At the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Panaji, veteran documentary filmmaker Arvind Sinha expressed concerns about Bollywood's increasing presence facilitated by financial means. He, overseeing the non-feature film section of Indian Panorama at IFFI, pointed out that this trend is unfair to independent filmmakers reliant on government backing and a platform to showcase their work. ALSO READ: IFFI 2023 DAY 1: Check out the Remarkable Moments From One Of India’s Most Prestigious Events Featuring Eminent Dignitaries, Guests, And Stars!
Asserting that the focus should be on promoting good cinema, Sinha highlighted the disparity in resources, stating, "Bollywood has its own money, finance, muscle power, through all these things they are getting into these spaces." He emphasized the need for clarity in decision-making, advocating that public taxpayers' money should not fund filmmakers with substantial resources like Karan Johar. ALSO READ: IFFI 2023: Vijay Sethupathi Attends The Film Festival, Actor Says, ‘Cinema Introduces New Cultures, Shows Emotions And Tells How To Treat People’
The filmmaker underscored the necessity for IFFI to support and uplift documentary and feature filmmakers who lack significant financial backing. Expressing discontent over the heavy Bollywood presence at the festival's inauguration, he remarked that such spaces should be reserved for artists who truly require governmental support.
KARAN JOHAR - SARA ALI KHAN UNVEIL ‘AE WATAN MERE WATAN’ MOTION POSTER AT IFFI, GOA… #SaraAliKhan and #KaranJohar unveiled the #MotionPoster of thriller-drama #AeWatanMereWatan at the opening ceremony of #IFFI, #Goa.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) November 20, 2023
Singer #SukhwinderSingh also rendered a song - #QatraQatra -… pic.twitter.com/jOMnxovLDt
Meanwhile, the 54th edition of IFFI commenced with a star-studded opening ceremony, merging glamour with artistic brilliance. The event, graced by luminaries like Shahid Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Shriya Saran, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Pankaj Tripathi, and musical talents Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal, and Sukhwinder Singh, epitomized the grandeur of cinema. Aparshakti Khurana and Karishma Tanna co-hosted the ceremony at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, marking the inauguration of this cinematic extravaganza in Goa.
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