54th IFFI kicks off in Goa with a celebration of Indian cinema and culture

The 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be hosted in Goa from November 20 to November 28. While more than 250 films are being showcased across various sections of the festival, all eyes are set on the gala opening ceremony being hosted on November 20 at the Shyama Prasad Indoor Stadium, Panaji, Goa. 

The opening ceremony will be headlined by actors Shahid Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit along with Shriya Saran, Nushratt Bharucha, Pankaj Tripathi, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Sukhwinder Singh, while the ceremony is being hosted by Aparshakti Khurrana and Karishma Tanna. 

Several dignitaries are expected to be present, along with eminent personalities from Indian cinema, including Sunny Deol, Vijay Sethupathi, Sara Ali Khan, Karan Johar, at the 54th IFFI opening ceremony, recognised as one of the biggest film and cultural extravaganzas in the world. 

Speaking about IFFI, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur said, “IFFI has been growing every year thanks to the passion of our filmmakers from across the country and the collaboration that we have been able to forge with the directors and producers from across the world."

This year, IFFI has invited Indian actors and filmmakers to promote their upcoming films at the opening gala. Karan Johar and Sara Ali Khan with the team of Ae Watan Mere Watan will unveil the first look of the drama-thriller. Sukhwinder Singh will sing the film’s inspiring title track during the showcase. The film chronicles the journey of Usha Mehta who during the 1942 Quit India Movement started an underground radio station, Congress Radio, which for a few months broadcast uncensored and even banned news. 

Pankaj Tripathi, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Taba Chake will step into the spotlight to introduce the crime thriller Kadak Singh directed by National Award winner, director Aniruddha Roy Choudhary. The film captures the story of AK Shrivastav, an officer in the Department of Financial Crimes who while battling retrograde amnesia exposes the truth behind a Chit Fund Scam. Actor Pankaj Tripathi maintains, “The IFFI festival has always offered a platform for inspiring stories and storytellers who unmask corruption and clean the system, thereby inspiring and empowering us.”
 
Superstar Vijay Sethupathi will unveil the trailer of the black comedy Gandhi Talks, a silent film in a present-day setting revolving around four characters, played by Vijay Sethupathi, Arvind Swami, Siddharth Jadhav and Aditi Rao Hydari. 

Other attendees include Hollywood star Michael Douglas, his wife-actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bollywood actors like Salman Khan, Vidya Balan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Anupam Kher, Vicky Kaushal, Siddharth Malhotra, Aditi Rao Hydari, and music maestros like AR Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal, Shantanu Moitra, Sukhwinder Singh, Amit Trivedi, among celebrated filmmakers. 

The closing ceremony will be headlined by Ayushmann Khurrana and renowned music composer Amit Trivedi. 

At the closing ceremony, several awards and special honours will be presented for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Male) and (Female), ‘Special Jury Award’, ‘Best Web Series on an OTT Platform’, ‘Indian Film Personality of the Year’ and ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal. 

The opening ceremony on November 20 and the closing ceremony on November 28 will begin with a red carpet hosted by Karan Chhabra and Nashpreet Kaur.