Indian Masala Babes: 15 July 2008

The 55th Tiger Balm Filmfare Awards, South, had it all – glitz, glamour and emotions that just couldn’t be kept in check.

It was a moment to cherish. It was a moment that misted your eyes, brought a lump to your throat and warmed the cockles of your heart, all at the same time. It was the moment when father and Tiger Balm Filmfare Lifetime Achievement award winner Sivakumar shared the stage with his two strapping sons Surya and Karthi, who gave the award to him. The standing ovation was spontaneous and when Surya called out “amma, amma,” to his mother to share the stage, it underlined the fact that traditional value systems of the Indian family were still going strong. Not a dry eye in the audience.

It all started as Madhavan and Sindhura walked down to invite the audience to experience the show of a lifetime, the thousands of film-crazy fans in the Nehru Indoor Stadium cheered enthusiastically. After about four scintillating hours of awards and entertainment, Chennaiites went back to their homes thoroughly satisfied with the grandeur and glamour the event and the evening Awards offered them.

Emotions ran high as Paruthiveeran made a clean sweep with six awards that included the Best Film Award and the Best Actor Award. It was an ecstatic moment for the Sivakumar family, with father Sivakumar and son Karthi hugging the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Best Actor Award respectively.

As the audience experienced a rare celebration of South Indian cinema, the heady music and the energetic dances between the ward presentations had them on their feet. Sizzling dance performances by stars of the industry such as Shriya Saran (numbers like Vaaji Vaaji) and Rambha (numbers like Sei Edhavadhu Sei) had the crowd asking for more. Shobana and Vineeth’s impeccable steps lent grace to the occasion.

The emcees of the evening – Madhavan and Sindhura – delighted the crowd with their poise and a perfect sense of humour. Daring to be different in the middle of the event, Maddy walked towards the seated guests for an audience interaction and surprised them. “Why don’t you sing a song for us, Tabu,” he asked the pretty actress, even as she gushed and smiled at the eager lensman. She later obliged the audience when on stage to give away an award.

The Best Music Director Award went to AR Rahman for his tunes in Sivaji, but the music whiz was not present to receive his award, much to the disappointment of many fans.

“We don’t get to talk about movies much at home,” said Paruthiveeran Karthi, who was on cloud nine, “I consider my dad getting the Lifetime Award more special than my award.” For brother Surya, it was a double treat to watch his family dominate the ‘Black Ladies!

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