Panaji: In a ceremony held at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, veteran actor Madhuri Dixit was honored with the ‘Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema’ award. Expressing her gratitude, Dixit stated that such accolades serve as powerful motivation for artists to continue delivering exceptional work.
Dixit remarked, “I am very honored to receive this award. These types of recognitions always encourage and motivate us to do more good work.” The award was presented by Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, who praised Dixit’s acting prowess and significant contributions to the film industry.
Thakur shared his admiration on Twitter, stating, “An icon across the ages, @MadhuriDixit has graced our screens with unparalleled talent for four incredible decades. Today, we celebrate her extraordinary journey and everlasting legacy.”
The star-studded event also included notable personalities such as Vijay Sethupathi, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Sunny Deol, Karan Johar, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal, and Sukhwinder Singh, among others.
The festival, which runs until November 28, features a diverse lineup of films. The opening film, “Catching Dust,” by award-winning British filmmaker Stuart Gatt, sets the tone for the gala. French Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “About Dry Grasses” is the Mid fest film, while Robert Kolodny’s “The Featherweight” serves as the closing film.
Rajkumar Hirani leads the jury for the Best Web Series (OTT) award, joined by members Divya Dutta, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Krishna DK, and Utpal Borpujari. The newly introduced OTT awards recognize the booming industry in India, acknowledging the significant role it plays in employment and content creation.
Hollywood legend Michael Douglas will be honored with the prestigious Satyajit Ray Excellence in Film Lifetime Award and is set to address the IFFI Master Class on November 28.
The Indian Panorama, curated by a distinguished jury, showcases 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films from India. Anand Ekarshi’s “Aattam” (Malayalam) was chosen as the opening feature film, while the non-feature section includes ‘Andro Dreams’ from Manipur.
The 54th IFFI promises a cinematic extravaganza, celebrating the best of Indian and international cinema, and will conclude on November 28.
