Indus Valley International Film Festival (IVIFF) is all set to commence on 25th February 2019 in New Delhi. Organized by South Asia Forum for Art & Creative Heritage (SAFACH), and celebrating South Asian art and cinema, a lot of Pakistani dignitaries such as Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan, and Ali Zafar are also expected to attend the event.
Besides the aim of the promotion of art and culture, the festival also aims to play a role in improving Indo-Pak relations. This, the festival plans to do by bringing together some of the biggest names of the industry on both sides of the border under one platform.
“Cinema and art have the power to bring peace & harmony, and envisage for a more compassionate world around us,” says the website of the festival in this regard.
What’s Planned?
The event will take place from 25th February to 3rd March 2019 and will showcase films from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, India, and also, UK.
Some 12 Pakistani films are scheduled to screen at the seven-day-long festival, and they include some of the biggest names of Pakistani cinema. The films include:
- Jawani Phir Nahi Aani (1 & 2)
- Na Maloom Afraad (1 & 2)
- Ho Mann Jahaan
- Moor
- Actor In Law
- Dobara Phir Se
- Punjab Nahi Jaungi
- Motorcycle Girl
- Teefa In Trouble
- Saat Din Mohabbat In
According to the website and other reports, names like Nabeel Qureshi, Fizza Ali Meerza, Nadeem Baig, Sonya Jehan, and Alyy Khan will also be at the event to support their respective films. From the Indian side, names like Vishal Bhardwaj, Nandita Das, SS Rajamouli, and Vinay Pathak will also be in attendance of the event.
Will Mahira Attend?
While the superstar Mahira Khan is expected to be at the event, her being the brand ambassador for Peshawar Zalmi at PSL might not allow her to do so. An official organizer shared this with The Express Tribune and said that the organizers are trying to convince her to join the event even if it is for one day.
Mahira’s presence at the festival will definitely add to the significance of the event, but we wonder if the actress would be able to manage it between her PSL commitments and the politically fuelled animosity on the other side of border towards Pakistani artists.
We tried contacting Mahira to get confirmation on her presence at the event, but couldn’t get a response till the publishing time of this piece.
Will Humayun?
We also contacted Humayun Saeed and asked for his status as far as the event is concerned and the actor said that he, along with director Nadeem Baig and Irfan Malik will be at there, provided the visas are received on time.
Well, we at Galaxy Lollywood live for such events that intend to spread peace and harmony while celebrating art and cinema too. We wish the whole team of IVIFF all the best and hope it paves the way for more ambitious Indo-Pak film collaborations.
