New Delhi, May 4 (PTI): The 15th Delhi International Film Festival was inaugurated on Monday at the Samvet Auditorium of the IGNCA with acclaimed singers Usha Uthup and Runa Laila, celebrated painter Jatin Das, and Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winning filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan in attendance.

The opening ceremony began with a lamp-lighting ritual, followed by the felicitation of distinguished guests.

The festival, organised in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) -- an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India -- opened with the screening of the film "Her Story", a Chinese drama about a single mother raising her child in Shanghai while navigating personal and professional challenges. It is directed by Shao Yihui.

Uthup, who was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award, credited her audience for keeping her music alive.

"Without you, my 57 years of singing would have been absolutely useless. Whatever I have done has been only because of the wonderful musicians behind me, the technicians and audiences," she said.

"Thank you for this award, though I am very scared whenever anybody gives me a Lifetime Achievement Award, because it could mean now you are too old, get off the stage. Or it could mean, what it means today, is when I started living one more time," she added.

Uthup also performed her popular number "Ramba Ho" to loud applause, noting that the song had found new audiences following the recent film "Dhurandhar".

"I’ve been singing it for years, but it got a new birth because of ‘Dhurandhar’," she said.

Bangladeshi singing legend Runa Laila, who received the ‘Minar-e-Delhi’ Award, spoke of music’s universal reach.

"I think music transcends all boundaries. Somehow music has the ability to uplift the feelings," she said, adding that the art form does not distinguish between caste, creed or religion.

"Music is for everyone," she said.

Laila dedicated her award to her country and the broader musical community. "I would like to dedicate this special award not only to my country, Bangladesh, the people, all my fans all over the world and musicians. This is something I would like to receive for all the musicians, all the singers, all the composers, the lyricists, who have come together and created it," she said.

Gopalakrishnan, speaking at the inaugural, expressed hope for the festival’s growth. "This is a place where we have everybody from everywhere. I would like to have the festival grow in size and importance and in service to the audience," he said.

The festival is set to run through Friday, showcasing films from over 50 countries across categories including Indian Showcase, World Cinema, Arab Cinema, NRI Cinema, and Cross-Border Cinema.

This year’s edition places a special focus on Arab Cinema and the cinema of India’s Northeastern region. A series of panel discussions and screenings of select IGNCA productions is also scheduled during the event. PTI ATR SHS SHS

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