27 March 2017
Hyderabad
The biggest celebration of South Indian cinema, the 2nd Annual Fortune Sunflower Oil IIFA Utsavam Co-Presented by Hero Maestro Edge Powered by Renault witnessed an outstanding event on the 1st day as biggest superstars of the Tamil and Malayalam Film Industries came together on 28th March 2017 at HICC in Hyderabad. With some of the year’s biggest films taking home the significant awards, the evening came alive as the most prolific names in the South Indian film industry reveled in the success of Tamil and Malayalam Cinema.
South Indian cinema fans and enthusiasts from around the world saw their favorite superstars light up Hyderabad during the weekend for the magnificent extravaganza envisioned to honor and showcase the best of South Indian cinema.
IIFA Utsavam 2017 celebrations will air exclusively on Broadcast Partners, Sun Network, while the Title Sponsor is Fortune Sunflower Oil, Co-presenting Sponsor, Hero Maestro Edge, Powered by Renault. Destination Partner, Govt. of Telangana, Telangana Tourism, Happening Hyderabad and Telangana Police, Brand Partner Big C, Park Hyatt Hyderabad is the Luxury Partner while HICC is the Venue Partner. Mirrors is the Hair and Makeup Partner, Gifting Partner for IIFA Utsavam 2017 are Tiraa and Spa Ceylon. The Cause Partneris Horlicks, Key Partner Neerus, Celebrations Partner is Kingfisher Premium, Virtual Vision is the Technical Partner, Digital Partner Ellanar Group.
The charismatic Superstars, Rana Daggubati and Shiva hosted the Tamil segment, while Tini Tom and Pearle Maaney hosted the Malayalam segment of the award celebrations.
In the Tamil Film Awards, Irudhi Suttru took home the big number of accolades with a total tally of three awards in Leading Role Male, Leading Role Female & Best Picture categories.
For the Malayalam Film Awards, Charlie took home the highest number of accolades with a total tally of seven awards in Best Story, Comic Role, Best Direction, Leading Role Male, Best Lyrics, Best Music Direction & Supporting Role Female.
R. Madhavan won the award for Leading Role (Male) and Ritika Singh won the award for Leading Role (Female) for their performance in Irudhi Suttru (Tamil).
Dulquer Salmaan won the award for Leading Role (Male) for his performance in Charlie (Malayalam) while Rajisha Vijayan walked away with the award for Leading Role (Female) for Anuraga Karikkin Vellam (Malayalam).
S. P. Muthuraman won an award for his outstanding contribution to the Indian film industry.
Catherine opened the evening with a fantastic routine. Superstar divas Hansika Motwani and Akshara Haasan held the audience spell-bound with a stunning performance. Jiiva’s performance lit the stage on fire with some incredible moves. Also the vibrant star Kunchako Boban lit the stage on fire with some incredible moves.
Speaking on the occasion, Rana Daggubati said, “IIFA Utsavam is a unique endeavor that raises South Indian cinema to a global platform, allowing the immense talent of the South to be admired universally. I am excited to host the IIFA Utsavam 2017 in Hyderabad and share the stage with some of the most successful actors and technicians from our film industry. As we get set to honour their contributions to cinema, I invite you to join us to celebrate and applaud your favourite stars. I’m certain that IIFA Utsavam will surpass your expectations this year!”
Hansika Motwani says “IIFA Utsavam is a pioneering event that gives a universal platform of admiration to the talent from the four massive film industries of South India. It is great to see an endeavor such as IIFA Utsavam to help give our cinema maximum exposure to audiences and media around the world. I’m thrilled to be a part of this fantastic journey and look forward to many such celebrations.”
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Angshu Mallick, COO, Adani Wilmar Ltd. Said, “Adani Wilmar Ltd.is one of India’s fastest growing food company with a turnover of more than 3.50 billion USD. Fortune – India’s No 1 edible oil brand, is proud to associate and present IIFA, the International Indian Film Academy into South Indian cinema beginning from 2015. Proud to be called as IIFA Utsavam, we have chosen Fortune Sunflower Oil, one of our most prominent brands in the South Indian market which is also acclaimed to be “very very Light “ Oil in the Sunflower Oil category to bring forth this partnership. With our wide Range of product portfolio of Edible oils, Basmati Rice, Pulses, Soya chunks & Besan, we look forward to being the preferred brand of every South Indian consumer by reaching out with an array of celebrity engagements as a result of our partnership with Utsavam. With the legacy of IIFA in the Indian entertainment space, we proudly look forward to the best entertainment extravaganza the South of India is going to witness."
