Karan Johar, Riteish Deshmukh to host IIFA awards 2018 in Bangkok

Director Karan Johar is all set to return as the host of International Indian Film and Academy (IIFA) awards which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand this year.

The 45-year-old director, who also emceed the awards last year with Saif Ali Khan, will be joined by actor Riteish Deshmukh as the co-host.

"IIFA is much more than an award ceremony. It truly is entrenched in the DNA of our film fraternity. It goes beyond being just a ceremony of entertainment. It is an industry award. It is by the industry, for the industry and with the industry. It is a platform where talent is bestowed on in every department," Karan said at a press conference here.

Actors Ranbir Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor will be among the stars, who will be performing during the awards weekend to be held from June 22 to 24 at the Siam Niramit Theatre in Bangkok.

Ranbir, who is making a comeback of sorts to the awards function, said, "I am really excited. Bangkok is the place where I won my first IIFA award for my debut film "Saawariya". I haven't figured out what the tracks are but hopefully they will be good."

"I am very nervous when I dance. When we dance for films, there is a camera and there are takes but when you dance before a live audience it is just one take. You have to give your best. There are no cuts," he added.

Actor Kartik Aaryan, who recently gave the hit "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety", will host the IIFA Rocks concert along with Ayushmann Khurrana.

The organisers of the awards also announced that on the occasion of World Environment Day, which India is hosting this year, they will turn the "red carpet green" to spread awareness about cleaning the environment.

Actor and UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador Dia Mirza will spearhead a campaign "Beat Plastic Pollution", which is also the theme for this year's World Environment Day, during the awards weekend.

"When we talk about World Environment Day, it is not just about one day. It is about understanding that you and me, our lives and the health of our children, is connected primarily to world environment." 

"The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food that grows in our soils, all of that impacts our well-being first. So when we say beat plastic pollution, we are actually saying care for our health," she added.

Mirza also said that IIFA is a "great opportunity to use our collective strength to do something truly incredible and remarkable".