Hollywood A-listers John Travolta and Kevin Spacey, as well as Anil Kapoor from ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, joined dozens of Indian actors and other celebrities in Tampa for the International Indian Film Academy awards; India’s equivalent of the Oscars.
This year marks the first time the ‘Bollywood Oscars’ have been held in the U.S. The ceremonies drew a crowd of approximately 20,000 people, and got off to a rousing start when a float in the shape of a pirate ship rolled in, carrying the event’s co-hosts, Farhan Akhtar and Shahid Kapoor. The pair, dressed as pirates, demanded the key to the city from Bob Buckhorn, Tampa’s mayor, who responded he would give it to them only if they entertained the crowd, whereupon the duo battled one another in a mock sword fight.
Buckhorn also said critics had said it would not be possible for Tampa to pull off such an event, and was happy to prove them wrong.
Travolta, who was given an award, is considering appearing in a Bollywood film. Most Indian films have musical numbers in them, and Travolta said music and dance are “part of my soul”. Kevin Spacey, meanwhile, agreed that it was time Bollywood and Hollywood worked together.
Next year, event organizers could work with a banner printing company to make sure colorful flags are in place for this ceremony.
