Over 1500 Industry Members Vote for 10th IIFA Awards. IIFA 2009 gets off to a great start with The IIFA Voting Weekend.

In a never before seen turnout from the Indian Film Industry in recent times, an astounding 1500 industry members showed up to support IIFA in its tenth year and vote for who the deem to be the best of 2008. The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Voting Weekend for the IIFA Awards 2009, started on Friday, the 6th of March and was on for three days at the J. W. Marriot in Mumbai.

Year after year, industry stalwarts, actors, directors, producers, technicians and composers among others cast their votes, which decide the nominations for the main awards. The numbers that come in to vote each year vary between 500 to a thousand, but the tenth year celebrations saw an astounding 1500+ industry members come in to vote.

After Mr. Amitabh Bachchans, IIFA's Brand Ambassador's customary first vote to initiate proceedings, the fraternity followed suit to make the Voting Weekend an unprecedented success. Some of the biggest names in the Indian Film Industry voted with the likes of Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan, Farhan Akthar, Jaya Bachchan, Anupam & Kirron Kher, Riteish Deshmukh, Raveena Tandon, Randhir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Johnny Lever, Purab Kohli, Sonali Kulkarni, Tushar Kapoor, Zayed Khan, Neha Dupia, Vinay Pathak and Javed Akthar among many others.

Talking about the IIFA Voting Process, Neha Dupia said, "It's very democratic. It's of, by and for the people and that's the best part about the whole IIFA Voting process."

In the same tandem, Farhan Akthar said, "When you're new in the Industry, and to know that your fraternity has decided to confer an award like this, it feels really good and that is really my biggest memory of the IIFA Awards."

A large number of new talent also came in. Abhay Deol, Shahana Goswami, Arjan Bajwa, Sonu Sood, Jacky Bhagnani, Prachi Desai, Gul Panang and Mugdha Godse. Other specialists that came in were Aki Narula, Nitin Desai, Sajid-Wajid, Longinus, and Amol Gupte (of Taare Zameen Par fame).

Entire cast and crews from top films in 2008 like Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye, Jodha Akbar & Rock On came to The IIFA Voting Weekend at the J. W. Marriot to vote for their films and their favourites of the year gone by.

Many film producers and directors also came in - Madhur Bandarkar, Karan Johar, Ashutosh Gowariker, Apoorva Lakhia, Ramesh Sippy, Riteish Sidwani, Bunty Walia, Shyam Shroff, Neeraj Pandey, Sunil Doshi, Tarun Mansukhani, Harry Baweja, Abbas Mastan, Zoya Akthar, Neeraj Sridhar, Abhishek Kapoor, Rakesh Roshan, Boney Kapoor and Mukhesh Bhatt.

Ashutosh Gowariker of Jodha Akbar fame said, "IIFA, the Voting system is something that is very transparent and very beneficial for the Industry itself."

The votes that have been cast through the IIFA Voting Weekend shortlist nominations in the category of the Popular Awards and the Technical Award winners are derived from them. The winners of the Popular Awards will be announced at the IIFA Awards 2009. -Sampurn Media