Mumbai, Jan 21 (IANS): Actress-producer Alia Bhatt recently became the first Indian woman to be awarded at the Joy Awards 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

She was conferred with the ‘Honorary Award’ at the ceremony. During her speech, the ‘Udta Punjab’ actress said that she is obsessed with movies as she jokingly added that when she was born, she came out on ‘Lights, camera, action’.

Showcasing India’s culture & heritage, Alia donned an Ajrakh print saree from designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla for the ceremony.

The actress said: “It’s a privilege to be here in this nation, the nation that is currently doing so much to unite us all and bring us all under one roof in the name of cinema. It doesn’t happen very often when countless talents from the West, and East come together under one roof and celebrate each other. So, thank you for making this happen.”

“It’s truly an extraordinary night. I’m obsessed with movies, it’s all I know. I’ve said this before, I think when I was born, I came out on ‘Lights, camera, action’. That’s how much cinema means to me. One of the things, if we are talking about joy, one of the greatest things in our lives is love. So tonight when I go back home, I take back with me the love of the movies and the love that I felt here in Riyadh. So, thank you so much, and here’s to the magic of movies.”

In the past, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan have been awarded at the Joy Awards for their work & contribution to the business of entertainment.

The award ceremony was attended by several internationally acclaimed names like Sir Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Costner, Martin Lawrence, Eva Longoria, John Cena, Georgina Rodriguez and Zack Snyder.