Superstar
Shah
Rukh
Khan
will
be
the
chief
guest
at
this
year's
Indian
Film
Festival
of
Melbourne,
the
festival
organisers
announced
Thursday.
Helmed
by
the
Victorian
government,
Australia,
the
IFFM
is
back
for
its
10th
edition
in
the
cultural
city
and
will
celebrate
"courage" as
its
central
theme.
Khan
said
he
is
honoured
and
delighted
to
accept
the
invitation.
"An
industry
of
our
magnitude
and
diversity
deserves
to
be
celebrated
with
great
passion
and
fervour,
which
is
what
the
festival
embodies.
I'm
particularly
pleased
with
the
theme
of
the
festival
this
year
which
is
courage,
an
emotion
that
resonates
with
storytellers
who
really
have
the
might
to
change
the
society
and
the
world.
I
have
had
great
memories
of
shooting
for
'Chak
De!
India'
in
Melbourne
and
look
forward
to
being
back
again,
this
time
to
celebrate
Indian
cinema,"
the
actor
said
in
a
statement.
Khan
will
open
the
IFFM
on
August
8
along
with
the
other
festival
guests
and
in
the
company
of
Victorian
Premier
Daniel
Andrews
and
festival
director
Mitu
Bhowmick
Lange.
Andrews
said
he
is
looking
forward
to
having
the
Indian
actor
as
part
of
the
festival.
"This
event
has
grown
significantly
over
the
past
decade
and
with
the
extraordinary
Shah
Rukh
Khan
here,
this
year's
festival
is
shaping
up
to
be
the
biggest
and
most
exciting
yet,"
he
said.
"The
Bollywood
and
Indian
film
industry
is
the
biggest
in
the
world
and
in
addition
to
supporting
this
festival,
we've
announced
a
new
Bollywood
and
Indian
Cinema
Attraction
Fund
to
bring
more
film
productions
from
India
and
the
subcontinent
to
Victoria.
Perhaps
we'll
even
lure
Shah
Rukh
back
to
our
shores
again," Minister
for
Creative
Industries
Martin
Foley
added.
Lange
said
the
team
is
excited
to
host
Khan
in
the
city.
"He's
truly
an
icon
of
Indian
cinema
internationally,
a
person
millions
and
millions
follow
and
look
up
to.
We
are
looking
forward
to
hosting
Mr
Khan
in
Melbourne,"
she
said.