Indian cinema beyond the confines of Hindi language: Amitabh Bachchan as IFFI kicks off in Goa

Panaji: Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan endorsed the pan-Indian identity portrayed in cinema at the 11-day International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that kicked-off in the beach state of Goa.

The event was inaugurated at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium in Bambolim and offers a wide variety of 110 films including 28 Oscar entries.

Speaking at the event, Bachchan, also the guest of honour, said Goa had a special place in his life as he went down the memory lane recalling his first film, 'Saat Hindustani', portraying struggle of seven Indians to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said cinema enlightens people many fold compared to the regular educational institutions. India's megastar,

Bollywood and Tamil Cinema actor, Rajinikanth, was conferred with Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year.