IFFI 2023: Madhuri, Shahid to perform at opening; Ayushmann to honour Michael Douglas on closing

New Delhi: Bollywood stars Shahid Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit will perform at the star-studded opening ceremony of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, where actors Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi and Vijay Sethupathi will also unveil the first looks of their upcoming films.

The 54th edition of the film gala will kickstart with the ceremony, to be held at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji on November 20. Actors Aparshakti Khurrana and Karishma Tanna will host the opening event, which will also feature performances by Shriya Saran, Nushratt Bharucha.

The guests also include Sethupathi, Sara, Tripathi, Sunny Deol, Karan Johar, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Sukhwinder Singh, among others. "IFFI has been growing every year thanks to the passion of our filmmakers from across the country and the collaboration that we have been able to forge with the directors and producers from across the world," Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said in a statement. "As we take forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of strengthening India's global position across all sectors, cinema, arts and culture can empower our youth to foray on the world stage with stories that are global in essence and local at heart. Indeed, IFFI has become the perfect platform for establishing collaborations, joint productions and cutting-edge technology," he added. Dixit, who was bestowed with the Indian Film Personality honour at IFFI last year, will perform on a medley of her chartbuster songs.

"Cinema has given me so much, it's time to give something back in return. What better way to do so than through song and dance which is integral to not just Indian cinema, but Indian culture as well," the actor said. Shahid said he is looking forward to performing for the live audience. “Doing great work comes naturally when you're passionate about what you do. And performing in front of a live audience is something I've truly loved ever since I can remember… Thanks to IFFI I get to do that one more time in Goa on November 20th," he said. For the latest edition, the IFFI has invited actors and filmmakers to promote their upcoming films at the opening gala. Johar and Sara along with the team of "Ae Watan Mere Watan" will unveil the first look of the thriller drama.

Sukhwinder Singh will sing the film's inspiring title track during the showcase. "Ae Watan Mere Watan" chronicles the journey of Usha Mehta who during the 1942 Quit India Movement started an underground radio station, Congress Radio, which for a few months broadcast uncensored and even banned news. Tripathi, Moitra, Ghoshal and Taba Chake will introduce crime-thriller "Kadak Singh", directed by Aniruddha Roy Choudhary. "The IFFI festival has always offered a platform for inspiring stories and storytellers who unmask corruption and clean the system, thereby inspiring and empowering us," Tripathi said.

"Jawan" star Sethupathi will launch the trailer of black comedy "Gandhi Talks", a silent film also starring Arvind Swami, Siddharth Jadhav and Aditi Rao Hydari. The festival will also be attended by Michael Douglas and his actor-wife Catherine Zeta Jones, Salman Khan, Vidya Balan, Ayushmann Khurrana, Anupam Kher, Vicky Kaushal, Siddharth Malhotra, AR Rahman, among other celebrities.

The closing ceremony on November 28 will be headlined by Ayushmann Khurrana and renowned music composer Amit Trivedi. With his performance, Ayushmann will pay a tribute to Douglas, the recipient of the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award. Trivedi will curate a special rendition of the 'Sounds of Bharat' alongside a medley of his superhit songs. There will be a specially curated performance by the ‘Harmony of the Pines' orchestra of the Himachal Pradesh police arousing nationalistic fervour. Viacom Media Pvt. Ltd. is the exclusive media and broadcasting partner of the opening and closing ceremonies for the second consecutive year and would broadcast them on COLORS channel and OTT platform JioCinema