Indian movie stars brought Shanghai to Singapore for a Bollywood event that

Indian movie stars brought Shanghai to Singapore for a Bollywood event that is expected to be watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Last night, stars Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin attended the world premiere of their movie, the controversial political thriller Shanghai, directed by Mr Dibakar Banerjee, at the Shaw Lido Cineplex.

It was the first major event of the star-studded International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) weekend, which began yesterday and ends tomorrow.

Said Koechlin, 29: ‘I’ve had no sleep, no rest. It is my first time in Singapore. From whatever little I’ve seen of it so far, it has been impressive.’

The carpet the Bollywood stars walked on was green instead of the usual red for glitzy events, in a nod to environmental causes. About 200 fans thronged the green carpet to see the actors, with some turning up four hours before the stars appeared.

There was no hint of the controversy Shanghai has attracted in India, where a Hindu nationalist group is seeking a ban over the satirical lyrics of one of the movie’s songs Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Victory For Mother India), which runs down India as a land of diseases.

The movie, which deals with the thorny issue of urbanisation as India tries to become a China, is released in Singapore today, during the IIFA weekend.

Now in its 13th edition, the S$15 million (US$12 million) event is being held in Singapore for the second time. It brings with it the promise of a global viewership of 800 million, up from 400 million in 2004, when Singapore first hosted it.

Some 10,000 visitors are expected to attend it, with about 3,000 coming from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India.

Three days’ worth of film screenings, a rock concert, a fashion show and other festivities will climax with an awards ceremony at the Singapore Indoor Stadium tomorrow.

Many stars, including A-listers such as Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan and Shriya Saran, are expected to attend the ceremony.

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