Showcasing Indian cinema’s universality

The Indian Panorama of the 42nd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Goa from November 23 will underline the basic universal ethos that binds humanity as seen through the eyes of Indian cinema.

The Indian Panorama of the 42nd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to be held in Goa from November 23 will underline the basic universal ethos that binds humanity as seen through the eyes of Indian cinema.

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“This year’s Indian Panorama selection range will be a telling depiction of our story-telling skills, focusing on the diverse cultures, traditions and ethos that is India and how it is inevitably seeped in universal appeal,” Mike Pandey, chairman, steering committee, IFFI, told HT.

Films in the Indian Panorama section make it by virtue of retaining a unique traditional character and being representative, as far as possible, of the broad swathe of the country.

“This time, it’s not mere entertaining films but a thought-provoking lot, which goes much beyond films,” said Pandey of the fest that will screen more than 100 films from 65 countries.

In all, 24 feature films selected from a total of 118 eligible entries, and 21 non-feature films out of 135, will comprise the Indian Panorama.

The feature film category will comprise seven films in Malayalam, three each in Bengali, Marathi and Hindi, and one film each in Assamese, Manipuri, Konkani, Telegu, Tamil, English and Bhojpuri.

While Santosh Sivan-directed Malayalam film ‘Urumi’ will be the opening film, the selection will also include ‘Adaminte Makan Abu’ (Malayalam), which won the best film award at the 58th National Film Awards.

The 10-day cinematic extravaganza will be flagged off by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, while south Indian star Suriya will bring down the curtains on the fest.