New Delhi [India], August 10 (ANI): The curtains came down on the three-day Celebrating India Film Festival (CIFF) with a spectacular closing ceremony, in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
From felicitating legendary actor Manoj Kumar’s son, Kunal Goswami, to launching Ricky Kej’s latest album, Gandhi – Mantras of Compassion, the grand evening on Sunday at NCUI Auditorium was a fitting finale to the three-day event, uniting filmmakers, actors, and musicians.
It started with the rendition of Vande Mataram by a child artist, Aashvi Gupta and later popular singer Hema Sardesai, known for hits like ‘Badal Pe Paon Hain’ from ‘Chak De! India’, captivated the audience with her powerful performances and sang songs such as ‘Ishq Chandi Hai Ishq Sona’, ‘Awara Bhavre Jo Hole Hole Gaaye’, ‘Main Kudi Anjaani’, to several others. 
Ricky Kej’s recently released ‘We Are One (Raghupati Raghava)’ was displayed on the screen for the audience.
Manoj Tiwari, BJP MP, and Rajeev Shukla also graced the occasion.
Delhi CM felicitated three-time Grammy Award-winning composer Ricky Kej, acclaimed film director Bharatbala, whose film was screened during the festival titled ‘Aham Bharatam: ‘I Am India’, and veteran actor Annu Kapoor.
While praising the Celebrating India Film Festival, she said in her speech, “CIFF 2025 has been a vibrant celebration of Delhi’s artistic soul and our commitment to the arts. If a person comes to Delhi, he should feel that he has to see Delhi. We want to do everything to reawaken the city’s historical glory. Films are embedded in our culture; they employ millions, strengthen the economy, and connect us to social realities. This joy and learning must grow. And along with that, the film tourism here should also increase. We are preparing to bring a new state film policy. We also want to have film shootings here, to have a Filmfare Award here, and to have a film festival here.”
The CM added that her favourite “time pass is watching films…film industry lakhon karodo logon ko rozgar deti hai.”
Calling it an initiative that gives a platform to the youth, CIFF director Alok Gupta told ANI, “Delhi is known for its politics and business. But we have tried to get film festivals and films as a launch pad in Delhi. And I am very happy to tell you that the event that we did, the hard work of the last four months, more than 700 films were entered. We have shown more than 35 films in the last three days. More than 20 people came for master classes and sessions.”
“We got a very good response. And today, the CM also said that we will get more support from the governments to do such events in the future. So we want to make this a perfect launch pad in Delhi for the film industry. So that the Delhi government can also join, the youth of Delhi can also join. And Delhi becomes a film-friendly, film-tourism-friendly city. The governments will continue to do their work. And we just want to join them and move this work forward very quickly,” he added.
CIFF also recognised some best projects, including ‘Life in Loom’, directed by Edmond Ranson, which won Best Documentary. ‘Humans in the Loop’, directed by the brilliant Aranya Sahay, won Best Feature Film.
While ‘Guntata Hriday He’ (Entangled), directed by Sainath S Uskaikar, was awarded for Best Short Film.
Acclaimed filmmaker Bharatbala, who is known for patriotic music videos Vande Mataram (1997) and Jana Gana Mana (2000), created with AR Rahman, appreciated the initiative and said, “Celebrating India Film Festival is a great initiative because it is showcasing the culture of India through cinema, which is giving young filmmakers a new opportunity to go and make stories of our culture so it will have a longer impact on society. Delhi, serves as a crucial hub for filmmakers across India to interact and collaborate, fostering a unique platform for cultural exchange.”
The festival was held from August 8-August 10. (ANI)
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