Panaji, 15 Nov

Legendary actors Rajinikanth and Nandamuri Balakrishna will be honoured during the closing ceremony of the upcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI) here for completing 50 years in cinema.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan gave this information to reporters in the presence of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

"Legendary actors Rajinikanth and Nandamuri Balakrishna will be felicitated for completing 50 years in cinema, marking a milestone that celebrates their enduring influence on Indian film culture," he said.

"They will be felicitated at the closing ceremony, recognising their iconic body of work, widespread popularity, and contribution to shaping Indian storytelling across decades," he said.

The IFFI will begin on 20 November and conclude on 28 November.

The closing ceremony would be held at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium near here, while the festival will be inaugurated with a gala float parade along the picturesque DB Bandodkar Road.

Rajinikanth, arguably the most enduring and successful commercial star of Tamil cinema, enjoys a cult following with a pan-India fan base. He made his debut in the 1975 film ‘Apoorva Ragangal’, and went on to initially star in negative roles, before transitioning into a hero who commands a crazy fan army and blockbuster box office openings.

Telugu actor N Balakrishna has acted in more than 100 films, delivering major blockbusters such as ‘Samarasimha Reddy’, ‘Simha, Aditya 369’, and ‘Muddula Mavayya’. He is also serving as an MLA for the ruling TDP in Andhra Pradesh.

Murugan said that every year, the IFFI is enhanced with the addition of new things.

Instead of the traditional way of inauguration, the festival will open this time with a gala float parade in Panaji, he added.

According to the minister, a total 12 tableaux from different states and government departments showcasing the rich film culture of India will take part in the parade.

Murugan said 7,500 delegates have already registered their names for the festival, which will have 270 films from 84 different countries being screened.

Japan is the country of focus at this festival, while Spain and Australia will be the partner country and the spotlight country respectively, he said, adding that the IFFI will also present award-winning films from Cannes, Berlinale, Venice and other international film festivals.