Bollywood films and I have been outside this area for more than an hour hoping the stars may come out after rehearsals," said Jayanthi Raghavan, a Hong Kong resident. It has also been a busy time for the officials at Macau Ferry terminal as they gear up to welcome stars attending the gala event. Stars including Priyanka Chopra, Kalki Koechlin of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara fame and a tantrum-prone Rajiv Kapoor (the brother of Rishi Kapoor) made their way into Macau yesterday. Kapoor — who was asked not to carry a wheelchair beyond a certain security point at the Macau ferry terminal — did not take the suggestion too well and decided to hurl profanities to express his anger. This drama aside, Shah Rukh Khan — one of the chief attractions of tonight's show — was expected to address the press and kick off the glitzy affair. Both his epics Ra.One and Don 2 feature heavily in the nominations list. Read tabloid! for interviews, inside gossip and more. Tabloid! will be reporting live from the awards tonight [sat]. Follow us on twitter @gulfnewstabloid and at on the web at gulfnews.com