The star-studded closing ceremony of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Friday concluded with a celebration. Superstar Rajinikanth received the lifetime achievement award for his 50 years in cinema. Ash Mayfair’s “Skin of Youth” won the top prize.
Goa CM Honored Rajinikanth with Lifetime Achievement
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant honored Rajinikanth with a shawl and a memento during the ceremony. The 74-year-old superstar expressed his gratitude by saying, “I stand here with a lot of humility and gratitude. I thank the central government for recognizing my work of 50 years. If I look back, it feels like I have worked for only 10 to 15 years because I love cinema and acting. So, even after 100 years, I would like to be born as an actor, as Rajinikanth. Thank you for your love and support.”
The actor attended the festival with his family. Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, actor-filmmaker Rishabh Shetty, “Sholay” filmmaker Ramesh Sippy, Dhanush, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Vineet Kumar Singh, Amit Sadh, and filmmakers like Madhur Bhandarkar, Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra, and Shekhar Kapur were also present.
Tribute to passed actors in IFFI 2025
Along with honoring Rajinikanth, thisfestival pay tribute to artists who passed away this year. An audio-visual presentation titled “In fond remembrance of the artists we lost” honored Dharmendra, Kamini Kaushal, Sulakshana Pandit, Satish Shah, Piyush Pandey, Zubeen Garg, and Shyam Benegal.
The ceremony also celebrated the winners. The Vietnamese film “Skin of Youth,” which tells a troubled romance between a transgender sex worker and a cage fighter, took home the best film award.
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