sole of steel

Meryl Streep, Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Iron Lady, shows off her Salvatore Ferragamo shoes — the same shoes that ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher used to wear. Streep bagged her third Oscar 29 years after her last win (for Sophie’s Choice). She now has one Oscar less than Katharine Hepburn. And an unmatched 17 nominations.

iron couple

Iron Man co-stars Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow brought the fun back to the awards with their playful banter. On stage to present the awards in the documentary category, Downey Jr made sure he had his personal camera crew to film him, with the stunning Paltrow poking fun at his every move. Well played!

bottoms up

The Bridesmaids girls — Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy —who presented three technical awards, came up with one of the highs of the night — a toast in honour of director Martin Scorsese, nominated for Hugo.

uggie the star

Uggie, the four-legged sensation of The Artist, was the eyeball grabber. Wearing a custom-made 18-carat bone bowtie, the Jack Russell Terrier made it to the Best Director speech of Michel Hazanavicius who acknowledged the canine star’s acting abilities, adding, “I don’t think he understands what I’m saying. He’s not that good.”

comeback king

Billy Crystal — hosting his ninth Oscar ceremony — went back to the basics. The When Harry Met Sally star poked fun at his own reluctance to return and took light-hearted digs at the night’s high-profile nominees. The standouts? Crystal’s signature film montages, inserting the comedian into footage from the year’s biggest pictures and the ‘what are they thinking’ sequence. Our pick? As the camera zoomed in on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Crystal came up with: “This better not go too late. I have six parent-teacher conferences in the morning!”

with pleasure!

Jean Dujardin predictably took home the Best Actor in a Leading Role trophy for The Artist. The French actor — who had also won a Bafta and a Golden Globe for his performance of a fading silent movie star in the Michel Hazanavicius film — was overwhelmed, jumping around on stage and delivering an acceptance speech in English and French. In his excitement, the 38-year-old first-time winner even dropped a French equivalent of the F-word, but quickly apologised backstage. Thanks to the Big , all is forgiven. Merci!

young at heart

At 84, Christopher Plummer became the oldest to win an Oscar, taking home a Best Supporting Actor trophy for Beginners. “You’re only two years older than me, darling. Where have you been all my life?” Plummer asked his first Oscar statuette.

great dictator

Sacha Baron Cohen livened up the red carpet as Admiral Aladeen, the character he portrays in his latest film, The Dictator. The stand-up comic actor — who starred in Hugo — turned up with two sultry female bodyguards, carrying an urn containing the ashes of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il! “It was his dream to come to the Oscars and to be sprinkled over the red carpet and over Halle Berry’s chest.” Ahem!

the ascendants

The nomination list for Best Actor in a Leading Role couldn’t get more drool-worthy. Jean Dujardin (The Artist) with buddies Brad Pitt (Moneyball) and George Clooney (The Descendants) at the Vanity Fair after-party.

MISS cheeky

George Clooney gets his cheek pinched by Sandra Bullock.

SHOUT OUT LOUD

Silent film The Artist, which had bagged 10 nominations, was the night’s big winner — Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score. Martin Scorsese’s fantasy-adventure Hugo, with 11 nominations, also won five Oscars. Don’t miss Uggie’s stand-up act in the picture!

t2 got a 4 on 4 in its Oscar predictions on Monday morning. As predicted by us, Jean Dujardin (Best Actor in a Leading Role), Meryl Streep (Best Actress in a Leading Role), Michel Hazanavicius (Best Director) and The Artist (Best Film) bagged the top honours.

But Google India had a different story to tell, based on the most-searched Oscar nominees in the run-up to the awards. The ones winning top online search honours were...

oscar’s bolly bond

THE VIDYA BALAN MOMENT

When Best Director winner Michel Hazanavicius said he wanted to “thank three people... Billy Wilder, Billy Wilder, Billy Wilder....”

Reminded us of Silk’s killer comment in The Dirty Picture: “Picture sirf teen cheezon ke liye chalti hai... entertainment, entertainment, entertainment...”

THE HRITHIK ROSHAN MOMENT

When singer Esperanza Spalding belted out What a Wonderful World to pay homage to the screen stars who had passed away in the past 12 months.

Reminded us of Hrithik Roshan’s soulful rendition of the song from a wheelchair in Guzaarish.