Mad about India!

You know Bollywood fever has gripped a country when fans mob Aftab Shivdasani on his arrival at the airport.

You know Bollywood fever has gripped a country when fans mob Aftab Shivdasani on his arrival at the airport.

Then there are India-inspired cocktails, art, menu, flower arrangements and an Indian welcome at the hotels to celebrate the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, which will take place in Singapore today.

Young girls from all parts of Singapore waited at the airport on Thursday to catch a glimpse of the stars, and excitedly screamed when they saw Aftab, the first one to arrive, and Shahid Kapoor. Some even got lucky with autographs and pictures with their favourite stars.

“I live at the other end of Singapore and came here just to see Shahid,” said Zulaika Beevi, 17. “I couldn’t get Shahid’s autograph. There were so many people. Hope to see him in the coming days,” said Jasvin, 16.

Soon after, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, who came with daughters Jahnvi and Khushi, and fans thronged Sri for autographs. Ee Wai, who had brought her four-year-old daughter to the green carpet premiere of Shanghai said, “Bollywood is really catching up here and I want my daughter to know about it.”

Love for India

For VIP guests, hotel Fairmont Singapore prepared over 100 pieces of custom-designed IIFA and Bollywood-inspired hand-bouquets in the IIFA logo colour scheme — black feathers, orange orchids and mogra.

Then there was a sash made of silk, batik and sari, representing the diverse racial tapestry of Singapore — Chinese, Malay and Indian. The staffers were dressed in saris, and the India-inspired menu included cocktails named after Indian cities like Mum-Bellini, Delhi Breeze, and Indian dishes such as samosas and kebab.