Bollywood personalities such as Karan Johar, Kartik Aaryan, Nora Fatehi, Imtiaz Ali and Kabir Khan among many others on August 15 officially kicked off the 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2024

Karan Johar, Kabir Khan and Kartik Aaryan share a light moment during a panel discussion about Indian cinema at the festival

Imtiaz Ali and Nora Fatehi were all smiles on day 1 of the film festival that celebrates India and Australia ties through art and cinema

The event was inaugurated with an official press conference attended, which also had names such as Shoojit Sircar, Rima Das, Adarsh Gourav, Lakshya and Sona Mohapatra

Karan said: “I’m extremely excited about watching the opening night film. What sets IFFM part from other festivals is its true standing for diversity. It’s one of those festivals that truly champions inclusivity in every regard”

Kartik, who is attending the festival for the second time, added: “ Really looking forward to the festival this year. And also excited to see the films that are part of the festival this year”

Malaika Arora took to Instagram to give a glimpse of their visit to Melbourne representing Indian cinema

Bollywood fraternity poses together on the streets of Melbourne giving us a Hum Saath Saath Hain moment

Malaika Arora brought her A-game in fashion for her trip to Melbourne

Karan Johar and Malaika Arora pose together at a restaurant in the city

Malaika stunned in a red saree for the opening night movie at the festival

Kartik Aaryan poses for a selfie with filmmakers Kabir Khan, Shoojit Sircar, Rajkumar Hirani, Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das, and Mitu Bhowmick Lange

Adarsh Gourav poses on the red carpet of premiere night in a turtle neck white sweatshirt and brown pants

Rithvikk Dhanjani was also at the festival where he watched the film 'Kill' along with lead actor Lakshya

Arushi Sharma arrives for the premiere of her film 'My Melbourne' directed by Imtiaz Ali

Scheduled to take place from August 15 to August 25 in Melbourne, the festival will celebrate the diversity of Indian cinema with screenings across various Indian languages, as well as cultural programs spotlighting the rich heritage shared by the two countries