Awards
Aishwarya, Nandita starrer ‘Provoked’ to premiere at the Idea-IIFA Awards Weekend in Dubai
As we begin the countdown to the Idea IIFA Awards in Dubai, the International Indian Film Academy today announced Jagmohan Mundhra’s Provoked as the film that will be premiered at the IIFA World Premiere in Dubai on 14 June 2006.
Set in London, Provoked is the traumatic story of Kiranjit Ahluwalia (Aishwarya Rai), a battered Punjabi housewife and mother of two children. Unable to bear the brutality of her alcoholic husband (Naveen Andrews), she takes revenge by setting him on fire. Charged with first-degree murder, Kiranjit is sentenced to life imprisonment. While in prison she befriends her cellmate, a wealthy white woman, Veronica Scott (Miranda Richardson).
Provoked will receive a red carpet welcome as it premieres at the Grand Cineplex Theatre during the IIFA Weekend presented by Tiara Residence in Dubai. The IIFA World Premiere is being showcased in association with the Dubai International Film Festival.
Over the past few years, the IIFA World Premiere platform has showcased the Oscar-nominated Lagaan, Aankhen, Yuva and Parineeta….all of which have been critically and commercially acclaimed world over.
Speaking on Idea’s association with IIFA, stated, Idea Cellular, Vice President- Marketing Pradeep Shrivastava, “Idea IIFA awards offers us the best platform to demonstrate the true essence of mobile and entertainment convergence. With Idea IIFA Awards there is an unmatched value we provide to our customers by providing them the three aspects of entertainment that engage them through the all powerful mobile-phone. With Idea IIFA awards, our privileged customers will have access to specially created merchandise, contests, video and MMS downloads and several other value added services. Only Idea can take you there.”
Also present at the conference Saeed Al Nabouda, CEO, Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises said, “Dubai is a well-loved destination for our Indian friends who consider it a home away from home. The hosting of an event of such massive caliber as the IIFA is a giant stride ahead in further cementing the age-old ties between India and the UAE. It is a celebration of the cultural and social harmony between the two countries.”
The Idea IIFA Awards presentation ceremony being held at the magnificent Dubai Airport Expo, one of the crowning glory of the IIFA Weekend presented by Tiara Residence will be held in the presence of a global audience including dignitaries from the world of cinema like Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Yash Chopra, A.R. Rehman, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Ashok Amritraj to name a few. Other guests would include stalwarts from the world of business, politics and sports. Over 10,000 people will witness a spectacular show by the best of the Indian Film Industry. The IIFA Weekend and all IIFA events are conceptualized, produced and directed by Wizcraft International Entertainment, one of the world’s leading entertainment agencies. The breath-taking performances created by Wizcraft will be choreographed by Shiamak Davar. As always, this year too the Idea IIFA Awards will be celebrating the best from Indian Cinema and will pay tribute to the stalwarts from the Indian silver screen.
While Idea has committed itself to sponsorship of the Idea IIFA Awards for the first time, this year’s IIFA celebrations will be broadcast across the world by Star Plus on 25 June at 8 pm IST. Star Plus viewers can experience the IIFA journey over multiple programmes that cover the various events and interactions in Dubai and the IIFA Flashback over the past five years.
Star India Vice President Marketing Ajay Vidyasagar said, “It is fitting that IIFA, which celebrates the emergence of Indian Cinema on a global platform, is partnering with Star yet again. Post the success of IIFA last year, millions of viewers across India, UAE, Pakistan, USA, UK and South East Asia who have chosen Star Plus to be their preferred choice of Indian entertainment, are looking forward to IIFA in Dubai. We are proud to associate with IIFA and will work together to make this year’s event a truly memorable celebration of Indian Cinema for all our viewers.”
Now Indian Cinema fans across the globe can also be a part of the star studded celebrations of the Idea IIFA Awards, Dubai. To promote the Idea IIFA Awards, several contests are being promoted across the world and fans of Indian Cinema are being flown in to witness the spectacular Idea IIFA Awards and the IIFA Weekend in Dubai.
In India msn.com is the official websites for voting of the popular awards. Global Indian Cinema fans can vote for and help their favourite film stars to win an IIFA award this year. Lucky winners will be able to travel to Dubai and witness the glamorous Idea IIFA Awards in June this year. The nominations for the Popular Awards are open for public voting, using the globally accessible www.msn.com/iifa only till the 6 June 2006. The voting process is monitored and audited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, who are also the audit firm for the Oscars.
Awards
Ajay Kakar to chair jury for ad:tech Honours Awards 2026
Industry leaders join jury as nominations surge for marketing tech awards
NEW DELHI: The ad:tech Honours Awards 2026 are gearing up for a bigger second edition, with Ajay Kakar, head of corporate branding at Adani Group, set to chair the jury for India’s technology-focused marketing awards.
Organised in partnership with the International Advertising Association India Chapter, the awards celebrate the growing influence of technology in shaping modern advertising and marketing outcomes. This year’s edition has drawn a strong response from across the industry, signalling rising momentum around innovation in marketing technology.
The organisers say the nominations reflect a wide range of ideas and approaches, highlighting how brands and agencies are increasingly leaning on platforms, tools and data to sharpen their campaigns and connect with audiences more effectively.
Leading the evaluation process, Kakar will head a jury made up of senior leaders from across brands, agencies and technology platforms.
The jury panel includes Amaresh Godbole, CEO, digital technology business at Publicis Groupe; Bishwajeet S, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen India; Carol Goyal, executive director at Rediffusion and CEO of Aesthetic Intelligence Lab; Kushal Sanghvi, director at Komerz; Lara Balsara, executive director at Madison World; Rana Barua, group CEO India, sea and North Asia; Deepak Oram, senior vice president growth marketing and martech; and Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi, head of marketing and creative solutions at Amazon Ads India.
The ad:tech Honours Awards aim to recognise not just creative campaigns but the smart use of technology that delivers measurable impact and business results. Categories this year reflect the rapidly evolving digital landscape, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, data-driven marketing, content ecosystems, automation, martech and adtech integration, and commerce-led marketing.
The winners will be announced on 17 March 2026 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in New Delhi during ad:tech New Delhi 2026. The event is expected to bring together leaders from brands, agencies, platforms, creators and technology partners for an evening celebrating the ideas and innovations shaping the future of marketing.iconductor industries.
