Deepika Padukone to join galaxy of global stars at tonight’s Battle of the BAFTAs

New Delhi, February 18

Half an hour after midnight tonight (Indian Standard Time), curtains go up on the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs) with Prince William being the guest of honour and Deepika Padukone one of the presenters. The glittering evening is being beamed live by Lionsgate Play for Indian audiences from 12:30 am onwards.

As the world of showbiz prepares for the BAFTAs, which may not be up there with the Oscars, but are nonetheless counted among the world’s top four film awards, here’s a curtain-raiser to bring you up to date on the event.

The race this year is between British-born Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, which has got 13 nominations, including best film, best actor (Cillian Murphy) and best supporting actress (Emily Blunt), and Yorgos Lanthimos’s brilliantly original ‘Poor Things’, which received 11 nods. Emma Stone is a frontrunner in the best actress race.