Filmfare Awards 2009: Online coverage sucks out all the glamor

Because it is owned by the Times of India media group, India's well established movie magazine Filmfare does not permit other media into India's biggest movie awards night, held February 27 this year. Instead the 55th Idea Filmfare Awards for winners during 2009 (hence the seemingly out of date branding) gets a badly art directed website at the movie section of Indiatimes.com and it is here that any reportage is to be found. 

However, the image galleries are badly designed, with hosts Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Karan Johar and Siddhartha looking like fuzzy low res blimps on your computer screen. The Red Carpet Gallery misses details on who designed the outfits worn by the country's biggest movie stars, opting instead for meaningless tautologies of the "Deepika Padukone looks stunningly sexy in this black dress with the sexy cut" variety. And what is that official awards logo with Idea Cellular's yellow logo slapped on like cheap processed cheese?

The Filmfare.com coverage is marginally better. But it sure ain't an award winner. Not even a best supporting runner up. And if you've got time to trawl through the BollywoodMantra.com 22-page unedited image gallery, then you need to find yourself a job. Perhaps gallery editor for BollywoodMantra...

Better to wait for this Sunday's telecast, we think. Entertainment media on the web in India needs a wake up call.

Exclusive telecast on Sony Entertainment Television, March 7, 8pm.