Colors goes on IIFA overdrive

The channel will air IIFA Rocks on June 28, IIFA Buzz from June 28 to July 4, while the main event will be telecast on July 5.

The International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA Awards), the annual awards property that honours both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood, will be back in its 16th edition, this weekend.

Launched in 2000, the ceremony is held in different countries around the world each year and this year is being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The prestigious property has moved to the Viacom18 channel from Star India.

For the 16th IIFA Awards, Colors has planned a week-long extravaganza, starting with IIFA Rocks on June 28, to celebrate Indian music and technical excellence. Hosted by Ayushmann Khurana and Parineeti Chopra, the event brings together performances by celebrities including Sonakshi Sinha, Mika, Jacqueline Fernandez, Aditi Rao Hydari, Ankit Tewari, Kanika Kapoor and Malaika Arora Khan.

A specially created series called IIFA Buzz will be aired from June 29 to July 4 at 6 pm. Hosted by Karan Tacker, Sana Khan and Pritam Singh, this series showcases the fun side of celebrities as they let their hair down in Kuala Lumpur.

On July 5 is scheduled the IIFA Awards - Green Carpet, to be aired at 7 pm, leading to IIFA Awards - Main Event at 8 pm.

The IIFA Fashion Extravaganza will aired on July 12 and will celebrate the latest trends and fashion. The event will be hosted by Neha Dhupia and Vivek Oberoi.

The channel has roped in S-Cross and Videocon d2H as presenting sponsors for the awards.

Commenting on the telecast of the IIFA Weekend, Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, says, "The IIFA Weekend witnesses the coming together of the entire film industry creating a visually magnificent moment for our viewers. Through a combination of visually rich moments at IIFA Rocks, IIFA Buzz, IIFA Awards Green Carpet and Main Event, we are looking forward to showcasing the ultimate entertainment content that has never been seen before. Catering to South Asian audiences across 135 countries will enable us to amplify the overall IIFA experience, thereby enhancing viewer engagement."

Sabbas Joseph, director, Wizcraft Entertainment International (event organiser), adds, "This year's IIFA Weekend saw Indian cinema in all its splendour, with the crème de la crème of the industry in attendance. Viewers are in for a night of real cinematic magic. Arjun and Ranveer have surpassed all expectations as hosts and the festivities both on and off-stage brought out the true spirit of IIFA, which has always been to celebrate the phenomenon that is Bollywood. 2015 has seen yet another successful IIFA and another year of recognising and applauding the very best of Indian cinema."

Hero Cycles, Carnival Cinemas, QNet, M.A.C., TabCab, PVR, Orienta, Ching's Secret, FICCI, Aldo, ePaisa and Grey Goose are some of the other sponsors of the awards.

Colors has devised a high-decibel marketing campaign to promote the property, involving a heavy burst of promotions across traditional and digital media over two weeks. Close to 20 print outlets, multiple outdoor locals, over 30 television channels, theatre, radio, DTH and social media platforms are being employed to engage consumers at various touchpoints and achieve top-of-mind recall for the IIFA Weekend.

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