And if Aamir wasn’t there, it didn’t really seem to matter. His huge cut-out watched from a seat at the Taare table. Needless to say, the actor and his moving film on children with special needs walked away with several important awards. As Shatrughan Sinha, who headed the jury, put it with his trademark flamboyance that had never rung so true: the jury was proud of Aamir, wherever he was.

It was an evening when the large-heartedness of Bollywood was also on show, alongwith its glamour. As he accepted the award for best newcomer (male) for son Ranbir who was also anointed the ‘Future of Entertainment’, a natty Rishi Kapoor graciously included his “other son” in his speech — Neil Nitin Mukesh. The grandson of legendary singer Mukesh had been nominated in the same category as Ranbir for his edgy performance in the James Hadley-esque thriller Johnny Gaddar.

It was an evening when few were spared. The joke was on everyone: On the critics, who criticize all films that go on to become hits; and all those who caught host Sajid Khan’s merciless eye and many who didn’t — from Tom Cruise, who he said must be content to play second fiddle to King Khan post-OSO, to Yashraj films who he insisted was all set to launch their own awards show so that they could make their films and award them too.

Farah Khan’s spoof-cum-homage to ‘70s Bollywood dared to poke fun at even the awesomely patriotic

Manoj Kumar who provided the mellow moment of the awards night as he accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award. He hadn’t found the path he set out to look for, he said, but on the way, he had found so much more.

... contd.