'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' Sweeps Filmfare Awards

NEW DELHI – The 57th annual Filmfare Awards were held Sunday night in Mumbai saw Bollywood hit Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (You Don't Get Life A Second Time) picking up seven awards including best picture and best director for Zoya Akhtar, one of the industry's rising female helmers.

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The awards sweep turned into a family affair with Zoya's brother Farhan Akhtar winning best dialogue and best supporting actor for his turn in Zindagi – which also won the critics award for best film -- as one of three friends who undertake a soul searching journey to Spain.

As expected, Vidya Balan won best actress for her turn as a sexy siren – inspired by the real-life story of Eighties South Indian star Silk Smitha – in runaway hit The Dirty Picture that proved that a female-centric film could be a hit in a male-dominated industry.

Another expected win was for Ranbir Kapoor who bagged both best actor and the critics award for best actor for Rockstar in which he evolved from a bumbling college boy to a wildly successful but tormented rock singer. The Imtiaz Ali-directed film – which picked a total of five trophies -- was also a major hit driven by its popular soundtrack by Oscar and Grammy winner A R Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) who won best music director.

Rani Mukherjee won best supporting actress for her portrayal of an intrepid TV journalist in No One Killed Jessica, based on the real-life 1999 murder of a Delhi-based fashion model Jessica Lal.

Top actress Priyanka Chopra won the critics award for best actress for acclaimed director Vishal Bhardwaj's 7 Khoon Maaf  (Susanna's Seven Husbands) that was co-scripted by veteran Hollywood writer Matthew Robins (The Sugarland Express).

The lifetime achievement award was given to veteran actress Aruna Irani.

The awards are organized by leading magazine Filmfare, published by the Times of India newspaper group and this year, the event was held at the newly opened Reliance MediaWorks studios in Mumbai's Film City.

Co-hosted by superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor, the event saw Bollywood stars out in full force including live onstage performances by top actresses Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor. The Filmfare awards will be telecast on February 19 on Sony Entertainment Television.