SRK to spice up Goa int'l film festival

Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan will be the chief guest at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2007 that opens in Goa on November 23.

The departure from the tradition of getting the honours done by celluloid oldies is conscious, sources in the I&B Ministry, which is co-hosting the festival, told HT. It’s a celebration of the youth brigade’s imprint on Indian cinema through cult films like Chak De, Rang De... and Munnabhai....

SRK has accepted the invitation and will be present at IFFI’s inaugural with the screening of Romanian director Cristian Mungiu’s much acclaimed Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days that won the top Golden Palm award at the Cannes Festival this year.

Mungiu and his leading lady Ana Maria Marinca will also be present. “It will be a great opening ceremony,” promised IFFI director Neelam Kapur.

For the first time, common viewers will be registered as delegates for a nominal Rs 300. Of the 5,000-6,000 delegates, nearly 1,500 will be from among the public and have access to the conferences and seminars that go with such festivals.

Kapur clarified that the delegates from among the people will be able to see all films screened.