Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, Priyanka Chopra Jonas light up grand opening of Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival
The Hindu
The festival, which screens a diverse selection of Indian, South Asian and world cinema for the city’s cinephiles, is back with a physical edition after a hiatus of four years, and is screening over 250 films in 70 languages over 10 days
The Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival kicked off with a grand ceremony at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai on October 27. The festival, which screens a diverse selection of Indian, South Asian and world cinema for the city’s cinephiles, is back with a physical edition after a hiatus of four years. It is screening over 250 films in 70 languages over 10 days till November 5.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the chairperson of Jio MAMI, declared the festival open with the master ceremony.
The opening night commenced with legendary directors Mani Ratnam and Luca Guadagnino being honoured with the Excellence in Cinema award. Kamal Haasan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas presented the awards to these luminaries.
Kamal and Mani Ratnam, known for their iconic collaboration on the Tamil-language gangster epic Nayakan (1987), also spoke about their upcoming film together, KH234, which reunites the duo after over three decades.
“We are as excited as those who want to see us work together,” Kamal said on stage while honouring his old colleague and friend. “We are both producing the film together under our respective banners Raaj Kamal Films and Madras Talkies. Mani is directing it and any job he gives me I will do. I am also the lead man.”
“I will keep it in mind,” Ratnam quipped, to resounding laughter. The teaser of KH 234 will be released on November 7.
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair is the head of jury of the South Asia Competition at this year’s Mumbai Film Festival. She was joined on stage by her fellow jurors—David Michod, Isabel Sandoval and Edouard Waintrop.
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