On 8 August, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne kicked off joyously in Australia. The festival is currently in its 10th year and as a part of their special decade-long celebration of Indian cinema in Australia, it is being attended by prestigious members of the Bollywood industry. In addition to Shah Rukh Khan, who is the Guest of Honour, the festival is also hosting others like actors Tabu, Arjun Kapoor, Vijay Sethupathi, Gayathrie Shankar and filmmakers Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Sriram Raghavan, and Rima Das.
Take a look at the photos here:
The festival is on from 8-15 August. It’ll screen over 60 films from all across India and the subcontinent in over 22 languages. Film aficionados will get the opportunity to interact with their favourite artistes and filmmakers at the festival in event, pose questions at Panel Discussions and Q&A sessions post each screening.
On 9 August, the second day of the festival, Shah Rukh Khan will receive an honorary doctorate from the La Trobe University in Australia.
Bollywood actors upon arriving in Melbourne received a warm welcome from the team of the festival. They were surrounded by fans and other admirers. On the first day of the festival, there was a grand press conference arranged to kick off the 7-day event. Actor Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Karan Johar also addressed the audience. In their speeches, they thanked Mitu Bhowmick Lange, the festival director, for giving them the opportunity to be present.
On 9 August, the second day of the festival, Shah Rukh Khan will receive an honorary doctorate from the La Trobe University in Australia in recognition of his humanitarian efforts to support underprivileged children and advocate for women empowerment through his NGO the Meer Foundation.
Some of the Bollywood films nominated for honours at the festival include Andhadhun, Gully Boy, Badhaai Ho, Sui Dhaaga, Super Deluxe etc.
On 6 August, Shah Rukh and Karan Johar were spotted leaving the Mumbai airport for Melbourne.
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