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Indian film stars are pouring out of trains arriving in York and Leeds
for the IIFA Weekend, but actress Shilpa Shetty continues to be the
centre of attraction as Britain's love affair with her post-Big Brother
incarnation continues.
As
the year-long preparations for the high-profile four-day IIFA event are
set to climax beginning Thursday, the buzz among many gathered here is
about who will Shetty invite for her 'private' birthday party on
Friday, when she turns 32.
Shetty is scheduled to throw a
birthday party at the Victoria Quarters here, but organizers and her
aides are keeping the guest list a secret. At the train station and on
the streets of Leeds, Shetty looked every bit the celebrity, basking in
the knowledge that, for now, she is clearly the most recognized Indian
in Britain.
On Wednesday, Shetty tucked into traditional Indian
cuisine with family members and IIFA organisers at the award-winning
Aagrah restaurant in the city centre. The Leeds branch of Aagrah -
famous for its Kashmiri cuisine - has been renamed IIFA Cafй Aagrah
during June.
As Shetty enjoyed the Aagrah cuisine, her fans
looked through film memorabilia, entered competitions and dined on
special dishes selected personally by Indian stars including the IIFA
brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan.
During the Big Brother row,
Shetty was perceived as poised and dignified in the face of bullying.
Local fans said she retained the same poise and dignity even though, as
she said, her luggage had not arrived with her.
She said: "I'm
in dire straits right now. My bags haven't arrived so I've no make-up,
nothing. I've begged and borrowed but I had to be here - I couldn't not
come. Yorkshire is beautiful. It really is.
"This is the first
time I've been here. I really love it - it's so green. I am so happy
that people have been kind enough to invite us here. I am really very
excited".
Others arriving in Leeds Wednesday included Dharmendra
and his sons, Sunny and Bobby. Their latest film, "Apne", will be
showcased during the IIFA event. A special tribute will also be paid to
Dharmendra, alongwith Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Amitabh Bachchan, at the
Cineworld complex in Bradford on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a
specially commissioned train to ferry stars to the IIFA Awards weekend
was unveiled at the King's Cross station, London on Wednesday. Stars of
the latest thriller, "The Train", including Emraan Hashmi and Geeta
Basra, traveled from London to York on the train. The film is to be
premiered on Thursday.
The train, run by the private company GNER, features the image of an Indian woman.
Indo-Asian News Service
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