MAMI Festival: Kamal Haasan Announces His Movie With Mani Ratnam

Quoting a couplet from Sahir Ludhianvi's 'Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar', Priyanka Chopra Jonas opened the 2023 edition of the Jio MAMI, Mumbai Film Festival.

The actor who is also Chairperson of the festival, the actor described the festival as a celebration of cinema as well as a new generation of filmmakers.

The focus this year also being on the female lens and narratives with challenge the status quo, the festival has 75 films which have been directed by female directors.

"We are celebrating women in front and behind the camera", said Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who has been an important hand in the curation of the festival.

However, the highlight of the evening was the presence of cinematic legends Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam on stage.

Filmmaker Mani Ratnam received the "Excellence in Cinema Award" from Kamal Haasan, who said it felt it was him who was receiving the honour.

The two who last collaborated 36 years ago on the gangster drama 'Nayakan' announced their next partnership with 'KH234'.

Recalling their Nayakan days, Kamal Haasan said it was a passion project, money was secondary to them. But coming to 'KH234' the actor and filmmaker revealed that the two were as impatient to start work on their co-production together as much as their fans were eager to see them work together.

In his characteristic humour he said though Mani Ratnam will be directing it, he said " I am willing to do any job in the film, am also the leading man", to which Mani Ratnam responded he would keep that in mind.

Kamal Haasan further revealed that the first look of 'KH234' would be unveiled on November 6.

Excellence in Cinema Award (International) to Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (Call Be By Your Name, Bones and All) was presented by Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

The festival opened with the premiere of Kareena Kapoor Khan's much-awaited 'The Buckingham Murders', directed by Hansal Mehta. The film recently had its premiere at the London Film Festival. A searing tale of loss, grief and murder, Kareena Kapoor Khan had recently described her character Jas being the role she had been waiting for, being a fan of the detective genre.

In attendance at the star-studded opening were Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Karan Johar, Siddharth, Vishal Bharadwaj and Aditi Rao Hydari to name a few.