Zee Network has come up with a big surprise this year. For its 8th LIC Zee Cine Awards, the biggest satellite TV group in India has roped in none other than Mallika Sherawat to host the event.

Accompanying her on stage will be celebrated director Karan Johar. This year the event is being organized in Mauritius on March 4, 2006, at Swami Vivekananda International Convention on the Scenic Island.

Speaking at the launch of LIC Zee Cine Awards 2006, Punit Goenka, Director, Zee Telefilms said "Our focus to take Zee Cine Awards to the international platform is to showcase the best of Indian Cinema to the world. With Zee Cine Awards we will be able to provide the impetus for the crossover of Indian Cinema to global audiences and delight the Indian diaspora with the grandest celebration of Indian cinema."

LIC Zee Cine Awards 2006 will witness some scintillating performances from the biggest names in bollywood Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Abhisekh Bachchan, John Abraham and Ritiesh Deshmukh.

The gorgeous ladies of Hindi Cinema - Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherji, Priyanka Chopra, Dia Mirza, Malaika Arora and Amrita Arora are all set to enthral the audience and make the evening more grandeur.

Co-presented by Pepsi and Motorola, the LIC Zee Cine Awards 2006 will also be hosted by Arjun Rampal, Konkana Sen Sharma and Gulshan Grover.

You can catch the live telecast of LIC Zee Cine Awards on Zee TV from 7 p.m. onwards on March 4, 2006 and at 8 p.m. on March 5, 2006 on Zee Cinema.