MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
From May 1 to 11, Australia witnessed the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the southern hemisphere’s greatest annual celebration of Indian cinema. Presented by the Victorian Government, the 11-day event showcased the work of filmmakers from the Indian subcontinent and Australia. About 45 fi lms from fi ve countries in 17 languages (including Urdu, Nepalese, Himachali, Sinhala and Sherdukpen) were screened. The festival kicked off with the Bollywood cult classic Sholay screened in 3D at the Princess Theatre, followed by a Q & A with the film’s star, legend Amitabh Bachchan, who was also honoured with the International Screen Icon award. The auditorium roared with excitement when Bachchan took a selfie with the 2000-strong audience cheering him. Other celebrities at the festival included Lunch Box director Ritesh Batra, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra with his wife Bharati Mehra, Simi Garewal and popular actress Kangana Ranaut with her sister Rangoli Ranaut. Heidi Victoria, the minister for the arts, and member of the legislative assembly of Victoria Ted Baillieu also attended the function. Australian director Donald Percy was presented an award for his short film Makeover. The festival also had a Bollywood Dance competition and foot tapping music by Australian band Bombay Royale.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DAVID LIEU
PUBLISHED IN THE HEALTH & WELLNESS ISSUE/SUMMER 2014
Smruti Das
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Covering global events as the GPS Editor fits right into Smruti Das’ world. A post-graduate in advertising and communication management from Indira School of Communication in Pune India as well as having five years of experience in the hospitality and not-for-profit sectors under her belt, Smr...