Source:Rediff.com

Hello and welcome to the 66th annual Golden Globes award ceremony! After a disastrous 2008 Golden Globes, affected by the Screen Actors Guild strike, this year's version is expected to be a star-studded blow-out, with everyone who is anyone on-hand.

This year may also be remembered as the year that India staked her claim in Hollywood: there's an Indian nominated for an award (AR Rahman), an Indian presenting an award (Bollywood's Shah Rukh Khan) and a film about India up for a bevy of awards (Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire).

After all the anticipation, the show is now ready to begin; we can safely say that the Awards Season is really and truly underway. We leave the red carpet to find Jennifer Lopez, beautiful in a golden dress; and though she seems hesitant at the outset, she quickly gathers herself and prepares to present the first award: Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.

Best Actor in a TV Series (Musical or Comedy) goes to Alec Baldwin for his superb work on 30 Rock. It's good to see clever, original shows and clever, original actors get their due.

And the Golden Globe goes to Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire. India, your ticket to Hollywood has arrived!

Now, a cleaned up Seth Rogan comes out to present best Screenplay in a Motion Picture. Slumdog Millionaire is up for the award...

A plug for In Bruges for Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical).

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or TV Movie is Laura Linney, for John Adams.

The studly Colin Farrell comes out, accent and all, to present Best Foreign Language Film. And the Golden Globes goes to... Waltz with Bashir, which deals with the horrors of the 1982 Israel-Lebanon War.

In one of the most hotly anticipated moments of the night, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (not Drama) goes posthumanously to Heath Ledger over Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, to name a few. That's a star-studded line-up. It was a predictable victory, but still very classy. That clip of The Dark Knight just reminded us all how talented an actor the world lost.

Wow, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is pulling out all the stops (and all the stars). Here's Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange to give out the award for Best Mini-Series or TV Movie. The winner is John Adams. Tom Hanks accepts the award and cracks a few jokes.

They just hyped The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, complete with a shot of the spectacularly handsome Brad Pitt. All the nominees for Best Motion Picture (Drama) will get this treatment.

No, Streep will not claim her seventh! Instead, it's Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky. It's a Golden Globe upset!

And on-stage comes Johnny Depp, brooding, handsome, uber-cool, is here to give out the award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (musical or comedy). Will Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia) win her seventh Golden Globe?

Now, for one of the most anticipated awards this year: Best Animated Feature Film (Bolt, Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E). And the award goes to Wall-e! Any other year, Kung Fu Panda would likely have brought home the trophy, but not in 2008. Pixar is unstoppable!

Two more television awards -- Best Actor in a TV Drama is Gabriel Byrne for Treatment while the Best Actress in a TV Drama is Anna Paquin for True Blood. Lovely!

Here come a bunch of the lesser television awards:

Bust Supporting Actor in a Television Series is (gasp, a real, talented actor!) Tom Wilkinson. Best Supporting Actress in a TV series is Laura Dern for Recount.

And the award goes to Bruce Springsteen for The Wrestler. The Boss just knocked off teen queen Miley Cyrus and the old gun Clint Eastwood. "This is the only time I'm gonna be in competition with Clint Eastwood," he quips. We agree.

Here comes musician cum philosopher Sting to present the second award. And, fittingly enough, it's for best original song in a motion picture. Sting looks very different from his 'Every Breath You Take' days...

And the award goes to ... Kate Winslet for The Reader. Winslet stammers through an almost incomprehensible 'thank you' speech, but no one minds. Really, she deserved the award.

Can you believe it? Four awards for Slumdog Millionaire... Mumbai, the whole world is watching!

And that's the show. What will be remembered as the awards ceremony of Kate Winslet, Tina Fey and Slumdog Millionaire is officially over.

And Slumdog Millionaire is the winner! It's a coup! It's a sweep! It's an unprecedented success for India as a medium for film. Congratulations to everyone involved. You've made us proud! To knock off such reputable films is one heck of an achievement. The crowd rises to its feet..

Timeless Hollywood hunk Tom Cruise is on-stage to present the award for Best Motion Picture (Drama). This is the big one? The moment we've all been waiting for...

Consummate professional Susan Sarandon presents the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama). And the winner is Mickey Rourke, for The Wrestler. What a long, difficult journey for Rourke, which culminates in victory tonight! The Boss, Bruce Springsteen hugs Mickey Rourke on his way to the stage. He gives a great speech. Real, Raw, Funny. Poor Leonardo. His work in Revolutionary Road will be remembered in a positive light, but didn't yield him a Golden Globe. Well, there's always the Oscars!

