Zee Aflam to screen 13th edition of Zee Cine Awards

Billed as the 'world's biggest viewers' choice awards,' the acclaimed award-ceremony made its way back to India, after making waves in cities like Dubai, Singapore, London, and Macau, in time to mark the 100th year of Bollywood.

Mukund Cairae, CEO - Middle East, North Africa & Pakistan, Zee Entertainment Enterprise LLC, said: "This is a very important year for the Zee Network, marking not only 20 years since its inception, but also celebrating 100 years of India's cinematic excellence. The Zee Cine Awards witness exceptional following in the Arab world, and through Zee Aflam, our viewers will be able to enjoy the roster of events and anecdotes at one of the most renowned award ceremonies in the world."

This year's ceremony was compered by Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and Ritesh Deshmukh, and attended by a bevy of a-list stars including Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. The ceremony also paid homage to late Yash Chopra, by hosting the annual celebration at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai.

At Zee Cine Awards, Anurag Basu's Barfi clinched the Jury award for Best Actor (Ranbir Kapoor); Popular Award for Best Actress (Priyanka Chopra), and Best Film. It also won numerous awards including Best Debut Female, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif were crowned with the 'International Icon Award' for an actor/actress, respectively.

Zee Aflam is the only Arabic television channel to cover all Bollywood red carpet events. Wiam Dahmani, the host of Zee Aflam's dedicated show 100% Bollywood, interviews leading Bollywood celebrities at the Award events. One of the most recognised people of Arabic origin in Bollywood, Dahmani will present vignettes of the Zee Cine Award celebration through interviews with the crème-de-la-crème of the industry.

Originally starting out as an industry-driven ceremony, the Zee Cine Awards widened its scope to include awards that are decided by public vote. Today, it has gained substantial popularity as a notable awards ceremony for the Indian population as well as global viewers of Zee Network.

Established in 1998, the awards were held annually in Mumbai, until taken to international shores, with Dubai as its first destination. The celebration is deemed as the most exciting Bollywood awards night featuring the biggest stars, the most talented personalities, scintillating performances and rib-tickling gags.

Zee Aflam is available to audiences in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in the United Arab Emirates on Nilesat and Arabsat.