Ending the long
wait, the opening ceremony of one of
the most prestigious film festivals across the world – the 49th edition of the
International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opened amidst the presence of film
stars, filmmakers and cine-lovers from across the world.
The opening ceremony
of IFFI 2018 was anchored by Mandira Bedi and Amit Sadh and saw the presence of
eminent Indian and international film personalities.
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Akshay Kumar, who
flew down in a charter plane to grace the occasion with his presence for a few
hours, said, “There are so many things happening in India in the entertainment
industry. Our Minister Mr Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is doing an incredible job
of combining entertainment and education. It is very important to have films which
have substance and meaning behind it. I am very thankful to the government that
because of such films and initiatives there are lakhs of villages who get
information free of cost and trigger massive positive changes.”
The inaugural
ceremony also witnessed some mesmeriSing audio visual performances which
started with a medley dance performance of songs from some of the best Indian
films depicting the country’s vibrant history. The versatile singer Shilpa Rao
sang popular songs from across the country in multiple languages such as
Bengali, Punjabiand Hindi. Actor Sonu Sood then took over and set the stage on
fire with his dance skills.
Israeli
master craftsman Dan Wolman was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at
the opening ceremony. While speaking at the occasion, Wolman said, “Thank you
for honouring me with the Lifetime Achievement Award which is the highest award
that I have ever received. It is sweeter because I am receiving it in India – a
country whose people, culture and phenomenal cinema I truly admire. This year
IFFI has chosen to focus on Israeli cinema. I am glad the films selected for
this reflect the range of Israeli cinema. There is chemistry between India and
Israel. I hope this chemistry manifests in co productions and collaborations in
cinema.”
