Melbourne: The second day of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2015 ended last night with glamour and celebrating theme of "equality" through a spectacular fashion show and honouring the best of Indian cinema Down Under.
The gala event took place at the iconic National Gallery of Victoria attended by several luminaries and high profile dignitaries including Australian High Commissioner to India Patrick Suckling, Indian High Commissioner Navdeep Suri, Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt, Consul General Manika Jain, Anil kapoor, Bhumi Padnekar, Simi Grewal, Sonam Kapoor, film director Shojit Sircar, Rajeev Masand, Victorian special minister Gavin Jennings.
The award ceremony, a special event of this year's festival, for the first time coincided with the 69th Indian Independence Day celebrations held at the iconic Federation square building in the morning where Anil Kapoor and Suri hoisted the tricolour along with a massive crowd of Indian community.
The IFFM awards for 2015 for best film was given to "Piku", best director award went to Shoojit Sircar and Bhumi Pednekar of "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" picked her first award for the best actress while best actor award was given to Irrfan Khan for his performance in "Piku".
"Kaka Muthai" film received the best indie film award and Best Telstra People's Choice Award was given to Rajkumar Hirani for "PK".
Anil was also conferred with a special award for excellence in the world cinema.
Speaking on the award night, Executive Chairman of Visy and Pratt Industries, Pratt described himself as a fan of India in Australia and said for Australia, India was exotic yet familiar.
"I believe that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the next ten years will be the greatest in India's great history and the 2.6 billion eyeballs trained on every Bollywood movie is testament to your power."
"My Philanthhropy, the Pratt Foundation has been involved in many Indian causes from food security to slum transformation," Pratt said adding that next year his business will come to India as the largest 100 per cent recycled packaging company in India.
"We hope to extend that relationship to supporting film festivals such as this, in Bollywood. Indeed India is one giant festival, a world in a country," he said.
Jennings congratulated the IFFM for organising the Bollywood event in the state which he said represented the true nature of multiculturalism of the state.
The award ceremony which collided with the fashion show displayed collections of five leading designers from both India and Melbourne including Anamika Khanna, Gaurav Gupta, Roopa Pemmaraju, Susan Dimasi and Richard Nylon.
The Finale act for the fashion event was presented by Anamika where stunning Sonam, dressed in a white and heavily gold work garment, walked the ramp as the showstopper.
