IFFI tries a Cannes

Shaikh Ayaz & Faheem Ruhani

After a ‘thanda’ event last year, the 37th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) seems to be attempting to up the ante and take it to the next level — Cannes, if possible — with dollops of glamour and serious cinema.

To pep things up further, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Prabhu Deva and Bipasha Basu have been roped in for dance performances.

As part of the sub-events, popular trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy will pay a musical tribute to R D Burman, while a retrospective of Prithviraj Kapoor and Al Pacino’s films will be held. Actor Shashi Kapoor will inaugurate the festival on November 23 while actor and director Aparna Sen will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony.

Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Corporate’, Girish Kasaravalli’s ‘Nayi Neralu’ and Rituparno Ghosh’s Bengali film ‘Dosar’ will feature in the Indian Panorama section. Pedro Almodovar’s ‘Volver’ starring Penelope Cruz and Brad Pitt-led ‘Babel’ will be the opening and closing films respectively.

Besides, Sir Richard Attenborough’s ‘Gandhi’ will also be screened to mark the centenary of the Satyagraha movement. Attenborough is slated to be present for the screening.  The ten-day event will screen 40 Indian films.