`Raja Harishchandra` to be screened at IFFM in Melbourne

Melbourne: The second Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2013 is all set to begin next Friday showcasing over 60 films from India and the subcontinent, including 1913 film `Raja Harishchandra` on its opening night.

The Dadasaheb Phalke`s directed first Indian film`s screening will be organised to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema. IFFM, which has gained immense popularity down under among Indian diaspora as well locals, will include a special retrospective on Amitabh Bachchan, short film competition by applicants from Australia, New Zealand and India and a Bollywood dance competition. A special tribute to filmmaker Yash Chopra is also a part of this year`s festival with a lifetime achievement award presented to the deceased filmmaker which will be accepted by his wife, Pamela Chopra. The most talked about and much awaited event is the closing night which would be attended by Bachchan who will also be honoured with IFFM`s `International Screen Icon` award by the Victorian government. On the guest lists visiting the city would be the Festival Ambassador, Vidya Balan, Prabhu Deva, Simi Garewal, Onir, Farah Khan and Kabir Khan. Festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said, "The festival has grown immensely... The whole city has embraced it and it`s been wonderfully rewarding. This year we have multiple events happening everywhere - right from the Amitabh Bachchan retrospective at the iconic Federation Square, to the rich program of the 100 Years of Indian Cinema at ACMI. "Our immensely popular Bollywood Dance Competition will be judged by Farah Khan, Kabir Khan and Prabhu Deva this year," she added. The festival, organised by the Mind Blowing Films, is being planned to be taken to other parts of Australia including Adelaide and Perth in near future, Lange disclosed. Hosting the celebrations for 100 years of Indian cinema program, the festival will screen 15 classic Indian films including Satyajit Ray`s `Pather Panchali`, `Sholay`, `Achut Kanya`, `3 Idiots` and Palme d`Or nominee `Garam Hawa`. The `Hurrah Bollywood!` program will showcase films like `Barfi!`, `Talaash` and Kabir Khan`s `Ek Tha Tiger`. `Beyond Bollywood` program would screen arthouse films such as `Kurmavatara` (Kannada), `Anhey Ghorey Da Daan` (Punjabi), `Delhi In A Day`, `Kai Po Che` and `ID`. PTI