Sajid KHAN, the co-host of the 15th Annual Screen Awards, was pretty forthright with his jokes and opinions throughout the evening - exemplified by his suggestion to Neeraj Pandey, director of A Wednesday, to “go shopping”. To be fair, he had a point since Pandey was dressed in a shirt and plain trousers; Pandey later on acknowledged this while collecting his award for Best Debut Director.

While the men at the awards were never expected to dress better than the women, it was clear that some thought it optional to dress well while being screened live on international television. Perhaps it could be the weather, but in general, award shows in Mumbai just aren’t as much of a formal event as those abroad.

To be fair though, most of the top Bollywood actors didn’t disappoint, especially since most opted for the more elegant (but safe) black suit. Zayed Khan, who wore a three-piece Shahab Durazi was clearly the best dressed man of the night. His subtly embroidered waistcoat added colour to an otherwise formal outfit which appeared as if it were stitched on him.

Farhan Akhtar, sporting a smart pin-striped suit said, “I opted for a traditional black suit (by Saville Row) with black patent leather shoes rather than going for anything garish.” John Abraham (Narendra Kumar) went for a less formal suit with a shirt. Shekhar Suman was one of the few who stuck to tradition, wearing a white bandhgala with a large brooch for added regalia. “My wife Alka normally designs my clothes but this time she chose this outfit by Shantanu and Nikhil for me,” he said. Amar Singh looked like, well, a politician.