Mr. Ashok Bhasin Head of Sales, Marketing & Consumer Care, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, said "Brand Hero has always connected very well with the youth through multiple platforms including - sports, music and movies. Our leading Portfolio of Brands has a very large and growing consumer base in South India. We are now very proud that Hero MotoCorp is associated with IIFA Utsavam 2017 through our stylish new scooter Maestro Edge as the Co-Presenter. The Bold New Maestro Edge is fast emerging as the style icon - with its new aesthetics; value-added features and great on-road performance. The IIFA Utsavam 2017 Awards recognize performance & style, and naturally provide the perfect stage for the New Maestro Edge to showcase its style quotient."
Sumit Sawhney, Country CEO and Managing Director, Renault India Operationssaid, “Renault is one of the youngest and fastest growing brands in the Indian automotive industry, driven by our brand ideology, ‘Passion for life’ which is clearly reflected in our offerings and the platforms we partner with. Our association with the prestigious IIFA Utsavam, which honours the talent, excellence and dynamism of South Indian cinema, is in sync with Renault’s passion for celebrating life with elements of culture, entertainment, films, music, creativity and above all people.”
P Kiran, Gemini TV, Broadcast Partners, Sun Network said “It's a great honour to be a part of the second edition of IIFA Utsavam 2017, the biggest celebration of South Indian Cinema. With the support of the Govt. of Telangana we have the privilege of getting associated on such an auspicious occasion of Ugadi. We wish all the nominees all the very best.”
Prashant Pandey, Area Marketing Lead Nutrition, Consumer Healthcare Indian Subcontinent, Horlicks said, “We at GSK are committed to helping people do more, feel better and live longer. Dietary micronutrient deficiency is commonly found in India across diverse socio economic background and we have been taking several initiatives to drive awareness in this area. We are delighted to partner IIFA to further help drive awareness about this in India and specifically connect with mothers who are the gatekeepers of nutrition in every family.”
IIFA Utsavam Director, Andre Timmins said, “We are pleased to host the second edition of IIFA Utsavam Weekend and Awards in Hyderabad after the phenomenal success last year. IIFA Utsavam aims at celebrating the excellence and diversity of the South Indian cinema and it’s an honor to felicitate commendable individuals for their talent and hard work. IIFA from the beginning has promoted Indian cinema across the world to a global platform and with IIFA Utsavam we are looking forward to bring together four massive film industries of South India on one platform as a single entity. We are happy to receive enormous support from the Govt. of Telangana who are the first to recognize this initiative and assist us in the smooth functioning of the event.”
The Fortune Sunflower Oil IIFA Utsavam Co-Presented by Hero Maestro Edge Powered by Renault 2017 night had extravagant sets coupled with lasers, special effects, lighting and acoustics to create a magnificent audio and visual impact. The ambience and the excitement through the evening truly took the audience on a fabulous ride, one that they’d never want to end.
About IIFA Utsavam:
Encompassing four massive film industries of South India, the Tamil, the Telugu, the Malayalam and the Kannada - The Cinema of South India is being celebrated as a single entity. Known for its larger-than-life movies, flamboyant superstars, immense talent pool, technologically advanced productions, loyal fan following, the Cinema of the South has created waves not only in India but also made a name for itself on the global map.
IIFA Utsavam is where we endeavor to bring the world to Hyderabad through international recognition and association of brand IIFA. The aim is to bring recognition, prestige and glory to the South Indian Film industries, by felicitating them and recognizing their achievements and triumphs annually. The IIFA Utsavam weekend will help give the Southern film industries a bigger global platform to grow a larger audience across India and internationally. IIFA Utsavam brings together the four main industries; Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada for a major 2-day event.
About Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
Wizcraft International Entertainment, India’s leading media and Entertainment Company is dedicated to showcasing its expertise on the world stage. Having conceptualized some of the grandest events globally including the 50 Years of Indian Independence, the 30 Years of Mauritian Independence, the 10 years of the South African Freedom Struggle, the Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing ceremonies in Delhi as well as the Handover ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, & the prestigious International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards & Weekend for 15 years in over 12 countries, Wizcraft has contributed towards brand building for India across the world. It has pioneered and developed India’s biggest entertainment brand IIFA which has taken Indian Cinema and culture to the world. The growth story of the company reflects the evolution of the Indian event management & entertainment industry itself. Driven by its vision “Believe in the power of your dreams” the company is committed to quality and innovation, while setting its sights on greater peaks of achievement.
