The 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) began in Goa on Sunday, making November 20 a special day for the Indian film industry. A number of prominent luminaries attended the event, including Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and others. Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan, Sara Ali Khan, Paresh Rawal, Suniel Shetty, Kartik Aaryan, Aparshakti Khurana, Mrunal Thakur, and other Bollywood actors were also present.
As the recipient of the 2022 IFFI Indian Film Personality of the Year Award, 67-year-old actor Chiranjeevi must be overjoyed. Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, announced this during the occasion.
For those who don't know, according to government statistics, Chiranjeevi has made over four decades of contributions to Indian cinema and has appeared in more than 150 Telugu-language feature films in addition to a few in Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada.
The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Prize was presented to celebrated Spanish film director Carlos Saura at the 53rd IFFI. The well-known director's daughter, Anna Saura, collected the honour on his behalf on Sunday.
Carlos Saura expressed his gratitude for receiving the prestigious Award through a video message, saying, “I could not come to the ceremony personally since I am recovering from Bronchitis.”
For those who don't know, Carlos Saura is one of Spain's most well-known directors. He has previously won numerous accolades for his work, including the Golden Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for Deprisa Deprisa, two Silver Bears for La caza and Peppermint Frappe, a BAFTA for Carmen, and three awards at Cannes.
Bollywood star Ajay Devgn has also had a memorable year. He won the Best Actor National Film Award this year for his role in the movie Tanjaji: The Unsung Warrior. He has appeared in six Bollywood movies in total, including Rudra, Runway 34, Gangubai Kathiawadi, RRR, Thank God, and Drishyam 2.
“No one can give any advice to anybody. Follow yourself, and believe in yourself, that is the most important thing", Devgn remarked during the IFFI ceremony.
The nine-day IFFI film festival began on November 20 and will end on November 28.
