Veteran actress Shabana Azmi hoisted the Indian flag at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023. As the Tricolour fluttered against the Melbourne skyline, the shared emotions of patriotism and unity resonated strongly with attendees.
On the topic of the ceremony, Shabana was quoted as saying, “To be having this honour to hoist the Indian flag, the flag that I’m so proud of, the flag all of us present today are proud of in Melbourne is an honour I never believed I could have. I would like to reiterate that we are here to celebrate Indian cinema in Melbourne, and I truly believe that art knows no boundaries and cinema can be an instrument for social change.”
The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023 continues to be a significant platform for showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of Indian cinema on the global stage. The festival started on August 11 and will conclude on August 20.
The IFFM 2023 also feted many Indian personalities for their contribution to cinema. Rani Mukerji was named the Best Actress In Film (Female) and Vijay Varma was awarded the Best Actor (Male) In Series (Dahaad) title. Rani won for her performance in Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway. Mohit Agarwal took home the award for Best Performance in Film (Male) for Agra.
While the Telugu-language film, Sita Ramam, starring Dulquer Salmaan, Mrunal Thakur and Rashmika Mandanna was announced the Best Film, Agra was named the Best Indie Film. Kannada Filmmaker Prithvi Konanur was feted with Best Director.
Rajshri Deshpande won the award for Best Performance (Female) in a Series for Trial By Fire. Period Drama Jubilee starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Sidhant Gupta, Aditi Rao Hydari, Wamiqa Gabbi and Ram Kapoor was named the Best Series.