IIFA 2020 postponed amid growing concerns over spread of Coronavirus; Read statement here

One of the most coveted Indian cinema award shows, International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) has been postponed to a later date amid the global Coronavirus scare. IIFA was originally scheduled to be held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, from 27 to 29 March. an official public statement has been issued by the IIFA award organisers wherein they have stated that the new date and plans for hosting the award show in Madhya Pradesh will be announced later.

The official statement read:

"With due regard to the growing concerns around the spread of the COVID-19 virus and keeping the health and safety of IIFA’s fans and the general community at large, after consulting the Madhya Pradesh government, the IIFA management, and stakeholders from the film industry it has been decided to postpone to a later date the much-awaited IIFA Weekend and Awards 2020 celebrations which were originally scheduled at the end of March 2020," the statement read.

It added, "A fresh date and plans for hosting IIFA in Madhya Pradesh will be announced at the earliest. IIFA is fully committed to ensure the safety of the citizens and legions of IIFA fans who travel from across the globe to attend and experience the magic of IIFA. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused, and hope that all concerned understand the sensitivity of the situation."

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Indore will be the second Indian city, after Mumbai in 2019 to host the high-profile event, a star-studded programme, attended by who's who of the Hindi film industry. This will be the 21st edition of the IIFA Awards which were first presented in 2000 in London. So far, IIFA Award functions have been held in 12 countries in cities like Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Colombo, Toronto, Madrid, and Macau.

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The announcement of the venue for the IIFA 2020 as Indore was made by the organisers in the presence of Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath at a press conference earlier last month.

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Salman Khan, who shares a deep connect with Indore, was scheduled to host the three-day event which mixes glitz, glamour, and marketing for the organisers.

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