Mother-daughter continuum
As ‘Theri Baby’ Nainika went on stage to receive an award for her role in Theri , she was asked to sing a song. In true style, she sang a few lines from ‘Thillana Thillana’, as her mother Meena watched in wonder. So nice to see Meena, a child artist-turned-actress bringing her talented daughter into Kollywood.
Illaya Ilayathalapathy
If there was ever a question about some missing superstar power at SIIMA, Kalidas Jayaram, winner of the best debutant award for Meen Kuzhambum Mann Paanaiyum , made sure all was well as he imitated actor Vijay to a roar of applause and laughter.
Ladies hour
Lady Superstar Nayanthara received not one but two best actress awards. Collecting the award for her roles in Iru Mugan and Puthiya Niyamam (Malayalam), she emphasised the importance of an actress being offered an important role, even in mainstream commercial films. She thanked the makers for these roles, where “a heroine is not just there for the songs”.
A love for stage
Call it the side effect of living in the public eye, but couple Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna, the stars of Kannada film Kirik Party , was put in a spot when a host asked them to display a bit of affection, publicly. On stage to receive the entertainer of the year award, Rakshit handled the situation with ease, claiming that all awards that were coming his way was thanks to her. She even pulled off an ‘I love you’ on stage. Ahh, young love.
Arguments with Mani
As hosts Dhanya and Sathish entertained fellow stars with their antics about what gossip they had heard about themselves, Suhasini revealed a bit of trivia about the making of Aayitha Ezhuthu . When Dhanya asked Suhasini about working with husband Mani Ratnam, she said that they often argued their stand, and cited that she could never understand how Trisha’s character in Aayitha Ezhuthu could fall for Siddharth, given that she’s already engaged to someone else.
Bhallaladeva in Mahabharata ?
When BR Shetty, the producer of the upcoming film based on Mahabharata , received an award, Rana Daggubati joked if he too could be a part of the magnum opus. Claiming he was great at action and body building, he threw open a chance to see the magic of Baahubali again. Would Rana be able to pull off a Duryodhana?
An award for ‘chellam’
When Trisha received an award for Actor in a Negative Role, for her character Rudra in Kodi , it was from none other than Prakash Raj. Yet, the warmth in their meeting was not what one would expect from two villains. Referring to her as his chellam , this scene took us back to Abhiyum Naanum . It also showed effectively how that little girl had grown into a fierce and complex actress.
Lungi dance
It was fun to see stars from the different industries on stage at the same time. Rana, hosting, asked fellow South Indian stars to teach Ranbir Kapoor how to tie a veshti. To see Nani, Nivin Pauly, Rana, Madhavan, Sivakarthikeyan and Ranbir Kapoor share the stage, that too sporting a veshti… totally worth the sleepless night. It also made for the perfect casting call for an Indian version of The Avengers .
Starting young
Karthick Naren, winning the award for best debutant director for Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru , enthralled all with the story of how the film came to be. At just 21, the winner spoke about how there was always a lot of negativity surrounding an outsider entering the competitive industry, and about a chat he had with his father a day before the release of the film. A look into the beauty of the audience’s verdict, it indicated how art can never be sidelined.
50 years of SPB
It was a sight to behold as Mano sang songs from all South Indian languages in a tribute to SPB. His voice, uniting millions, was an ode to an event like SIIMA, meant to break barriers, bringing great artistes together. As testified by the Indian Ambassador to UAE, his love affair with South Indian cinema continues with AR Rahman’s music, expressing his joy in being able to listen to SPB perform ‘Roja Janeman’ in person.
