Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar to Open Indian Panorama at 57th IFFI in Goa

Aditya Dhar's Hindi-language film "Dhurandhar" will open the Indian Panorama section at the 57th International Film Festival of India in Goa. Rishab Shetty's Kannada-language movie "Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1" is also part of the lineup. Leena Yadav's Ladakhi-language film "Becoming" will kick off the non-feature program. Overall, the festival will present 25 feature films and 20 non-feature works.

Mainstream And Juries

Both "Dhurandhar" and "Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1" sit within the five-title Mainstream Cinema strand, alongside Samir Tewari's Marathi film "Baapya," Anil Ravipudi's Telugu title "Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu (Pandaga Ki Vastunnaru)," and Pravin Vitthal Tarde's Marathi feature "Deool Band 2." A 12-member jury chaired by National Film Award-winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar picked the features from 404 submissions. The other 20 features cover 12 languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Tulu, and Nyishi. Meanwhile, a six-member jury led by director and educator Himanshu Sekhar Khatua selected the 20 non-feature films from 358 entries.

Awards And Global Reach

The jury also shortlisted five films for the best debut director award for an Indian feature film, featuring nominees Ravi Varma Namburi, Samarpan Sengupta, Jeejivisha Kale, Raja Shabir Mohd Khan, and Vishal Chaturvedi. Additionally, the festival has named five nominees for its best web series prize. According to Bollywood Hungama, the festival runs from November 20 to 28, 2026, under the theme 'Stories Without Borders,' receiving over 1,900 film submissions from 137 countries and showcasing more than 150 international films representing 86 countries.

Context

The International Film Festival of India is an annual event designed to celebrate cinema, promote cultural exchange, and showcase diverse filmmaking talents from across the country and the world. Goa serves as the permanent home for this major festival, hosting delegates, filmmakers, and audiences every year to view selected works across multiple categories and languages.