Melbourne is buzzing with Bollywood glamour as 15 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) unfolds. Among celebrities gracing the festival are Malaika Arora. Karan Johar, Kartik Aaryan and Lakshya, are breakout star from film Kill. The festival kicked off on August 15. It is set to conclude on August 25. The much-anticipated awards ceremony takes place on Friday, August 16, at iconic Palais Theatre.

Ahead of the ceremony Bollywood's finest were spotted enjoying downtime in the vibrant streets of Melbourne. Malaika Arora took to Instagram. She shared a series of snapshots from her time in the city. One standout photo features her posing alongside filmmakers Karan Johar and Kabir Khan, actor Kartik Aaryan and Lakshya who is making his IFFM debut. Former film critic and Dharma Cornerstone Agency COO Rajeev Masand also joined the star-studded group.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by HT City (@htcity)

In the photo Malaika exuded style in black crop top, brown mini skirt and matching overcoat. She paired it with black leather pants. Karan Johar looked effortlessly chic in black t-shirt blue denim and a matching jacket. Kartik Aaryan opted for sleek grey suit. Kabir Khan kept it casual in navy blue jacket and jeans. Lakshya, meanwhile looked sharp in grey jacket and black pants.

Another image from Malaika’s photo dump captured her walking arm-in-arm with Karan Johar, while yet another offered a glimpse of the stunning Melbourne cityscape from her hotel room.

The IFFM 2024 awards promise to be a star-studded affair. Shah Rukh Khan leads Best Actor nominations for his roles in Dunki and Jawan. He’s up against a formidable lineup. This includes Vikrant Massey, Fahadh Faasil, Ranveer Singh, Kartik Aaryan and veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty. On Best Actress front, Alia Bhatt is nominated for her performance in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. She competes against Jyothika Parvathy Thiruvothu and rising stars Nitanshi Goel and Pratibha Ranta from Laapataa Ladies.

The OTT category saw acclaimed shows like Heeramandi, Poacher, and Made In Heaven Season 2 take a clean sweep in terms of nominations. This is a continuous festival celebrating the best of Indian cinema. The stars and fans alike are waiting for the award night to unveil who will take home the coveted trophies.