By Papri Das

What can be rightfully touted as world?s biggest celebration of Indian cinema on an international platform, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards is back with bang this year donning a brand new color, literally. For the first time, Viacom18?s Colors will be the broadcaster of the 16th annual IIFA Awards with Kuala Lampur as its stage.

And that?s not the only thing new about this edition of Bollywood?s biggest international extravaganza. From exciting fashion debuts on the ramp, business conferences, to digital audience getting no-holds-barred access to all the Videocon d2h IIFA Weekend action through their phone apps -- here are a list of all things new that make IIFA 2015 a never before seen experience.

1) In a new shade:

After Star and Sony, it's time now for Colors to give its unique touch to IIFA Awards 2015 as the official broadcasting partner. Expressing his excitement over this collaboration, actor Anil Kapoor rightly puts, ?One can only expect something spectacular when you have creative minds like Raj Nayak from Colors and Andre Timmins from Wizcraft come together for a single cause.?

And spectacular it shall be, promises Colors CEO Raj Nayak. ?We at Colors believe in delivering content in our own unique style and IIFA Awards is no exception. To achieve this our creative team has been constantly working together with Wizcraft in every aspect of the show including the weekend activities. With all the efforts that has been put in to scale up the show, we are sure that this year?s IIFA is definitely a can?t miss event on the calendar,? he said.

2) Live the live experience:

IIFA Awards 2015 has come up with the best way to reward its worldwide netizen fans by connecting them with all the action in Kuala Lampur, without any lag or delay, through the popular VOD platform #Fame. ?For the first time ever in the history of IIFA awards, millions of viewers can catch all the action on their phone live and uncut, and even get to interact with the top stars in real time. Available in beta on iOS and Android, the app will allow performers to beam live to the fans and audiences through their smartphones,? informs #fame CEO Saket Saurabh.

3) Ranveer - Arjun reprise their (un)-holy union:

The spunky duo of Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor from Gunday are to reprise their awesome repartee and chemistry, as the hosts of the IIFA Awards this year. With these two boys on board, the film fraternity can expect the entertainment quotient to go up by several notches. The promos released on Colors show the two dressed as ascetics pining for redemption after their nationwide ?roasting? session.

When asked about that, Kapoor jokingly says that IIFA is the right platform for them to redeem their lost reputation after their notorious appearance in the AIB Knockout Roast session, which caused such a sensation. Count on them to leave no stone unturned to complete your dose of mischief, humour, and repartee that will leave you in splits.

4) Glam it up:

When you think award show, you think red carpet, and any red carpet event?s highlight is fashion. IIFA 2015 not only promises you a glammed up red carpet event, but it will also host the IIFA Fashion Extravaganza with hosts Neha Dhupia and Vivek Oberoi. The show will feature well-known names in the fashion circuit like Masaba Gupta who will showcase her line inspired by the golden IIFA trophy, Rocky S who is going monochrome this season, and Gaurang Shah, with his debut IIFA collection.

5) Sonakshi Sinha to make singing debut

The Dabangg actress Sonakshi Sinha, who will soon be seen as a judge in Indian Idol Junior is all set to make her singing debut at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Yes, you heard us right! Sinha will sing live at the IIFA Rocks musical extravaganza. Sinha confessed that singing at IIFA would be a dream come true for her. ?I must thank from Wizcraft for letting me do this at such a huge platform as IIFA,? she said, adding that the audience can expect some powerful performances from the B?town ladies at the show. Hosted by actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Parineeti Chopra, IIFA Rocks, an exclusive music extravaganza, will see a host of musical performances by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Mika, Ankit Tiwari and Kanika Kapoor amongst others.

Want more exciting updates on the behind the scene fun at the IIFA awards? Stay tuned to Exec Life!

By Papri Das

In this fiercely competitive creative business, novelty is both a luxury and a necessity for survival. And there is no one better to vouch for it than the media executives who have to keep pushing the boundaries of innovation each time they ideate. What makes ideation even more challenging is that there is no set formula to it. For some, ideas come when they fall back to their routines, while for others it?s when they are out of their comfort zone.

So where do executives source their ideas from?

When Exec Lifestyle caught up with some of the top creative geniuses in the industry, they shared some unique anecdotes on how they get in touch with their creative side.

For Madison World founder and chairman Sam Balsara, a quiet evening walk by himself does the trick. ?It is when I am alone taking a walk in the late evenings, traveling on flights or outstation at night that I think of new ideas and things to be done. It is important for your mind to be free for new thoughts to occur,? says Balsara. What?s more, Balsara isn't the only one who prefers the outdoors to reconnect with their creative side. 

The multi talented network creative head of Reliance Broadcast, Paritosh Painter, too draws inspiration from fresh air outings. ?I mostly take long walks outside. It gives me the freedom to think. Sometimes I love to sit in a coffee shop by myself and think. Whether it is home or office, indoor is invariably full of distractions,? says Painter, who also flaunts his creative skills as an actor, film director and scriptwriter.

While thinking alone may be a popular method for most executives, some only make the most of their grey cells when they are going against the grain. Take Colors CEO Raj Nayak for example, who is inspired by his interaction with others. ?People are a good source of ideas. The best ideas come to me when I am interacting with people. A good informative conversation triggers me with stimuli and leaves me thinking. Often these thoughts shape into great executiion,? says the self-confessed daydreamer. ?When I am not occupied with work, my mind automatically switches to dreaming mode. Traveling is also another time when my mind keeps ticking,? Nayak further adds.

One?s personal space also plays an important role in helping them put on the thinking cap. ?There are two spots where I?m most creative -- on my couch that sits in my bedroom, and in the tiny meeting room called Corleone at the office,? shares VML Qais CEO Tripti Lochan, who finds herself most creative on days when she has had a good practice of Vipassana.

In fact, Lochan?s way of getting out of a creative block is also getting physically active. ?I usually go for a run, or clean a cupboard; or even cook.  Things that involve using arms and legs and not necessarily the mind so much,? she adds.

When it comes to dealing with his creative blocks, ad maker and former Ogilvy and Mather executive creative director Abhijit Avasthi believes in engaging himself with something different. ?I used to experience a creative roadblock often earlier in my career but not so much these days. I think I have grown to not wrestle with ideas when its not working out and focus on other matters at hand.?

This resonates with Painter as well. ?If I hit a creative roadblock on a specific subject than I let it be for a while. I don't think about it till the time I feel I am not thinking about it at all and then I start on it all over again with a fresh perspective,? he adds while signing off.