The sixth edition of the annual Ghanta Awards on Sunday honoured Bollywood's worst performances of the year. Modelled on the lines of Hollywood’s Razzies, the show is meant to be taken with a pinch of salt. The hosts, including stand-up comedians Manan Desai, Neeti Palta, and Sanjay Rajoura, ripped apart the night’s contenders. All 35 films and 44 actors, directors nominated for the awards in 14 categories were made fun of in equal measure. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Dilwale, Bombay Velvet, and Roy were the most nominated films. Comedian Radhika Vaz put films in the Worst Debut category -- Hero, Hate Story 3, Alone, Bhaag Johnny and Kis Kisko Pyaar Karu -- through the Bechdel Test, which tests the presence of female actors. As expected, all the films failed and Bollywood’s rampant gender inequality was brought to the fore.
Celebrities in attendance included Naseeruddin Shan, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gul Panag, Neha Bhasin, Archana Puran Singh and Parmeet Sethi. Host Shruti Seth made sure to make fun of all those she could lay her eyes on. Regular attendee Arshad Warsi was present with wife, Maria Goretti. The actor, quite the sport, collected the Shit Nobody Saw award from RJ Malishka for Welcome to Karachi. Fittingly, he dedicated the award to the producer of the film, Vashu Bhagnani. The only other winner present to accept the award was actor Manish Paul who won the WTF Was That award for Ranbanka. Paul said, “Everybody told me I wouldn't even win a Ghanta for this film. I’m so proud today to have proven my detractors wrong.”
(The writer is an intern at The Hindu)
