Vidya Balan's Natkhat to open Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Seven months of being locked in the confines of our homes, cinephiles across the world are inevitably missing the lack of intimacy and fervour at film festivals. With red carpets stacked away and ticket counters shut, the frenzy seems compromised. But film aficionados vouch that the magic of movies stays pure even on a home screen.

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), which is usually hosted in August annually since the last 10 years, is going virtual this year. Though festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange had hoped to do a compact schedule at the original venue, the festival will now be hosted virtually between October 23 and October 30. The films will stream free at the official website of the festival.

Opening the virtual festival is the Vidya Balan-starrer Natkhat, which also marks the actor's foray into production. The film is a confronting story of a mother teaching her young son about gender equality. Natkhat premiered on YouTube as part of the We Are One: A Global Film Festival. Streaming alongside will be the Marathi film Habbadi, which traces the journey of a boy with a speech impediment.

With the increasing discussion over mental health, the organisers in tandem with the Mental Health Foundation, have made a provision on the website for patrons to donate to the cause. "The world is going through an unusual time and now more than ever, cinema has become people's support system through the dark times," said Lange in a statement.

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