The glittering 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) unfolded in Goa, and the highlight of the event was the prestigious ‘Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema’ award bestowed upon Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit. Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur expressed admiration for Dixit’s unparalleled talent and versatility, acknowledging her impactful four-decade-long journey in the film industry.
Read Also | Shahid Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit Set to Dazzle at IFFI Goa 2023 Opening Ceremony
Anurag Thakur took to X to convey his appreciation, stating, “An icon across the ages, @MadhuriDixit has graced our screens with unparalleled talent for four incredible decades. Today, we are filled with admiration as we present the ‘Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema’ Award to the talented, charismatic actress who has redefined excellence in cinema, at the 54th International Film Festival of India.”
Thakur’s post on X reads, “An icon across the ages, @MadhuriDixit has graced our screens with unparalleled talent for four incredible decades. From the effervescent Nisha to the captivating Chandramukhi, the majestic Begum Para to the indomitable Rajjo, her versatility knows no bounds.
An icon across the ages, @MadhuriDixit has graced our screens with unparalleled talent for four incredible decades.
From the effervescent Nisha to the captivating Chandramukhi, the majestic Begum Para to the indomitable Rajjo, her versatility knows no bounds.
Today, we are… pic.twitter.com/HlYUWHsWRY
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) November 20, 2023
Madhuri Dixit, in response to the honor, expressed, “I am very honored to receive this award. These types of awards always encourage and motivate us to do more good works.”
The star-studded event, held at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on November 20th, marked the beginning of the 9-day cinematic extravaganza. The guest list included notable figures such as Vijay Sethupathi, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Sunny Deol, Karan Johar, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal, and Sukhwinder Singh.
The festival showcased an impressive lineup of films, with “Catching Dust” by award-winning British filmmaker Stuart Gatt selected as the opening film, “About Dry Grasses” by French Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan as the Mid Fest film, and “The Featherweight” directed by Robert Kolodny serving as the closing film for the 54th IFFI.
Adding a new dimension to the festival, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting introduced the Best Web Series (OTT) award, with acclaimed filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani leading the five-member jury. Jury members, including Divya Dutta, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Krishna DK, and Utpal Borpujari, were tasked with evaluating 32 entries across 10 languages from 15 OTT platforms
#WATCH | Panaji: Actor Madhuri Dixit along with her husband Dr Sriram Madhav Nene arrived at the opening ceremony of the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), in Goa. pic.twitter.com/1WtH0igmCp
— ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2023
Read Also | 54th IFFI Grand Opening Today: Highlights, Celebrities, and Awards Await Cinema Enthusiasts
Addressing the impact of the OTT industry in India, Anurag Thakur highlighted its significant growth, standing at 28 percent annually. The newly introduced OTT awards aim to celebrate the outstanding content creators on these platforms, recognizing the flourishing landscape of original content creation in the country.