Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will not attend the prestigious International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards gala starting here Friday.

'He had been approached and invited. Unfortunately the period he spent with the Indian Premier League matches disrupted his entire schedule, ' Sabbas Joseph, director Wizcraft, told here Thursday.

'Shah Rukh has just begun his film with Aditya Chopra. So he is busy with that. But we would have been delighted if he could have come, ' Joseph said.

For the last two years Shah Rukh has not attended the IIFA awards, the brand ambassador of which is Amitabh Bachchan.

Is his rivalry with Bachchan the reason?

'I don't think there is any rivalry between Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Both have their unique space. Shah Rukh is a great entertainer in any scenario, ' said Joseph.

However, a bevy of Bollywood stars including Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Jayed Khan and Urmila Matondkar are set to keep the fans entertained.

Amitabh, Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai will make the event all the more exciting with their presence. Their much-awaited 'Sarkar Raj' is premiering here. Their green carpet will also be attended by the Thai Princess.