Devdas wins seven awards at Bollywood ceremony

“Devdas,” a big-budget remake of a popular Indian novel, won seven awards on Saturday, including best picture and best director, at the India International Film Awards.

The love story, said to be the most expensive movie ever made in India, had received 12 nominations in 10 categories.

“I think its God’s wish that I made this. It’s taught me how to pray,” director Sanjay Leela Bhansali said in accepting the award at a ceremony in Johannesburg in South Africa.

He also paid his respects to two crew members who died during the filming.

Shah Rukh Khan won best actor and Aishwarya Rai won bet actress for their roles in “Devdas” as lovers whose plans to marry are derailed by their parents.

Khan could not attend because he was having back problems and Rai was busy at the Cannes film festival. Both sent videotaped messages.

Kiron Kher won best supporting actress for “Devdas.”

Mohan Lal won the only major award not to go to “Devdas” when he took home the best supporting actor award for ”Company.”

“Devdas” had earlier won nine technical awards.

The awards, now in their fourth year, are the only Indian movie ceremony held abroad. It is the second time the ceremony has been held in South Africa.

India’s film industry, the most prolific in the world and affectionately known as Bollywood, produces nearly 800 movies a year. Hindi language films are widely watched all over Asia and the Middle East, and by Indian migrant communities around the world.

Dev Anand, the suave, dashing hero of Indian film, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award.

Anand, a huge star in the Indian cinema of the 1950s and 1960s, often played the mischievous lover in his films.

In accepting his award, Anand praised former President Nelson Mandela and apartheid hero Walter Sisulu, who was buried a few hours before the ceremony started.

“I’m glad this award is being given in South Africa the land of Sisulu and Mandela, whom we all loved and adored and who had given freedom to this country,” he said.

The ceremony mixed the old and the new of Indian film, with many film giants of yesterday introducing current stars.

A series of performances began with the static-filled sounds of women singing in recordings of decades-old musical numbers and ended with more modern hip-hop inflected songs.

Before the ceremony, hundreds of fans screamed for stars.

“You look like Sophia Loren,” shouted a fan as Bipasha Basu, star of blockbuster “Raaz” walked into the theatre with her real life and on-screen husband, Dino Morea.

Devan Naidoo, 37, who failed to win a free ticket in a radio competition had been waiting for hours for a glimpse of the star.

“That’s really sweet, now I’m going to feel very shy,” said Basu as she left Morea’s side to sign autographs.

Some 11,000 fans who spent between R700 (£60) and R1,500 (£120) for a ticket to the awards held in a Johannesburg suburb, walked down the red carpet with stars.

Some members of the audience were mistaken for movie stars.

“I feel very important,” laughed Yusuf Coovadia, who was cheered as he escorted his family into the theatre to watch the awards.

Coovadia’s family of seven drove 600 kilometres (370 miles) for the awards.

“We hope to see most of the stars. The guys are cute and the girls are very pretty,” said Alisha Ramdaw, 17.