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Sizing up the stars

Aseem Chhabra

The Oscars were announced last month and now it is time for desi films. The nominations are in for the second annual Bollywood Film Awards, to be presented on May 27 at Long Island's Nassau Coliseum.

To build the momentum around the event, this year the organizers gave fans the chance to vote for their favorite Bollywood film stars and other performers for 1999.

Anyone who followed Bollywood films in 1999 should not be surprised by the nominations:

Taal, last year's biggest hit in North America received 17 nominations. That was followed closely by the second most popular film of the year -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam with 15 nominations.Biwi No 1 received 10 nominations.

Among the stars, Aishwarya Rai received four nominations -- including two in the best actress category, where she competes against herself forTaal and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Anil Kapoor received three nominations for his performances inTaal andBiwi No 1.

Both Rai and Kapoor will perform at the show. Other stars who are expected to attend the show include, Akshaye Khanna, Urmila Matondkar, Tabu, Anupam Kher and Rahul Khanna. Musicians who will perform at the show include Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), Falguni Phatak, Jassi and Baby Naznin from Bangladesh.

This year's 'Pride of India' award for lifetime achievement will be presented to producer and director Ismail Merchant, best know for his collaboration with director James Ivory and novelist and screenplay writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Merchant's latest filmCotton Mary is currently showing in the US.

The following is the complete list of nominees:

Best film:
• Taal -- Subhash Ghai
• Biwi No1 -- Vashu Bhagnani
• Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam -- Jhamu Sughand

  Best director:

• Subhash Ghai -- Taal
• Sanjay Leela Bhansali -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• David Dhawan -- Biwi No 1

  Best actor:

• Ajay Devgan -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Sanjay Dutt -- Vaastav
• Salman Khan -- Biwi No 1

  Best actress:

• Aishwarya Rai -- Taal
• Aishwarya Rai -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Kajol -- Hum Aap Ke Dil Mein Rehte Hain

  Best actor (Critics' role):

• Anil Kapoor -- Taal
• Ajay Devgan -- Thakshak
• Amitabh Bachchan -- Sooryavansham

  Best actress (Critics' role):

• Tabu -- Hu Tu Tu
• Aishwarya Rai -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Kajol -- Hum Aap Ke Dil Mein Rehte Hain

  Actor in a sensational role:

• Anil Kapoor -- Biwi No 1
• Govinda -- Haseena Maan Jaayengi
• Akshaye Khanna -- Taal

  Best Actress in sensational role:

• Aishwarya Rai -- Taal
• Karishma Kapoor -- Biwi No 1
• Kajol -- Dil Kya Kare

  Best Costume designer:

• Neeta Lulla -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Manish Malhotra -- Hum Saath Saath Hain
• Neeta Lulla -- Taal

  Best choreography:

• Ahmed Khan (Ramta Jogi) -- Taal
• Saroj Khan (Nimbuda Nimbuda) -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Farah Khan (Dilber Dilber) -- Sirf Tum

  Best cinematography:

• Anil Mehta -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Kabir Lal -- Taal
• Giles Nuttgers -- 1947 Earth

  Best song - lyrics:

• Anand Bakshi - Taal Se Taal Mila -- Taal
• Sameer - Chup Gaya Badli Me Jake -- Hum Aap Ke Dil Mein Rehte Hain..
• Mehboob - Aakhon Ki Gustakiyan -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

  Best editing:

• A Muthu -- Biwi No 1
• Mukhtar Ahmed -- Hum Saath Saath Hain
• Subhash Ghai -- Taal

  Best screenplay:

• Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Kenneth Phillips -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Rumi Jaffri -- Biwi No 1
• Subhash Ghai and Sachin Bhowmick -- Taal

  Best story:

• Pratap Karwat and Sanjay Leela Bhansali -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Subhash Ghai -- Taal
• Sooraj Barjatya -- Hum Saath Saath Hain

  Actor (supporting role):

• Anil Kapoor -- Taal
• Mohnish Behl -- Hum Saath Saath Hain
• Anupam Kher -- Hum Aap Ke Dil Mein Rehte Hain

  Actress (supporting role):

• Mahima Choudhury -- Dil Kya Kare
• Sushmita Sen -- Biwi No 1
• Tabu -- Biwi No 1

  Comic role:

• Anupam Kher -- Haseena Maan Jayegi
• Satish Kaushik -- Haseena Maan Jayegi
• Johnny Lever -- Hum Aap Keh Dil Mein Rehte Hain

  Villain:

• Rahul Bose -- Thakshak
• Ashutosh Rana -- Sanghursh
• Sayaji Shinde -- Shool

  Best music:

• A R Rahman -- Taal
• Ismail Durbar -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Anu Malik -- Biwi No 1

  Male singer:

• Sukhvinder --Ramta Jogi - Taal
• Udit Narayan --Chand Chupa - Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam
• Kumar Sanu --Ankhon Ki Gustakiya - Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

  Female singer:

• Asha Bhosle - Rang De -- Thakshak
• Alka Yagnik - Taal se Taal -- Taal
• Kavita Krishnamoorthy - Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam -- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

  Newcomer male:

• Rahul Khanna -- 1947 Earth
• Aftab Shivdasani -- Mast
• Sanjay Suri -- Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi

  Newcomer female:

• Rinke Khanna -- Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi
• Nethra R -- Thakshak
• Anoushka -- Sar Aakhon Par

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