Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; November 6, 2018)

The 49th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will honour three stalwarts from the Hindi film industry. Tributes will be paid to Dadasaheb Phalke Award winners, Shashi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna and National Award-winning actress Sridevi.

A retrospective of Vinod Khanna’s films will be part of the festival this year. The line-up of movies include his critically-acclaimed film Achanak (1973), in which he played the role of a military officer who turns fugitive, the mystery drama Lekin (1991), where he played a government employee who travels to Rajasthan to make a list of items of an abandoned haveli, and the blockbuster Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) in which he essayed the role of a policeman. Khanna’s wife Kavita and sons Rahul and Akshaye are expected to be present at the festival to kick-off the retrospective of films.

Meanwhile, homage will be paid to the late superstar of Hindi cinema, Sridevi. The actress breathed her last in late February this year and also received her first National Award posthumously in May for her role in Mom. Her husband Boney Kapoor will be present on November 21 at IFFI when the actress will be honoured. Boney says, “She deserved this honour and I am grateful to the Government of India and the International Film Festival of India for recognising her contribution to Indian cinema.” The presence of her daughters Janhvi and Khushi is yet to be confirmed.

Tribute will also be paid to late actor Shashi Kapoor, who passed away in December last year, for his contribution to cinema. His son Kunal Kapoor is expected to be there for the same.