Mumbai, Sep 18: The upcoming edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) is set to be hosted by 2 sets of hosts. IIFA Digital Awards 2027 will be hosted by Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal, the IIFA Awards 2027 will be hosted by Karan Johar and Varun Dhawan.

The IIFA Awards 2027 will also see powerhouse performances by Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Janhvi Kapoor.

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is set to take centre stage at IIFA 2027, adding his unparalleled star power to the celebrations.

Talking about his return to the IIFA stage, he said, “IIFA and I go back a long, long way. I have been part of this journey since its early years, and every time IIFA calls, there is a special feeling because it is not just an awards show, it is a celebration of our films, our people and the audiences who have given us so much love. I have performed at IIFA across the years, but coming back to Abu Dhabi always feels different. I have a deep connection with this city, and some very special memories here”.

He further mentioned, “Yas Island has become a beautiful home for IIFA, and the energy that the audiences bring is something you can feel the moment you step onto that stage. After everything we have created together over the years, I am looking forward to coming back, performing, having some fun and celebrating Indian cinema with everyone. IIFA 2027 is going to be another big one, and I am happy to be a part of it”.

The awards will be held at the Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on January 22 and January 23, and promise star power, music and entertainment, bringing together leading talent and Indian cinema enthusiasts from across the world.

Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who is making his IIFA Digital Awards hosting debut, said in a statement, “For an actor, there are certain moments that come with a little extra nervousness and a lot of excitement and hosting the IIFA Digital Awards for the first time is definitely one of them. I have spent much of my journey standing in front of the camera and telling stories through characters, so stepping onto the IIFA stage in a completely different role is both exciting and humbling. In fact, this will be my first experience of hosting an awards show, which makes the moment even more special for me”.

“The digital world has transformed the way stories are created, discovered and loved, and IIFA recognising this new generation of storytelling feels very meaningful. To be part of that celebration alongside so many talented artists and creators is an honour. IIFA has always taken Indian cinema to audiences across the world, and I am looking forward to bringing that same spirit, warmth and, hopefully, a little bit of humour to the IIFA Digital Awards stage. I cannot wait to experience the magic of IIFA from the other side of the stage and I hope I can do justice to it”, he added.

Mumbai, Sep 18: Actor and model Muzammil Ibrahim has spoken about his admiration for Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and recalled how he kept a fast for him for three days.

Recalling his childhood obsession with Salman, Muzammil says, “I was a mad Salman Khan fan growing up. A lot of my childhood memories are somehow connected to trying to look and behave like Salman Khan.”

“My hair would literally come down to my eyebrows. I didn’t know that Salman sir was going through a receding hairline at the time, but he had this very distinctive, V-shaped forehead. Because he was so good looking, all of us wanted to look like him,” he recalled in the statement.

The obsession went so far that Muzammil and his friends would visit their barber and ask him to recreate Salman’s V-shaped hairline with a razor.

“It looked absolutely terrible, of course, and our hair would grow back very quickly,” he laughed.

Muzammil took his fandom a step further.

“I started tying bandanas so tightly around my forehead at night to get that look that I would wake up in the morning feeling dizzy!” he said.

“Even today, I have a full head of hair on one side and a slightly receding hairline on the right. So I like to joke that I managed to achieve the Salman Khan look—but only on one side!”

Muzammil credits the “Dabangg” star for inspiring him to start working out.

“I started going to the gym because of Salman Khan, 100 per cent,” he said.

He vividly remembers watching Salman in O Jaane Jaana and being fascinated by his physique.

“I remember watching him bend forward, with his lats popping out. I had no idea what lats were. I ran to my mother and said, ‘Mama, mama, Salman Khan has discovered a new muscle!’”

As a child, Muzzambil says, he and his friends would exaggerate everything Salman did.

“In our minds, Salman Khan wasn’t just a hero—he was this idol, the epitome of male beauty.”

His admiration became even more emotional during the difficult legal phase Salman went through.

“When he was going through those difficult legal cases, my friends and I genuinely didn’t know what we could do for him. We saw how disturbed he looked in the news, and the only thing we could think of was to pray for him,” he says.

Muzzammil and his best friend went as far as keeping a three-day fast for the actor.

“It sounds extreme now, but that’s how deeply we believed in him as kids. We wanted to do something, anything, that might somehow help him.”

When Muzzammil finally got an opportunity to meet Salman, he recalled it was at a club. He immediately shared one of his most personal childhood memories with the superstar.

“I walked up to him and said, ‘Salman sir, I used to fast for you. Me and my best friend.’”

Salman’s response left Muzzammil amused and impressed.

“He laughed and said, ‘Dua karo ke phir se na rakhna pade.’ I was completely taken aback by his response. I thought, ‘This man is something else.’”

“He has always had this incredibly nonchalant quality. He doesn’t seem to take life too seriously, and he has always seemed determined to live it on his own terms and enjoy it to the fullest.”

Mumbai, Sep 16: Television actress Mahhi Vij revealed that she was originally selected by filmmaker Mani Ratnam for the role that Kareena Kapoor eventually played in the 2004 film Yuva, opposite Vivek Oberoi.

During a conversation with fellow Bigg Boss 20 contestant Kanika Mann, Mahhi opened up about her early days in the entertainment industry and recalled how she moved from music videos and South Indian films to what could have been her Bollywood debut.

Mahhi said that after arriving in Mumbai, she got her first music-video opportunity with the popular remix of “Tu Tu Hai Wahi”, in which she featured in a pink outfit.

“I went to Bombay and got a music video as soon as I arrived. It was the one where I wore the pink dress, ‘Tu Tu Hai Wahi’. That was my first music video,” she recalled.

“After that, I did a lot of music videos in my career, and all of them were hits,” Mahhi said.

Mahhi then also spoke about her transition towards films, saying she worked in South Indian cinema, including projects with Prabhu Deva and Malayalam superstar Mammootty.

“Then I did music videos, followed by South Indian films with Prabhu Deva. Then I did a film with Mammootty. From there, I was finalised for Yuva. Mani Ratnam selected me for Yuva,” she said.

According to Mahhi, she had been selected for the role of Meera, the character that Kareena Kapoor eventually portrayed in Yuva. In the film, Meera is the love interest of Vivek Oberoi’s character Arjun Balachandran.

The 2004 film was directed by Mani Ratnam and starred Ajay Devgn, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor and Esha Deol.

Mahhi said that the opportunity eventually slipped away after her equation with someone involved in the project turned sour.

“For the role that Kareena played, opposite Vivek Oberoi. But some equations with someone had gone a little sour there so it did not materialise,” she added.

Mahhi further recalled that after returning to Delhi, she had discussions for two or three other films, but those projects too were cancelled at the last minute.

“After that, I returned to Delhi. Two or three films were discussed, but they were cancelled at the last minute. So I said, ‘I will do television,’” she recalled.

Her decision eventually led her towards a successful television career. Mahhi became widely recognised for her role as Nakusha in Laagi Tujhse Lagan and later played Nandini in Balika Vadhu.

She also participated in reality shows including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Khatron Ke Khiladi and Nach Baliye 5, which she won with Jay Bhanushali.

Meanwhile, Yuva, which released in 2004, also starred Ajay Devgn, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan and Esha Deol, with music by A.R. Rahman.