Shock and Awe
Bollywood showed up in all its glitz and glamour for the Zaia show on Thursday evening. Performed by the world renowned Cirque du Soleil, the show combined dance with aerial acrobatics. It was a jawdropper of a show which left all the guests spellbound. The guests were all heard raving about it— from Sonam Kapoor to Ashutosh Gowarikar. Set designer Omung Kumar and choreographer Shiamak Davar were seen comparing notes on the technical aspects. So don’t be surprised if Kumar is ‘inspired’ and calls Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

Small snack for Big B
Seems like Amitabh Bachchan takes his role as IIFA’s Brand Ambassador very seriously. He flew over seven hours to reach Hong Kong, then took a ferry to Macau, went through the welcome ritual at The Venetian Resort and then attended the opening day press conference. He also gave individual interviews — all without a murmur of protest. The only food sustaining him through this hectic schedule was a samosa. His only request: “Please if you can, avoid clicking me when I eat it.” How can we say no?

Going global
Actress and activist Shabana Azmi was honoured with the IIFA Global Leadership award for her outstanding contribution towards communal harmony and peace. Azmi shared the award with the Hong-Kong based businessman of Indian origin, Hari Harilela, at the FICCI IIFA Global Business Forum.

Quote of the Day
“While shooting for Jail with Madhur Bhandarkar, I learnt something important. It’s not the length of the role, but the strength of the role that matters.”—Neil Nitin Mukesh