The 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India, IFFI, got off to a rousing start on Sunday, November 20, at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. The Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur, inaugurated the annual festival in the presence of L Murugan, Minister of States, in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Pramod Sawant, the Chief Minister of Goa, Governor P. S. Sreedharan Pillai and Secretary of Information and Broadcasting, Apurva Chandra. IFFI continues till November 28.

At the film festival, Chiranjeevi was named as the Indian Film Personality of the Year 2022. Expressing his gratitude, the megastar wrote, "Greatly Delighted and Humbled at this honour, Sri @ianuragthakur! My deep gratitude to Govt of India @MIB_India @IFFIGoa @Anurag_Office and all my loving fans only because of whom i am here today!"

Recommended Read: Kartik Aaryan all set to headline 53rd IFFI with a grand performance

Actors Manoj Bajpayee, Suniel Shetty, Ajay Devgn, Paresh Rawal and writer Vijendra Prasad were felicitated for their contribution to Indian cinema. Spanish Filmmaker Carlos Saura was awarded the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award. While he couldn’t come to IFFI, his daughter Anna Saura received the award on his behalf.

The opening ceremony came alive by performances by a number of leading Hindi film stars, including Varun Dhawan, Kartik Aaryan, Sara Ali Khan, Mrunal Thakur and Amruta Khanvilkar. There was also a flamenco dance performance.

Taking about IFFI 2022, I & B Minister, Anurag Singh Thakur, said in a statement, “IFFI presents unique opportunities and incredible possibilities for young aspiring filmmakers to network, pitch, collaborate and experience the best from the world of cinema. The 53rd IFFI is all set to be melting pot of myriad vibrant cultures and spectacle of cinematic excellence.” Secretary of I & B, Apurva Chandra stated, “IFFI is the platform for the Indian film industry to showcase the best to the world and imbibe the best practices from cinema around the world.”