A film about politics and independence swept the Global Indian Film Awards, garnering eight trophies including best director and screenplay.

Rang De Basanti (Colour It With Spring ), directed by Rakeysh Mehra, also won for best actress in a supporting role, music, lyrics, editing, background score and art direction at the gala ceremony Saturday night in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

"Wow, what a year," said Mehra in his acceptance speech.

The awards celebrate the best of Bollywood, India's prolific film industry which churns out more than 800 films a year. It also marked the first time the awards were held in Malaysia, which has a substantial Indian population.  

The awards are sometimes held outside India, owing to the increasing popularity of Bollywood films, which earn 15 to 20 per cent of their revenues from overseas screenings.

Rang De Basanti features a parallel narrative with one story following a group of young people in the present day and another plot involving Indian revolutionaries fighting for independence from Britain in the early 1900s.

Comedy captures best film

While the film had a successful night, it was Lage Raho Munnabhai (Carry on Munnabhai) that captured best film. It also won for best story and dialogue.

The comedy stars Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi as two hoodlums in Mumbai who learn the nonviolence ways of Gandhi.

The five-hour event also honoured Hrithik Roshan as best actor for Krrish, a modern superhero action film. Krrish also nabbed best action and sound design.

Best actress went to Bipasha Basu for her role in Corporate.

The show was replete with typical Bollywood dance numbers as screen idols pranced on stage and lip synched on elaborate sets with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi looking on.

With files from the Associated Press