And here come two stars from comedy series The Office to present the next award: Best Television Series (Drama). Madmen wins. Yay!

Now, Cameron Diaz and Mark Wahlberg to present Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama). And the winner is Kate Winslet, for her work in Revolutionary Road! She's doubled up on the evening, with two wins! Interestingly, there will be no seventh Golden Globe for Meryl Streep. And Angelina Jolie is left on the outside looking in.

Bollywood's own Shah Rukh Khan is on-stage with fellow Mumbaikar and film newcomer Freida Pinto. He cracks a few classy jokes, shows why he is King Khan, and then moves aside to let Ms Pinto speak. She, in turn, presents Slumdog Millionaire, which gets its plug for Best Motion Picture (Drama). The crowd claps appreciatively.

And the winner is Vicky Cristina Barcelona! Big surprise here. Was expecting In Bruges to walk away with it. Sadly, Woody Allen isn't on hand to receive the award. What a career the man has had, however. A true living legend.

Comdedian Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Borat aka Ali G aka Bruno) comes on-stage and, referencing the worldwide economic crisis, trashes just about everyone (specifically Victoria Beckham, Charlie Sheen and Guy Ritchie). The jokes lack taste and leave the audience speechless. Cohen finally gets around to presenting the award -- Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy)... Salma Hayek again, looking gorgeous. She gives a stirring testimony on behalf of Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which is up for Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy).

Now, Sandra Bullock is on-stage, looking beautiful in white, to present Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. And, in what amounts to less than a surpise, Colin Farrell takes home the trophy for his outstanding work in In Bruges. He makes a crack about the 2000 Presidential Election, waxes lyrical, and thanks just about everyone. Is he drunk? Why is he holding his ear? Anyhow, congrats, Colin.

Now, the plug for Revolutionary Road. It's a great film, and Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are fabulous. But can it take the momentum from Slumdog? It doesn't appear so...

And it's official! Danny Boyle wins! Slumdog Millionaire has set its place in stone: the film that put India on world cinema's map. What Water and The Namesake started, this film has really and truly capitalised on. Boyle, classy as ever, gives 'the people of Mumbai' a shout out, as well as the cast and crew. Bollywood's Anil Kapoor, looking dapper, shows his enthusiasm with a standing ovation and some rousing cheers.

Now, a stern Dennis Hoffman is on-stage to present Best Director of a Motion Picture. A spunky looking Danny Boyle eagerly awaits the news...

And now a moment to recognise one of film's all-time greats. Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg on-stage together. Wow, the genius is palpable, tangible! And Steven Spielberg receives the annual Cecil B DeMille Award for 'outstanding contribution to the entertainment field'. Congrats! With this award, the baron of blockbusters cements his cinematic legacy. The accompanying montage (with clips of Jaws, ET, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Indiana Jones and Saving Private Ryan, to name a few) reminds us just how much this singular man has given us. Thank you again, Mr Spielberg. You've earned this award and then some! The standing ovation and his touching acceptance speech will forever be remembered as highlights to a wonderful show.

Best Actress in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) goes to Tina Fey for 30 Rock! This night indeed may be remembered as the triumph of Tina Fey and Danny Boyle! Tina cracks a few jokes and exits the stage. Also very classy.

And he's done it! AR Rahman makes his country proud, thanks to some truly inventive and tremendous music. Hollywood is infatuated with Slumdog, with good reason. Rahman says his piece, thanks God, and moves on. Very classy.

Now, Sean 'P Diddy' Combs comes on to present the Best Original Score award. Of course, everyone hopes for an AR Rahman victory here, for his spectacular work in Slumdog Millionaire. Pierce Brosnan, please don't remind us of your singing in Mamma Mia! We were just starting to forget. Here, he plugs the film for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. If it wins, it will be a travesty of epic proportions. Bollywood releases better musicals each and every month...

Have you seen Salma Hayek tonight? My God! She's stunning! Especially considering that she's post-pregnancy and post-forty. A truly remarkable woman.

30 Rock is the winner! Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, you really and truly rock! "I'm the face of post-racial America!" exclaims jubilant 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan. Is there a woman who better combines brains and beauty than Tina?

A now another highly anticipated award: The Best Television Series (Comedy or Musical). Up for the award are 30 Rock, Californication, Entourage, The Office and Weeds. A lot of great offerings here, but only one can emerge victorious...