Lagaan, the epic Indian film which has beennominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award, goes head to headwith Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (Sometimes Happiness, Sometimes Sorrow), the most expensive film in Indian filmhistory also known as K3G, in the nominations for the third annual Electrolux KelvinatorInternational Indian Film Academy Awards which will be held in Malaysia onApril 6.

The nominationswere announced yesterday at a press conference in India. They were voted on byprofessionals from the film industry who came in to cast their votes at a hotelin Juhu on Feb 23 and 24. These votes were then collated and summarized byPricewaterhouseCoopers, which audits the awards.

The awards,which will now be open to public voting at www.msn.co.in/iifa,were first staged three years ago in the UK as a salute to the Indian filmindustry and in an effort to expand its influence the sub-continent. AfterLondon, the show moved to Sun City, South Africa, last year and will this yearbe held at the Genting Highlands resort near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. The hostcountries are selected based on the their resident Indian populations and theinterest they have shown in Indian cinema.

Chief patron of IIFA is Indian superstar Amitabh Bachchanwho said: "These awards are an important step in globalizing Indiancinema. By going to new markets each year, we are able to showcase our talentand honour our best performances, while at the same time help build a strongbridge between India and the world."

The awards alsooffer an opportunity to world premiere an eagerly awaited new Hindi film. Lastyear Lagaan made itsbow at the IIFA awards and this year the film screened will be Aankhen which stars Bachchan himself.

KEY CATEGORIESIN THE INDIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

BEST PICTURE

Chandni Bar

Dil ChahtaHai

Gadar -Ek Prem Gham

Kabhi KhushiKabhi Gham

Lagaan

BEST DIRECTOR

Anil Sharma Gadar- Ek Prem Gham

AshutoshGowariker Lagaan

Farhan Akhtar DilChahta Hai

Karan Johar KabhiKhushi Kabhi Gham

MadhurBhandarkar Chandni Bar

BEST ACTOR IN ALEADING ROLE

Aamir Khan DilChahta Hai

Aamir Khan Lagaan

Amitabh BachchanAks - The Reflection

Shah Rukh Khan KabhiKhushi Kabhi Gham

Sunny Deol Gadar- Ek Prem Katha

BEST ACTRESS INA LEADING ROLE

Amisha Patel Gadar- Ek Prem Katha

Gracy Singh Lagaan

Kajol KabhiKhushi Kabhi Gham

Preity Zinta DilChahta Hai

Tabu ChandniBar

BEST ACTOR INA SUPPORTING ROLE

Akshaye Khanna DilChahta Hai

Amitabh BachchanKabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham

Hrithik Roshan KabhiKhushi Kabhi Gham

KulbhushanKharbanda Lagaan

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