DUBAI: Indian singer and actress Shraddha Kapoor looked positively out of this world in a Reem Acra gown on the green carpet the opening ceremony of the International Indian Film Academy awards (IIFA) in Bangkok on Friday. The rising Bollywood star chose a midnight blue, star-and-moon covered dress by the famed Lebanese designer and accented it with drop earrings by Deepa Gurnani. Dressed by A-list stylist Tanya Ghavri, the “Ok Jaanu” actress sang the song “Galliya” at the opening press conference alongside actor Varun Dhawan. “IIFA has always held a special place in my heart but that bond became even stronger after Wizcraft and IIFA offered me a chance to pay tribute to my father’s legacy through a special performance last year. I am very excited to put on an amazing show for everyone in Bangkok,” Dhawan said in a released statement. For its 19th edition, organizers behind the award show hired out the 2,000-seater Siam Niramitand arena for three days of colorful celebrations. Bollywood legend Rekha is set to preform live on stage after 20 years as part of an extravaganza that seeks to raise awareness about women’s empowerment, gender equality and plastic pollution. Rekha commented on the awards show in a released statement, saying: “Coming back to IIFA and performing on the grandest stage of all in the beautiful city of Bangkok feels ethereally wonderful. IIFA 2018 is going to be an unforgettable, magical and once-in-a-life time experience for Indian cinema fans worldwide.” The show debuted in 2000 and has gone on to celebrate Indian cinema worldwide, with ceremonies being held in Colombo, Toronto, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Johannesburg, Amsterdam, Dubai and New York. This year, Rekha will be joined on stage by a glittering line-up of performers, including Ranbir Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Bobby Deol and Nushrat Bharucha. In a released statement, Deol revealed that, despite his experience as one of the country’s most well-known actors, he still gets nervous. “My IIFA experience has always been very special, right from my very first performance to sharing a stage with my family. I am super excited, a bit nervous to be back at the IIFA stage and to be performing.I hope the fans and the global audiences have fun.” This year, the IIFA Foundation has collaborated with OSIANs auction house to showcase vintage cinema memorabilia at an exhibition at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis, Queens Park hotel from June 21 to June 23. The event, India’s answer to the Cannes Film Festival, is set to run until June 24.