Juhi sulks. Jackson loves Mahatma Gandhi. Jaffrey shoots his mouth. The Bollywood virus hits Gotham.
It was a near-sell-out-delirious crowd that bellowed and jumped on seats at the Bollywood Awards ceremony on 1 May at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island's Hampsted. Some of Bombay film industry's pin-up faces were there, including heartbreakers Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla.
Beating them all, at the stroke of the midnight hour, came the "Thriller" himself, Michael Jackson, in his South Asian avatar, clad in a Pathani suit, waving and blowing kisses with the hand that knows so well both the mike and the crotch. "Thank you, I love you all," he told the standing ovation. "I admire Mahatma Gandhi for his philosophy of non-violence and I am deeply touched by it," he added, while receiving the "Humanitarian Award" (pictured above) from S.P. Hinduja, a recent British citizen and chairman of the London-based Hinduja Group of Industries. The award was purportedly for Jackson's role in "promoting the cause of peace and understanding around the world" through his Heal The World Foundation.
The four-hour show was mostly filled with Bollywood antics. Changing costumes furiously in chameleon Bollywood fashion, Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Shilpa Shetty pranced around to some hit Hindi numbers (Koi Mil Gaya, Mere Mehboob Mere Sanam, Chhaiya Chhaiya). If that drove the about 17,000-crowd wild, playback singer Udit Narayan (who later was given the award for "Best Singer-Male") and his son Aditya Narayan charmed the assorted audience which included Americans, Indians, Nepalis, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis living in New York and New Jersey. (The tickets were priced at USD 25,35,50 and 100.) Towards the end, old-time Bangla crooner Runa Laila activated many a nostalgic nerve, while the stage was lit up by laser displays and fireworks. Earlier, the popular Pakistani band, Junoon, whipped up frenzy among the younger members of the crowd, who also lapped up British reggae star Apache Indian's chart busters.