The upcoming edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will pay a special tribute to British filmmaker Sir Richard Attenborough, best known for the Academy Award-winning film Gandhi.
"Richard Attenborough is a very important filmmaker even in India. He gave Gandhi (the movie) to the world. Gandhi had a pan-global approach. There will be a very special and beautiful tribute to him," IFFI's steering committee member Vani Tripathi told PTI.
Sir Richard died on August 24 this year, five days before his 91st birthday. "The tribute would be a very special kind of experience. You will see some snippets and glimpses of Sir Richard's life and him as a filmmaker," Ms Tripathi said. "The focus will be on Gandhi apart from his other work. There are some very important films that he made before and after Gandhi, which will also be a part of the tribute," she said.
IFFI will be held in Goa from November 20 to 30. "The organisers are still working on Sir Richard's tribute section and once it is put together, only then it would be clear if his family members would be present for the festival," Ms Tripathi said.
Talking about the attendance of the festival's inaugural function, Ms Tripathi said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has contacted megastar Amitabh Bachchan for the opening ceremony.
"Some very senior stars of the film industry are expected to be present. Veteran actor Rajinikanth is also one of the names on the list. The ministry will issue an official statement as soon as the confirmation comes," she said.
"This year, the festival is very special because Goa has become a permanent venue for IFFI," Ms Tripathi said. "It is also a matter of prestige for Goa that the central and state governments will be working in coordination with each other (for the festival)," she added.
