MUMBAI: Balaji Motion Pictures’ Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai leads nominations at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards followed by Salman Khan’s Dabangg and Shemaroo Entertainment’s Ishqiya.
The IFFA weekend is slated to take place in Toronto this year from 23 – 25 June.
Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai led the nominations tally with as many as 12 nominations closely followed by Dabangg with 11 nominations across the popular and other film categories. While Ishqiya has garnered nine nominations, Band Baaja Baaraat and Rajneeti followed with eight nominations each.
Films such as Golmaal 3, Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge, Housefull and No Problem have also garnered some nominations.
The nominations for the Leading Role – Male include Salman Khan (Dabangg), Hrithik Roshan (Guzaarish), Ranbir Kapoor (Rajneeti), Ajay Devgn (Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai) and Shah Rukh Khan (My Name is Khan), while leading ladies Aishwariya Rai Bachchan (Guzaarish), Katrina Kaif (Rajneeti), Anushka Sharma (Band Baaja Baaraat), Vidya Balan (Ishqiya) and Kareena Kapoor (Golmaal 3) are pitted against each other for the Leading Role – Female.
Musicians Salim-Sulaiman (Band Baaja Baaraat), Sajid-Wajid and Lalit Pandit (Dabangg), Vishal-Shekhar (I Hate Luv Stories), Vishal Bharadwaj (Ishqiya), Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy (My Name is Khan) and Pritam (Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai) are competing in the best music direction category.
Whereas Sunidhi Chauhan has been nominated for her chartbusters like Sheila Ki Jawaani and Ainvayi Ainvayi as is singer Mamta Sharma of Munni Badnaam Hui for Best Singer (Female) category.
Also competing for the award in the Best Director category are directors Maneesh Sharma (Band Baaja Baaraat), Abhinav Kashyap (Dabangg), Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Guzaarish), Karan Johar (My Name is Khan), Milan Luthria (Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai) and Vikramaditya Motwane (Udaan).
