A distinguished gathering including popular heart-throbs Sushant Singh Rajput and Prosenjit Chatterjee witnessed the ceremony as ‘chief guest’, celebrated film-maker Ramesh Sippy (of ‘Sholay’ fame) inaugurated the spectacular 47th International Film Festival of India, (IFFI), in the presence of the I & B Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu in Panaji (Goa), yesterday evening.
Amidst thunderous applause, versatile prolific iconic playback singer legendary S. P. Balasubrahmanyam who has over 40,000 songs to his credit, was felicitated with the Centenary Indian Film Personality of the Year at the opening. The fest also celebrated the journey and contribution of women in Indian Cinema themed as 'Ode to a Woman'. Thousands of local and foreign delegates will now be able to watch a diverse variety of nearly 300 films from almost 90 countries, at the eight-day long festival, according to the dynamic Festival Director C Senthil Rajan.