The IIFA Awards 2024 just got bigger and better. This year, the prestigious ceremony will unite the Hindi and South cinema. ICYDK: Four additional languages – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam have been introduced. IIFA will take place at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi for three days (September 27 to 29). Day 1 will be allotted to IIFA Utsavam where the awards will be presented for South Indian films. And the preparation has been going on in full swing. On Wednesday, IIFA Utsavam dropped a video on their Instagram feed, featuring Rana Daggubati and Teja Sajja. The two Telugu actors will be taking on the role of the host for the Day-1 event. The clip captures the duo rehearsing on stage and having a friendly banter. “Our Telugu hosts for NEXA IIFA Utsavam 2024 having some fun during the rehearsals,” read the side note. 

Hindi films will be honoured on the second day of the IIFA Awards, followed by the final segment — Music Awards — on Day 3. The IIFA press conference was held on September 10 in Mumbai. The event was attended by actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar,  Abhishek Banerjee and Siddhant Chaturvedi. Rana Daggubati who was also present dropped a picture from the venue on Instagram. The Baahubali star was seen sharing the stage with SRK and KJo. Everyone had a lovely smile on their faces. In his caption, Rana Daggubati wrote, “Brace yourself! All Indian industries coming together for the IIFA weekend – that’s me with two of the best hosts ever.”

In another segment from the press conference, a video of Rana Daggubati’s sweet gesture towards Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan went viral. In the clip, the actor greeted the two Bollywood celebrities by touching their feet and seeking blessings. Later on, King Khan and Rana shared a warm embrace. “We are fully South Indian. That’s how we do it,” shared Rana, as quoted by news agency ANI. Here’s the video: 

This year, IIFA will also witness special performances by Rekha and Shahid Kapoor.

When it come to his next projects, Rana Daggubati has collaborated with director Selvamani Selvaraj for the multilingual film Kaantha, alongside Dulquer Salmaan and Bhagyashri Borse. Best known for his role as Bhallaldeva in the Baahubali films, Rana Daggubati has acted in films such as Leader, Nene Raju Nene Mantri and the TV series Rana Naidu.