‘Bollywood Oscars’ begin in US with star power
Indian academy awards attract star power, including John Travolta
The Indian film industry's top awards show sailed into the US with a pirate-themed musical number and celebrities ranging from Slumdog Millionaire star Anil Kapoor to John Travolta.
Before a crowd of 20,000 spectators, the International Indian Film Academy Awards (Iifa), which is informally known as the "Bollywood Oscars", were held in the United States for the first time on Saturday.
Co-hosts Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar demanded the key to host city Tampa, Florida, from Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who was sitting in the front row at the city's American football stadium.
Before the show started, Travolta, Kevin Spacey and dozens of Indian film stars, including Deepika Padukone, walked past hordes of international media. Iifa uses a green carpet.
During a packed news conference, Travolta said he was considering a role in a Bollywood movie. "I cannot deny music and dance in my life," the Oscar winner said. "It is part of my soul. This is part of most of Bollywood films, and I agree with it."
It was Travolta who made the crowd come to life during the ceremony. Indian star Priyanka Chopra pulled him onstage and Travolta did some signature moves from his 1994 blockbuster film Pulp Fiction.