 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Bollywood blockbuster Chak De! India shot in scenic locations of Sydney and Melbourne has won the best film award at the fifth Australian Indian Film Festival (AIFF).
Chak De! India, directed by Shimit Amin, was filmed around Sydney and Melbourne, featuring about 90 Australian hockey players and more than 9000 locals as extras.
The movie was inspired by the Indian women's hockey team's win at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Actor Akshaye Khanna won the best performance award for his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi's son Harilal in Feroz Khan's Gandhi My Father, media reports said.
The film was recently accepted for competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival and is also in line for the best screenplay award at the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
The awards were announced on Thursday at a gala ceremony at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art.
The 10-day-long extravaganza, dubbed as the largest foreign film festival in Australia, which opened with the screening of Gandhi My Father, will feature some of the finest films from India and screen over 20 films besides hosting prominent personalities from the Indian film and fashion industry.