The 14th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) was inaugrated on Friday by Karan Johar, Kartik Aaryan, Mrunal Thakur, and Vijay Varma. The festival celebrates rich heritage of Indian cinema.
Organised withthe support of the Victorian Government and the backing of Indian film aficionados, IFFM has emerged as a global platform that fosters cultural exchange and appreciation of cinema. The festival will run till August 20.
Actors Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher starrer sports drama film ‘Ghoomer’ received a standing ovation at the opening night of the IFFM 2023. While speaking at the opening night, Abhishek said, “I’m grateful for this platform for the world premiere of our film. Ghoomer is a labour of love. This has been Balki’s dream for a long time. I don’t think there’s any better way of giving back to a game you love so passionately, by making a film dedicated to it”.
Helmed by the acclaimed director R Balki, the film stars Abhishek Bachchan, Saiyami Kher, Shabana Azmi and Angad Bedi in the lead roles and will hit theaters on 18 August.
Speaking about the film, Abhishek portrays the character of a coach, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with a paraplegic sportsperson, played by the brilliant Saiyami Kher. Their journey together unfolds against societal challenges and personal struggles, all while guided by director R. Balki's distinctive storytelling prowess
The film promises to be a cinematic masterpiece that intertwines emotion, drama, and sheer entertainment and is a befitting inspiring human triumphant tale against all odds.
As the curtains rose and the film was showcased for the very first time, the audience was enthralled by the magic that unfolded on screen and the film received a thunderous applause and standing ovation.
Telugu period romance "Sita Ramam", Vikramaditya Motwane's show "Jubilee" and Kanu Behl's independent feature "Agra" won the top honours at the festival.
Rani Mukerji for "Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway" and "Agra" actor Mohit Agarwal took home the top acting honours, while "Sita Ramam" was declared the Best Film.
"Agra" was given the Best Indie Film and Kannada filmmaker Prithvi Konanur won the Best Director.
Motwane's period piece "Jubilee" got the Best series trophy, the Best Performance (male) went to Vijay Varma for "Dahaad" and the Best Performance (female) was won by Rajshri Deshpande for "Trial By Fire".
The honorary awards went to Netflix movie "Darlings" (Equality in Cinema Award) and "Pathaan" (People’s Choice Award).
Karan Johar was honoured for completing 25 years as a filmmaker in the film industry and Kartik Aaryan was given the Rising Global Superstar of Indian Cinema trophy.
"Sita Ramam" actor Mrunal Thakur received the Diversity in Cinema award.
Bhumi Pednekar got the Disruptor award.
The Rainbow Stories Award went to filmmaker Onir for "Pine Cone".
"To Kill A Tiger" received the Best Documentary award.
(With inputs from ANI)
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