Celebrating the success of good cinema is highly contagious. For each time the Rock on!! team broke into shrieks of joy with the announcement of a nomination or award for them at the Nokia 15th Annual Star Screen Award, one was tempted to join them. Their unbridled on-screen energy and bonding which had held the viewers spellbound only got better as they secured their place in Bollywood’s roll of honour with six awards.

Throughout the glitzy evening, the team stuck together. They made a pretty picture with Farhan Akhtar (minus those rock-star curls, but dishy nonetheless) taking his seat between his spunky wife Adhuna and singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan.

Ehsaan Noorani, full of boyish charm, and Loy Mendonsa, who kept exchanging glances with other team members, were nearby. Mehr Jesia and Arjun Rampal were seated slightly away from the team. But that didn’t stop them from exchanging notes with the team. And Ritesh Sidhwani made sure they had a strong presence by turning up with at least 10 family members and friends.

Right behind them was a very pretty and very nervous Shahana Goswami, who was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor (Female) Award, accompanied by super-excited Niharika Khan, who designed the costumes for the film.

Even though Khan kept complaining about the absence of an award for costume, she was full-o-beans, probably the only one who kept on cheering all the winners.

Emotions ran high. When Jason West’s name was announced as the winner of the Best Cinematography trophy, his wife Suneeta Rao, one of India’s favourite pop singers, was in tears. As the team cheered West, the kurta-clad cinematographer smiled a happy smile. He showed no signs of being in a hurry despite a 5 am shooting schedule the next morning, even after Khan reminded him about it.

Probably, the loving glances that his wife kept on showering on him made

it worthwhile.

Even though she cheered loudly for others, Adhuna was more restrained in her reaction when Akhtar came back with his trophy for the Most Promishing Newcomer (Male). A wide smile, a hug and a pat on his back is all that the talented director-actor got.

The person who remained calm all through the jubilation was director Abhishek Kapoor—as if preferring to soak in the celebration very silently. He must have been ecstatic when Akhtar and Goswami thanked him effusively.

But each time he chose to respond to it with a proud smile. Another person who remained quiet was Dominique Cerejo, the nominated singer of the very soothing Yeh Tumhari Meri Baatein from Rock On!!.

If any other team managed to match the Rock on!! team’s hurrahs, then it was the neighbouring Jodhaa Akbar team, which collected as many as six trophies.