IIFA Awards most memorable speeches over the years, from Rekha to Rajesh Khanna

The International Indian Film Academy awards holds a special place within the film industry for its sheer reach and international exposure. The format of the show is such that every year the award functions are held in a foreign location, where Bollywood superstars meet and interact with their non-resident Indian fans. Then there are some extravagant performances in a mammoth stage conceived by the event management and planning firm, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd. Amid this pomp and hullabaloo, there are some heart-warming moments as well. The award winners sometimes deliver some equally award-winning speeches on the stage. Firstpost lists some of the most memorable speeches at IIFA through these 17 years since its conception in 2000: Rekha, 2003, Johannesburg Bollywood Diva Rekha was honoured with the Samsung Diva award in IIFA Awards 2003 that was held in Johannesburg. The actress thanked everyone and shared a special connection of hers with the South African capital city in her quirky-childlike manner.

Dilip Kumar, 2004, Singapore In this year, veteran actor and screen legend Dilip Kumar was conferred with the award for Outstanding Achievement In Indian Cinema. Shah Rukh Khan presented the coveted award to Kumar along with the then President of Singapore, SR Nathan, amid a thundering round of applause. Dilip Kumar being one of the most respected actors of the film industry also received a standing ovation. Dharmendra, 2007, Yorkshire, United Kingdom The year 2007, saw Dharmendra being awarded the Lifetime Achievment award by his Sholay co-star Amitabh Bachchan. Bachchan gave a special note about how Dharmendra was instrumental in making him the star he is today. Dharmendra gave a very heart-warming acceptance speech when he walked down the memory lane. Later, he also called his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol on the stage which was later followed by the entire team of his then to-be-released film Apne on the stage along with director Anil Sharma. (Part 1: Start from 04.42)

(Part 2: Ends at 05.50)

Rajesh Khanna, 2009, Macau, China Bollywood’s first true superstar Rajesh Khanna was honoured with the award for Outstanding Contribution To Indian Cinema by none other than, his ‘Babumoshayi’ from Anand, Amitabh Bachchan. It was a very emotional moment for Khanna and he said it took him 40 years and 180 movies to get that lifetime achievement award.

Asha Bhosle, 2011, Toronto Bollywood singing sensation and golden voice Asha Bhosle, who has been enthralling millions for around seven decades now, was awarded for her Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema. Priyanka Chopra did a special dance tribute on Bhosle’s many chart-busters. The musical genius thanked her children for being pillars of strength in her life and the audience for their love and admiration for her songs. (Watch from 2.40 to 16.48)

Deepika Padukone, 2016, Madrid The reigning queen of Bollywood who has also made a mark of her own in the west with films like xXx: Return of Xander Cage came up on stage (not for any award*) but to talk about something that was of prime importance. She spoke about her battle with clinical depression and how she coped up with it through sports. Daughter of badminton-ace Prakash Padukone, Deepika, encouraged everyone to play sports. *She did win the Best Performance in a Leading Role (Female) Award for her film, Piku. (Watch from 1.45 to 4.05)