IIFA Awards announces Canada as 2011 host

The 12th Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) will be held in Ontario, Canada, in 2011. However, organisers are yet to announce the venue for the IIFA awards in 2010.

"Before announcing the location for 2010, we are doing it for 2011. It is very unprecedented on our part. Toronto has shown us the excitement and passion to host IIFA 2011. They have a fantastic infrastructure but they wanted to take time to make sure everything is perfect for the event," Viraf Sirkari, a director of event management company Wizcraft that organises IIFA every year, told reporters in Mumbai on Dec 9.

Toronto would be the first North American city to host the IIFA.

Commenting upon the venue for IIFA Awards 2010, Sarkari said: "Very soon we will be announcing our destination for 2010. We have quite a few countries very keen and we are in tough negotiations with them."

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is the brand ambassador of IIFA, could not attend the event as he had to be present at the Dubai International Film Festival to receive an honour.

But his message was conveyed through a pre-recorded video.

"IIFA has moved forward and has over the time brought people from different cultures and races together on a global stage. It bridges countries, nations, businesses, communities and cinemas and this is our wish too for IIFA, Toronto 2011. As the IIFA brand ambassador, I pledge my complete support to the IIFA celebration and do look for a greener IIFA 2011," he said.

In Bachchan’s absence, present at the IIFA 2010 announcement were Viveik Oberoi and Celina Jaitley.

We were very surprised to see Viveik. After all, isn’t IIFA a Bachchan territory?