Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; April 15, 2017)

The pre-inaugural ceremony of Donald Trump earlier this year saw a 45 minute Bollywood dance routine led by former Miss India Manasvi Mamgai. Come July, the US President could be treated to more — at the IIFA Awards in New York.

A source close to the event management team says, “The IIFA festival (July 14-15) will be an extravaganza of entertainment. There is a plan to send out an invitation to the White House and we hope the President can attend the event. A few other top American politicians are also on the guest list.”

Andre Timmins, director of Wizcraft International, which hosts the annual awards, refused to confirm the news, but said several big names from Bollywood and Hollywood are expected at the gala. “In recent years, we have had many Indian celebrities going to the West and working in films and television series. At the same time, a lot of Hollywood celebs are also coming to India to shoot or promote their film. So, we thought New York is the ideal place [for both industries to come together]. This edition will have a great mix of people from Bollywood and Hollywood. We will announce the entire line-up soon,” added Timmins.

Besides a bunch of top movie stars, a few cricketers will also be part of the star-studded event. “Movie stars and cricketers are worshipped in India. This time, our aim is to make IIFA bigger and better, and so, we have decided to do something different,” Timmins said.