By Our Special Correspondent
IT was yet another curtains down for yet another packed-to-the-gills and crazy-about-films audience for IFFI at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in capital city Panaji, Goa, on the evening of November 28, 2024. The 55th Film Festival of India closed with the Lithunia film “Toxic” taking away the Golden Peacock Award of Rs40 lakh (for its story of two teenagers, hard times and how toxic their lives become searching for the perfect body to sell to consumers of body beautiful).
All the bigwigs were there upfront with Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant more or less confirming that this year’s IFFI was for the industry, by the industry and of the industry, he said the Film Bazaar this time was the largest film bazaar in the world for the film market and it got a positive response. He invited filmmakers to come to Goa to shoot their films. For cinegoers he said this year films were screened at several venues across Goa apart from Panaji and Porvorim; Ponda, Margao and Sanquelim also saw the screening of films, all this so that more Goans get a chance to see films. The infrastructure to make Goa into a permanent film industry hub is coming up and Goa has a lot to offer by way of cultural highlights too.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Sanjay Jaju, also doing the honors of various felicitations, observed that this year’s IFFI is being dedicated to young upcoming filmmakers and creators, the government wants to help them to be the storytellers from all over India, “This IFFI has been qualitatively and quantitavely the best one so far.” The various winners for this year’s IFFI were announced and holding the stage spellbound was Samir Kochchar. Australia was the country of focus this year and the legendary Australian filmmaker Philip Noyce who was here with his young daughter received the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award; in his brief address he said that for him Indian cinema began with Satyajit Ray to whom he owes a debt for inspiring him on how to use indigenous people to act in films. He added that filmmaking is changing with new technology but young filmmakers must remember that often “less can be more,” and sets may be small, but it is creativity which makes “ideas bigger.”
Actor Vikrant Massey got the Indian Personality of the Year Award. Massey advised aspiring actors form small towns and villages in India not to be daunted or intimidated by big city Mumbai when they come seeking a career in films, “Your worth isn’t defined by your clothes, language, or background – it’s defined by your talent and determination.” This won him loud applause from the audience.
Chairperson of the International Competition Jury Ashutosh Gowariker was very eloquent and said this year’s films submitted for the International Competition stood out and stood tall, “cinema exists not just to entertain, but to transform, to awaken, and to connect,” he pointed out. The other International Jury members are distinguished in their own right, each of them, namely Anthony Chen, Elizabeth Karlsen, Fran Borgia and Jill Bilcock.
The star cast of upcoming 2024 Indian Telugu action drama film “Pushpa2: The Rule” was felicitated with actress Rashmika Mandanna who was visibly emotional and persuaded to show off a few dance moves; the evening’s entertainment included performances by Mame Khan, Nikita Gandhi and Digvijay Singh Pariyar and Amaal Mallik. Actress Shriya Saran performed “Rhythms of India” with songs “Jiya jale”, “Desh mera rangila” and “Kahe chhed mohe.
Amongst the felicitated were none other than producer-director filmmaker Ramesh Sippy of several films, but is more often questioned only about evergreen superhit “Sholay.” Old timer actress Jaya Prada; younger generation Pratik Gandhi, Nivetha Thomas, Rashmika Mandanna and producer Ravi Shankar were felicitated and they held the audience enthralled with their chatty responses to questions put to them.
Not to forget that this year’s IFFI was curated by discerning, internationally recognized filmmaker Shekhar Kapur (of “Mr India,” “Bandit Queen,” “New York I Love You,” “Elizabeth” made in 1998 and “Elizabeth: Golden Age” made in 2007), he pretty summed me up IFFI 2024 in conclusion by reminding everyone that cinema is not varnishing anywhere as India continues to be the largest creator of films in the world and “we have just finished the biggest celebration of cinema , the people of Goa have welcomed us with warm hearts, and if you will have us again, we’ll be happy to return with a grandeur celebration.”
IFFI this year was larger, more perfectly organized but with some usual and some new highs and lows – it was easy to book films on the IFFI App but what happens when the timings go haywire and some films end up with only three viewers in the audience? Also, despite the ever escalating IFFI budget, many Goans think give Goa better roads and pavements first for smoother flow of traffic – which for a week sees traffic jams, especially in the late evening when there’s a momentous festival in full flow in town! Goa is still a state of towns and villages no matter how much of a hurry it is in becoming boom city Mumbai!
