New Delhi: Late actor Irrfan Khan, who became a household name after portraying diverse roles with perfection, will be honoured during the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
The film festival will pay homage to the late star by screening his cult classic ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ on Friday. Indian film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the news on his Twitter handle.
An evergreen actor with an impressive array of roles under his belt, Irrfan breathed his last on April 29, 2020, after battling rare cancer. Apart from the ‘Piku’ actor, the event will reportedly also pay tribute to actors like Sushant Singh Rajput, Rishi Kapoor, Soumitra Chatterjee and Chadwick Boseman by screening their movies, ‘Kedarnath’, ‘Bobby’, ‘Charulata’ and ’42’, respectively.
The nine-day film festival will also feature various remarkable movies directed by renowned filmmakers worldwide. As per reports, it will begin by honouring 28 prominent artists who passed away in 2020.
Nearly 224 films are lined-up for screening under different sections this year. Director Tushar Hiranandani’s female-centric film ‘Saand Ki Aankh’, starring Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles will be the opening film at the Panorama section of the revered film festival.
Reportedly, other Indian artists who would be honoured at the event include filmmakers Basu Chatterjee, Nishikant Kamat, Manmohan Mahapatra, Urdu poet Rahat Indori, choreographer Saroj Khan, singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, actors Jagdeep, Kumkum, Nimmi, Bijay Mohanty, Shreeram Lagoo, Ajit Das, music composer Wajid Khan, lyricist Yogesh Gaur and costume designer Bhanu Athaiya.
IFFI, which takes place in Goa from November 20-28 annually, was postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Theatres worldwide were forced to shut down last year, which marked a major change in the entertainment industry due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. With theatres and other public places being shut, various streaming platforms gained more viewers.