Director Ashutosh Gowariker has been appointed has the Chairperson of the International Jury for the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in collaboration with the The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), will host IFFI this year in Goa from November 20 to 28.
Festival Director Shekhar Kapur, who also serves as the President of IFFI, praised Ashutosh’s appointment, stating, "The chairman must have a keen understanding of cinema, and also be able to see diverse points of view. Ashutosh’s films have successfully exhibited a wide and varied forms of storytelling, and we’re grateful that he accepted to be Chairman of the International Jury at IFFI this year."
Expressing his excitement and honor in taking on the role, Ashutosh said in a press release, "Cinema is constantly evolving with the times, and there’s no better place to witness this evolution than at a film festival. The International Film Festival of India stands as a beacon of this transformation, and I am honored to be a part of it."
He added, "I would like to thank the Festival Director, Mr. Shekhar Kapur, and the IFFI and NFDC team for thinking of me for chairing this year's International Jury. It is both a privilege and a delight to participate and immerse myself in the world of cinema."
Ashutosh is known helming films like the Oscar-nominated Lagaan (2001), Swades (2004) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008) among others.