Manish Malhotra brings fashion that creates and inspires to IIFA stage

ABU DHABI: The year’s big calendar event is less than two weeks away and not surprisingly, expectations are sky-high. The International Indian Film Academy and Awards (IIFA) returns with its 23^rd edition to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi for the second successive year.

It will be hosted on May 26 and 27 by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), and Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading curator of immersive destinations and experiences. NEXA continues as the title sponsor for the seventh consecutive edition.

Ravi Menon, Co-Chairman of Sobha Realty, said, “We are delighted to be the title sponsors of the 23rd edition of IIFA Weekend. The event will witness the presence of the who’s who of the Indian film industry with the glitz and glamour that makes Indian cinema widely popular. With a rich culture of performing arts in our nation itself, we are honoured to recognise and celebrate the long-standing allure of Indian cinema and its outstanding contributors. Indian films are watched across the world, and we are pleased to welcome the numerous actors, artists, and talents of our nation, further bringing Indian cinema to a global audience. IIFA Awards recognises the highest quality and artistic expressions in the Indian film sector, just like we at Sobha Realty recognise the value of quality, art, and design in our work.”

“IIFA today is not just seen as an engaging celebration of Indian cinema, music, fashion and culture, it is the ultimate experience in global entertainment, which resonates with NEXA’s core values of ‘inspire’ and ‘create’,” asserts Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, underlining why the collaboration has been so successful and looking to reach a seven-year high with its 23rd edition.

The fashion segment that NEXA curates every year with an established designer has become one of the highlights of the IIFA weekend. It focuses on the brand’s essence, to ‘create’ and ‘inspire’. This year, Manish Malhotra will awe and impress with his special brand of larger-than-life glamour at the eagerly-awaited fashion extravaganza and will be facilitated with a special IIFA honour for Outstanding Achievement for Fashion in Cinema to celebrate his globally acclaimed presence in the business of fashion and films.

The fashion designer has been an integral part of the Hindi film industry for 33 years. He introduced the concept of styling in costume design in Ram Gopal Varma’s musical romance, Rangeela. It’s been 28 years since, but Urmila Matondkar’s skater dresses, cute-as-a-button berets, deceptively sexy high-waist jeans and tantalising oversized men’s shirts from the 1995 film are still in vogue.

Manish’s trendsetting showcase of sportswear and athleisure in Karan Johar’s 1998 directorial, the Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol-Rani Mukerji starrer, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, brought many international fashion brands into the Indian market. In 2005, the stylist and entrepreneur himself launched his eponymous label, Manish Malhotra. Today, he has three flagship stores in three of India’s buzzing metro cities — Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad — with his first international store coming up soon in Dubai. He has also expanded into verticals, like jewellery, and even has his own beauty line.

Several Bollywood A-listers and celebs from other fields often opt to wear ‘Manish Malhotra’ couture, be it to a wedding or a red-carpet gala. From Kareena Kapoor’s trendsetting Patiala salwar and T-shirt in Jab We Met and Priyanka Chopra’s lehenga-sneakers runaway bride look in Anjaana Anjaani to sequined sarees with bralettes and chikankari lehengas with cut-away infinity blouses, Manish has been revolutionising and redefining fashion, both on-screen and off it, over the last three decades.

“The collection is reflective of ‘old world charm meets the new world’ to create something breakthrough and imaginative. This collaboration aligns our joint synergy of innovation, progress and creativity which inspires with NEXA and we are excited to exhibit our line at IIFA Rocks 2023,” asserts Manish.

IIFA will be staged at the Etihad Arena, the Middle East’s largest state-of-the-art indoor entertainment venue, and a part of the picture-perfect Yas Bay Waterfront. Vicky Kaushal and Abhishek Bachchan will host the Awards, with live performances by some of Bollywood’s biggest stars, including Salman Khan, Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nora Fatehi and Rakul Preet Singh.

Farah Khan, who hosted the 22^nd edition of IIFA Rocks with Aparshakti Khurrana in May last year, will be back to regale with her famous, irrepressible wit. Her co-host this year is actor Rajkummar Rao. Amit Trivedi, Badshah, Sunidhi Chauhan, Nuchelya, Mika and Sukhbir Singh will electrify the stage this year with their performances!