Vidya Balan’s 'Natkhat', Marathi film 'Habbadi' to begin Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Bollywood actor Vidya Balan’s co-produced flick Natkhat and Marathi movie Habbadi will begin the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2020. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will go virtual between October 23 to 30. The Vidya Balan flick, which marks the actor's production debut, tells the story of a mother teaching her son about gender equality. Here are further details about IFFM that you must check out right away.

Vidya Balan’s Natkhat and Marathi film Habbadi to open Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2020

Vidya Balan’s Natkhat and Marathi film Habbadi will start the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2020. Natkhat revolves around the life of a mother, who teaches her young son about gender equality and calls out misogyny. The movie, which premiered on YouTube as a part of We are One: A Global Film Festival, will be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2020. Meanwhile, the Marathi film Habbadi tells the story of a young lad with a speech impediment.

The movies will break the shackles of toxic patriarchal setups and misogyny through their themes. Like every year, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2020 will also offer 60 movies in 17 languages. Moreover, the films at the festival will stream free at its official website for cinephiles living in the country.

Image Source: PR Handouts

Earlier the festi,val director Mitu Bhowmick Lange had hoped to do a compact schedule at the original venue. However, amid the pandemic, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2020 will now be hosted virtually between October 23 and 30. In a statement, Lange said, "It's an unusual time that the world is going through and now more than ever before, cinema has been people's support system and respite through fairly dark times. IFFM stands strong in its spirit to entertain movie buffs across the world and hope that we heal a little together."

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The popular sections of the festival like Hurrah Bollywood, Beyond Bollywood, Film India World, Documentaries and Shorts will be on the schedule. Additionally, its short film competition section has made a record number of entries this year. Also, there has been a tie-up with the Mental Health Foundation. While patrons can donate to the MHF, all proceeds from the festival this year will move to the foundation.

CEO of Mental Health Foundation, in a statement, said, "We are proud to associate with IFFM this year. The festival's emotional investment, in choosing an often sidelined subject like mental health and putting it at the centre of their festival, is so assuring. The way they are actively paving the way for the dialogue on mental health and its myriad ramifications to ensue is a ray of hope that things will change for better in near future."

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