Late Bollywood superstar honored at Bollywood's 'Oscars'
June 25, 2018
Kapoor was honored for her final role at India's movie awards in Bangkok, winning best actress at the celebration of dance, music and film just months after her shock death.
She was considered one of the most influential Bollywood actresses of all time. Her death from accidental drowning in a Dubai hotel room bathtub at age 54 in February left the nation in stunned grief. Throngs of fans lined the streets of Mumbai to pay their respects.
Read more: India bids farewell to Bollywood legend Sridevi Kapoor
"I have mixed emotions today. I miss her every minute and second of my life," her widower Boney Kapoor said as he collected the gong on her behalf at the Indian Film Academy's (IIFA) annual awards ceremony.
"I still feel she is around... I want you all to support Janhvi like you supported her mother," the Bollywood producer said in an emotional speech quoted by Indian media, referring to the eldest of her two daughters who is set to make her Bollywood debut.
The late actress won the award for her role in the film Mom. Its subject touched on a sensitive topic in India, that of rape, with the actress portraying a mother seeking to avenge a sex attack on her stepdaughter.
The ceremony saw India's biggest stars descend on the Thai capital late Sunday for a riotous evening filled with glamour and stunning dance routines.
But it was given an additional tinge of sadness as another one of the most prestigious prizes could not be picked up by its winner. The best actor award went to Irrfan Khan, known internationally for his roles in blockbusters Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire, in his absence.
Earlier this year the Indian actor, who was also in the 2016 film Inferno alongside Tom Hanks and is one of Bollywood's most globally recognized exports, revealed he has a rare tumor and is being treated in London.
The prize recognized his work in Hindi Medium, a film highly critical of the class divide in India.
'Bollywood's Oscars' celebrated worldwide
With an audience of more than 850 million, the IIFA Awards, dubbed Bollywood's Oscars by some in the industry, is India's biggest media event.
It is also one of the world's most watched annual entertainment shows; it is held outside India to demonstrate Bollywood's global appeal. Past editions of the IIFA Awards were held in cities including New York, Toronto, Johannesburg, Amsterdam, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai.
sh/eg (AFP, AP)