Bollywood celebrities attend IIFA 2027 press conference:Salman warns paparazzi again; Shahid, Varun Dhawan turn heads with stylish looks

The press conference for the 27th edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA 2027) is being held in Mumbai. Several Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, attended the event. Shahid arrived in an all-white outfit, while Varun paired a white vest and matching trousers with a brown jacket. Salman once again cautioned the paparazzi against taking pictures from behind. “You remember, don’t you? I told you not to take back shots,” he said. IIFA 2027 will take place on January 22 and 23 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The organisers have also announced the hosts for both the main awards ceremony and the Digital Awards. Shahid to perform at the main awards ceremony; Varun sports a distinct look Shahid Kapoor wore an all-white outfit at the press conference. He is also set to perform at the main awards ceremony on January 23 in Abu Dhabi. Varun Dhawan, meanwhile, opted for a white vest, matching trousers and a brown jacket. Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Ananya Panday to host main ceremony The organisers have announced four hosts for the main IIFA Awards on January 23: filmmaker Karan Johar, actors Varun Dhawan and Ananya Panday, and host Maniesh Paul. The four will come together to host the main ceremony. Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal to host Digital Awards The IIFA Digital Awards, scheduled for January 22, will be hosted by actors Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal. The two will share hosting duties for the first time, while several new faces are also expected to make their IIFA stage debut. ‘Laapataa Ladies’ wins 10 awards at IIFA 2025 IIFA 2026 was initially planned for August or September in Southeast Asia. However, the organisers later decided to move the event to early 2027, citing preparations and the need to coordinate international schedules. The IIFA Awards’ silver jubilee celebrations took place on March 8 and 9, 2025, at the Jaipur Exhibition and Convention Centre (JECC). Several Bollywood stars attended the event, which was co-hosted by Kartik Aaryan and Karan Johar. Kiran Rao’s film Laapataa Ladies won 10 awards at the ceremony, including Best Picture and Best Director. The silver jubilee edition also recognised the work of actors, filmmakers and technical teams across Hindi cinema. A brief history of the IIFA Awards Launched in 2000, the IIFA Awards recognise achievements in Hindi cinema. The ceremony is known for taking place in different locations around the world. The first edition was held at London’s Millennium Dome on June 24, 2000. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam won Best Film that year. What began as a one-night awards ceremony has since expanded into a multi-day event featuring award ceremonies and other celebrations. In 2001, the IIFA awards were held in Sun City, South Africa, where ‘Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai’ was named Best Film. In 2002, the ceremony held in Genting Highlands, Malaysia, saw ‘Lagaan’ receive the honour. In 2003, ‘Devdas’ was named Best Film at the ceremony held in Johannesburg, South Africa. After that, IIFA ceremonies were held at several locations, including Singapore, the Netherlands, Dubai, the UK, Thailand, Macau, Sri Lanka, Canada, the US, Malaysia, Spain and India. In 2019, the 20th IIFA Awards were held in Mumbai, where ‘Raazi’ won the Best Film award. The ceremony was cancelled in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the winners were announced via Instagram. The IIFA ceremony was subsequently held in Abu Dhabi in 2022. ‘Drishyam 2’ won the Best Film award in 2023, ‘Animal’ in 2024 and ‘Laapataa Ladies’ in 2025. Which categories are the awards presented in? Films and artists are honoured in several different categories at the IIFA Awards. The major categories include Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Other categories include Best Music Director, Best Lyricist, Best Male Playback Singer, Best Female Playback Singer and Best Story. Awards are also presented in technical categories such as Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Special Effects and Best Sound. Special awards are also presented at the IIFA Awards. These include categories such as the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award, Style Icon, Style Diva, Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema. Several films set records Several films have won a large number of awards in IIFA history. ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘Devdas’ won 16 awards each at a single ceremony. ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’, ‘Barfi!’ and ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ won 14 awards each. In acting, Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan have won five awards each, combining the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories. Among female artists, Rani Mukerji has won five awards, combining the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories. In the directing category, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has won four awards. In music, A. R. Rahman has won 14 awards, combining the Best Music Director and Best Background Score categories. In singing, Shreya Ghoshal has 10 IIFA awards to her name. How are the winners of the IIFA Awards chosen? Public voting Fan participation is very important at the IIFA Awards. Winners in the ‘popular’ categories, such as Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Film, are primarily chosen by audiences through online voting. Viewers can vote for their favourite artists through IIFA’s official website or other designated digital platforms. Jury and Industry Contribution For some categories, the decision does not depend solely on public voting. The winners in several popular and technical categories are selected through a combination of public voting and a panel of technical jury members chosen by IIFA. In addition, the winners in some categories are decided entirely by IIFA’s selection panel. Members of the film industry also participate in the voting process, which is often monitored by independent auditors, such as PwC, to ensure that it is transparent and well-organised.