BANGKOK, June 9: Hot young celebrity couple Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone picked up honours on Sunday as the best new actors at the “Bollywood Oscars.” Kapoor took a gong for his role in the romance “Saawariya,” while his stunning girlfriend picked up hers for “Om Shanti Om.”

Padukone’s film about an intrigue that carries over into a reincarnated life also swept most of the technical awards earlier in the show.

Dashing leading man Akshay Kumar was presented with a special achievement award. He told the audience that he had once waited tables in the host city Bangkok before setting out to become a movie star.

“I was just a young man when my adventure began here. I was naive, restless and eager to please. This city embraced me with such love and kindness,” he said.

Vying for the coveted Best Picture award are “Guru,” “Chak De India,” “Jab We Met,” “Om Shanti Om,” “Life in a... Metro” and “Partner.” The gala event launched by the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) just eight years ago has become one of the film industry’s most-watched events, with an estimated 600 million television viewers.

Hundreds of fans greeted their favourite stars as they paraded into the posh downtown Bangkok theatre.

Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, who last year married into the Bachchan acting dynasty, arrived in a full-length, strapless red satin fishtail gown and elicited screams from fans who stormed past security to snap photos.

She and her husband Abhishek Bachchan are up for Best Male and Best Female acting awards for their roles in “Guru” — the rags-to-riches story of an Indian business tycoon.

“We’re here for the whole film industry. It doesn’t matter if we win,” Bachchan said before the show. Even some of the stars said they were dazzled by the spectacle.

“This is an awards function that I have been watching on television with my parents. It’s big to be here and be part of it,” said Padukone, who was also nominated for best actress for “Om Shanti Om.” At least 500 of Bollywood’s biggest names walked down a carpet changed from red to green in a nod to the environmental themes the event is working to promote.

While all eyes are on the winners, the awards include a major dose of global marketing designed to raise the profile of Indian cinema, especially in markets like Thailand, where Bollywood remains a novelty.

However, not many Thais actually saw the show, which was broadcast by satellite but not carried on local television.

Show-stopping dance numbers punctuated the awards, all promoting upcoming films that eschew the traditional song-and-dance format.—AFP