I didn't skip IIFA: Abhishek Bachchan

New Delhi, June 10 (IANS) Abhishek Bachchan, who missed the 11th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) event in Sri Lanka, defended his absence from the gala due to work commitments.

'I didn't skip the IIFA awards. I have been shooting in Istanbul for one of my films called 'Game' so unfortunately I couldn't attend it,' Abhishek said via live chat.

Abhishek was on live chat on http://raavan.zapak.com/ with over 40,000 fans for almost an hour, to promote his upcoming movie 'Raavan'.

Many Bollywood stars skipped IIFA this year including its brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan as well as superstar Shah Rukh Khan and according to reports, they gave it a miss following a boycott call from the south Indian film industry.

A statement issued by the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce had said that southern stars and filmmakers would boycott all Bollywood stars who attend the IIFA in Colombo from June 3-5.

They have been campaigning against the island government and the alleged killing of civilian Tamils during the conflict between Sri Lankan army and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Releasing June 18, 'Raavan' is a bilingual and has been directed by Mani Ratnam. Co-produced by Reliance Big Pictures and Madras Talkies, the movie also stars Aishwarya Rai and Tamil superstar Vikram, who makes his Bollywood debut with the movie.