’Ramayana’ And ‘Dhurandhar’ To Headline 57th IFFI; Films To Open Indian Panorama And BRICS Segments
Bollywood's biggest recent blockbusters are set to take centre stage at the upcoming 57th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. Officially announcing the programming lineup on Friday, organisers revealed that Nitesh Tiwari’s recently released mythological spectacle Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Sai Pallavi, will serve as the opening title for the festival's special focus on BRICS cinema. Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh's massive action-thriller Dhurandhar has been selected as the opening film for the flagship Indian Panorama feature section.
'Dhurandhar' Leads Indian Panorama
Addressing a press conference ahead of the prestigious gala, National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Managing Director Dhiraj Singh confirmed that the programming committee and juries selected the titles to headline their respective categories. "Dhurandhar will be the opening film of the Indian Panorama's feature film section and 'Becoming' (a Ladakhi film), will open the non-feature film section," Singh stated.
Widely regarded as one of IFFI's primary pillars, the Indian Panorama section curates the finest domestic productions, placing a special emphasis on regional languages and diverse cultural narratives otherwise hidden from the mainstream. This year, the segment will present 25 feature-length films alongside 20 non-feature entries.
'Ramayana' Opens BRICS Showcase
A major highlight of the 2026 edition is its dedicated spotlight on cinema from BRICS nations. Representing India on this global platform, Ramayana will inaugurate the segment, which is slated to feature cinematic works from all 11 member nations alongside contributions from partner countries. The showcase aims to give audiences a window into diverse cinematic traditions and storytelling from across the BRICS bloc.
Also Read: ‘Pyre’ Gets 200 Shows After Vinod Kapri Claims 75% of Shows Were Cut After ‘Ramayana’ Release
'Stories Without Borders'
Scheduled to run from November 20 to 28 in Goa, IFFI 2026 will be held under the overarching theme, 'Stories Without Borders'. Speaking on the vision behind the edition, Festival Director and acclaimed filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker noted, "Borders today are not only lines on a map, they are also habits. A story is one of the few things that can cross such a line without a passport. The distance shrinks. That is what cinema does best and that is the thought behind our theme."
💫IFFI 2026 Set to Bring the World of Cinema Together in Goa Under the Theme ‘Stories Without Borders’ 🎬Over 150 International Films from 86 Countries to Bring the World to Goa 🎬Goa Ready to Welcome Global Cinema Community for 57th IFFI: CM @DrPramodPSawant 🎬Festival Director @AshGowariker Highlights Cinema’s Power to Connect Cultures Across Borders 🎬'Fatherland' to Serve as the Opening Film of the 57th IFFI, ‘I Matter’ to Feature as Mid-Fest film, and ‘We Are All Strangers’ to Close the 57th #IFFI 🎬IFFI 2026 Places Special Focus on BRICS Cinema, with India’s ‘Ramayana’ as the Opening Film ➡️For more information, read here: https://t.co/qFrE125PyO @IFFIGoa #IFFI57 #IFFI2026 1/2
— PIB India (@PIB_India) November 13, 2026
Out of 1,900 submissions from 137 countries, the festival will ultimately screen 159 international films from 87 nations and 76 Indian titles across 18 languages. Paweł Pawlikowski’s Polish language biographical film Fatherland will serve as the overall opening film of the festival, while Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen's We Are All Strangers will bring the curtains down as the closing film. Additionally, this year's edition honours Spain as the Country of Honour and Russia as the partner country.
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