Largest celebration of Indian cinema in Australia; IFFM 2024: Ram Charan, Kartik Aaryan, ‘12th Fail’, ‘Laapaata Ladies’ amongst top awardees

Bollywood personalities such as Karan Johar, Kartik Aaryan, Nora Fatehi, Imtiaz Ali and Kabir Khan among many others on August 15 officially kicked off the 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024.

The event was inaugurated with an official press conference attended, which also had names such as Shoojit Sircar, Rima Das, Adarsh Gourav, Lakshya and Sona Mohapatra.

Karan said: “I’m extremely excited about watching the opening night film. What sets IFFM part from other festivals is its true standing for diversity. It’s one of those festivals that truly champions inclusivity in every regard”.

Kartik, who attended the festival for the second time, added: “Really looking forward to the festival this year. And also excited to see the films that are part of the festival this year”.

The festival was officially kicked off with keynote words by Caroline Pitcher from VicScreen as well as festival director and founder Mitu Bhowmik Lange.

Scheduled to take place from August 15 to August 25 in Melbourne, the festival celebrated the diversity of Indian cinema with screenings across various Indian languages, as well as cultural programs spotlighting the rich heritage shared by the two countries.

Mitu Bhowmik Lange, the festival’s director and founder, said: “This year, as we mark the 15th edition of the festival, we are thrilled to bring together some of the most respected names in Indian cinema to Melbourne.”

“The festival has always been about building bridges between cultures, and it’s heartwarming to see the support we have received from both the Indian film fraternity and the Victorian Government.”

Ahead of the festival, actress Rani Mukerji launched a stamp in honour of late filmmaker Yash Chopra at Australian Parliament House. His stamp was launched in memory honouring his iconic cinematic legacy and his contributions to Indian cinema.

Actor Kartik Aaryan, who was recently seen in “Chandu Champion”, won the Best Actor honour at the 15th edition of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). Star Ram Charan and Oscar-winner A.R Rahman bagged the top two honours.

Filmmaker Kabir Khan and Nithilan Swaminathan were jointly awarded Best Director for their work on “Chandu Champion” and “Maharaja”. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “12th Fail,” which is based on the 2019 eponymous non-fiction book by Anurag Pathak about Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme poverty to become an Indian Police Service officer, was named as the Best Film in the event.

The Best Actress honour went to Parvathy Thiruvothu for “Ullozhukku (Undercurrent)” and filmmaker Kiran Rao’s “Laatapata Ladies” was feted for its innovative approach and storytelling.

Shah Rukh Khan and Taapsee Pannu-starrer “Dunki” was given the Equality in Cinema honour, actress Rasika Dugal was named in the Diversity Champion category.

In the Disruptor in Cinema category, actor Adarsh Gourav, who has showcased his prowess in films such as “The White Tiger”, “Kho Gaye Hum Kahan” and “Woh Bhi Din The”, won the award.

Rahman was honoured with the Excellence in Cinema, while Ram Charan was feted with the Ambassador of Indian Art & Culture award.

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s “Amar Singh Chamkila” starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, was tagged as the Breakout Film of the Year.

In the Short Film Competition, “The Vegemite Sandwich” won the award and “Echo” received a Special mention to Echo.

“Kohrra”, a crime thriller police procedural, won the Best Series and Arjun Mathur was named as the Best Actor In a Series for his work in “Made In Heaven 2”. “Laapata Ladies” was named under the Best Film (Critics Choice), Best Performance of the Year (Critics) went to actor Vikrant Massey for “12th Fai”.