Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan open International Film Festival 2014

Panaji: Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and superstar Rajinikanth, among others, inaugurated the 45th edition of International Film Festival of India on Thursday at Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium here.

The opening ceremony was attended by Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, finance minister Arun Jaitley, defence minister Manohar Parrikar and Union minister Rajya-vardhan Singh Rathore.

Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan and many other dignitaries from the political arena were present on the dias.

Mr Parsekar said that the film festival was first organised in 2004 in Goa, during the BJP regime, and had returned to the coastal state now again during BJP rule.

“I take the privilege of announcing the soil of Goa to be the permanent venue hereafter. Goa will be permanently holding the Iffi year after year,” he said.

Choreographer Shobana and her dancing troupes enthralled the audiences by giving a musical tribute to all great dancers.

Shobhana performed the opening number of yesteryear actor-dancer Vyjayantimala’s number Hoonton pe aisi baat mein daba ke chalee aayi from the iconic film Jewel Thief.

The dancers’ troupe then performed a song from the Tamil film which was originally pictured on noted actor Kamal Hassan.