Prominent figures of Indian cinema, including Rishab Shetty, Dulquer Salmaan, and Vijay Varma, came together for the inauguration ceremony of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne this Thursday. The aforementioned stars attended a press conference, alongside Manushi Chhillar, Dolly Singh, and singer Nikhita Gandhi, kicking off the celebration of cinema in Australia. IFFM is billed as a festival that celebrates the scale, diversity, and international impact of cinematic storytelling from India.
Also in attendance were filmmakers Vikram Phadnis, Nikkhil Advani, R Gowtham, RS Prasanna, and Kaizad Gustad, alongside the actors starring in the film Lala and Poppy.
These filmmakers and artists spoke about their connection to the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, their work, Indian cinema and its evolution, and the rising global interest in Indian cinema.
Rishab Shetty discussed the growing recognition of films made in India at an international level and the importance of festivals like IFFM in bringing these films to worldwide audiences. The Kantara star said, "I feel proud to be here. They’re invited me here to represent Kannada cinema, and I’m very proud of it. To see Kannada cinema get such recognition on an international stage is simply marvellous. To be with literally the entire Indian cinema representatives and so many people here from the Indian film industry. I wish all the best to all the filmmakers at the festival."
On the other hand, Dulquer Salmaan shared, "It’s my first time here in Australia. I’m glad that the start is with Indian film festival of Melbourne. I’m happy to be here with my film Lokah, celebrating Kerala’s folklore mixed with a superhero story. I’m the glad has traveled so much, more than we could have ever imagined."
IFFM is slated to take place until August 23, Sunday.
