Actor-producer Aamir Khan will attend a special screening of his acclaimed film Lagaan at the 17th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the organisers announced on Wednesday.
The festival, billed as the largest celebration of Indian cinema outside India, will be held from August 13 to 23 in Melbourne.
The film gala's curtain raiser event on July 9 will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Lagaan, the Ashutosh Gowariker-directed period sports drama which remains one of Indian cinema's most celebrated films and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Aamir will attend the special screening at ACMI cinema in Melbourne, officially launching this year's festival celebrations, according to a press release.
Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said marking 25 years of Lagaan was a fitting way to begin the festival.
"The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has always celebrated stories that have made a lasting impact on audiences, and there could not have been a better way to begin our 17th edition than by celebrating 25 years of 'Lagaan'. The film is a milestone in Indian cinema and continues to inspire generations of filmmakers and audiences around the world. We are delighted to welcome Aamir Khan to Melbourne for this special celebration and look forward to presenting another memorable edition of the festival that brings together the very best of Indian cinema," Mitu said.
Backed by the Government of Victoria, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has emerged as a major international platform for Indian cinema over the years.
Previous editions of the festival have featured prominent personalities from the Indian film industry, including Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, A R Rahman, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Ram Charan, Vijay Sethupathi, Vicky Kaushal, Vijay Varma and Keerthy Suresh, as well as filmmakers such as Rajkumar Hirani, Shoojit Sircar, Zoya Akhtar, Rima Das, and Kabir Khan.
The 17th edition of the festival will feature film screenings, premieres, conversations, masterclasses and cultural events, bringing together filmmakers, actors, industry professionals and cinema enthusiasts from around the world.
