It's a wrap: Indian Film Festival of Melbourne celebrates inclusion and unity

As curtain draw to a close on the 14th edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, let's take a look at the events that took place, celebrating Indian cinema beyond the borders of India.

The applause and appreciation received by film 'Kennedy' and ''Lord Curzon Ki Haveli' during IFFM 2023 has increased the hopes of audiences.

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) Awards once again took centre stage, celebrating the finest accomplishments of the Indian film industry.

Established in 2010, IFFM is the largest annual celebration of Indian films outside of India.

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IFFM 2023: Actor Vijay Verma gives adorable reply about his connection with Tamanaah Bhatia

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This year's festival embraced the theme of 'inclusion', featuring various events, including awards nights, Independence Day celebrations, dance competitions, special screenings, and engaging Q&A sessions.

The 2023 edition of IFFM was inaugurated by luminaries such as filmmaker Karan Johar and actors Kartik Aaryan, Mrunal Thakur and Vijay Varmam, attracting other distinguished figures in the industry like Rani Mukerji, Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwani and Onir, to name a few.

IFFM 2023 Press Conference. Credits- SBS Hindi

The event also paid tribute to Karan Johar, commemorating his remarkable 25-year journey as a filmmaker who redefined 'love' in Indian films.

A respected figure in Indian cinema, Rani Mukerji candidly shared her deeply personal tragedy – losing her baby during the COVID-19 outbreak, just months before filming Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.

She said the decision not to disclose her loss during the production enriched her portrayal of a mother's fight for justice.

Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway along with other films such as Pathaan and Sita Ramam, earned the top honours at the awards night.

Rani Mukerji gave a heartfelt speech as she took home the award for Best Performance in a film (FEMALE) for Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway.

Honouring the festival's commitment to diversity and progressive storytelling, the "Rainbow Stories Award" was introduced, highlighting the creative contribution from the LGBTQ+ community.

Other festival highlights include the harmonious reconciliation of Karan Johar and Kartik Aaryan, who were once reported to have had a fallout. They praised each other's contributions to Indian cinema and were seen engaging in positive and heartfelt interactions.

Superstar Kartik Aryan dancing with 'Emotions 21' performers. Credits- SBS Hindi

A sense of unity and patriotism marked the festival's conclusion as veteran actress Shabana Azmi hoisted the Indian flag during the Indian Independence Day celebration.

Shabana Azmi hoists the Tricolour in Melbourne to celebrate Independence Day. Credits- SBS Hindi

Young talents were also praised by judges Malaika Arora and Aparshakti Khurana in dance competitions where people celebrated the opportunity to embrace dance, music and culture together.

While judging the competition, dancing sensation Malaika Arora said that its a great honour for her to see others sharing the same love and passion for dance across the globe. Credits- SBS Hindi

Premiering at the festival was the film Ghoomar, an Indian sports drama portraying a young cricket athlete Anina (Saiyami Kher), who loses her right hand in an accident on the eve of her international debut.

Paying tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the impact of sports, the film received a standing ovation, with the lead actor Abhishek Bachchan and director R Balki expressing their satisfaction and gratitude.

The entire star cast of 'Ghoomar' was present to attend the film's screening at the opening night of the festival. Credits- SBS Hindi

The festival's closing night featured the screening of Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy, a neo-noir thriller which follows an assassin Kennedy who works for a corrupt police force. The director and lead actors Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat were in attendance, with Kashyap expressing his delight at being chosen as the festival's closing film among tough competition.

'Kennedy' pulled down the curtain on IFFM 2023.

In the realm of discussions, the festival covered pertinent topics such as nepotism, favouritism, women in films, sexuality, globalising cinema, sustainability, climate crisis, and empowerment.

Calls for more surprise elements

While the festival celebrated the excellence achieved in the past year, some attendees desired more "surprises and transparency" in the award process.

“Well … it’s great to see Indian talents being recognised but since this festival in true sense, is like Holi, Diwali or any other festival to us, we expect a lot more," said Momina Ghayas who followed the festival closely and was present at the screening of the film Satya Prem Ki Katha.

“As a hardcore cinema lover, I do feel that there’s room for more transparency based on which these winners are decided.”

You see, the ‘star culture’ is embedded within our community, there’s no doubt about it. I think with the festival getting bigger each year, these aspects will be considered...hopefully soon.

Momina Ghayas

However, she was was thrilled to see relatively more ‘actors’ being honoured rather than stars.

The films selected this year have marked not just a place at the box office but in peoples’ hearts. What amazed me this time is that we are actually going ‘Pan-India’ and appreciating art from South India as well. You see, films like Sitaraman are getting the kind of push they deserve.

Momina Ghayas

Another fan who was present at the event said that she was eagerly waiting to see exemplary artists discussing Indian cinema next year.

With each passing year, the festival continues to enrich the cinematic landscape, leaving participants eagerly anticipating IFFM 2024.

Award night attendee

As the 10-day event came to a close, most of the fans said that IFFM had grown to symbolise the evolution of Indian cinema, resonating not just in India but across the globe.

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