When Pankaj Tripathi travels to Australia this month to receive his first international honour as "Artist of Distinction" honour at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026. He will attend the festival in Victoria, Australia, to accept the award in person at Melbourne's Palais Theatre on August 13, 2026. It will mark another milestone in a career that has rewritten the rules of stardom. For the actor, however, the recognition isn't just personal. He regards it as an indication that tales born on Indian soil can travel continents.

Reflecting on the journey, Tripathi says he often marvels at where life has taken him. "I feel good. Life is such an interesting journey. I was born in a place where there was no electricity. From there, to travel across the seven seas... the biggest contribution in this journey is not mine, but my art form. I've been practicing this art for over 20 years. God gave me that opportunity, directors and producers trusted me, and I became part of stories that travelled from India to the world. People watched them there, recognized them and appreciated them. It is an honour. I feel very proud."

The actor has experienced that international reach first-hand. What surprised him most wasn't the growing South Asian diaspora embracing his work, but viewers with no cultural connection to India responding to the nuances of his performances.

"Two reviewers in the US, Nick and Corwin, used to discuss my performances in such detail. They even interviewed me. I kept wondering how these small Indian nuances were reaching them. Then I realized that performing art goes beyond language. Cinema is a visual medium. You may not understand every word, but you understand the mannerisms, the posture and the internal effort of an actor."

He recalls another moment that reaffirmed the universality of storytelling. "Last year I was walking on a street in New York and thought very few people would recognize me here. A foreign family, I think from South America, came up to me. They recognized me. We often believe our global audience is only of Indian or Asian origin, but I realized it has gone much beyond that. Our films are dubbed and subtitled in different languages, and people everywhere are watching them."

Back home, Tripathi is equally hopeful about the future of acting as a profession. With the National School of Drama set to open a Mumbai campus, he hopes formal training will continue to matter in an industry increasingly obsessed with social media metrics.

"Learning the craft of acting is important. Influencers create content from their own minds and many of them do it very well. But acting is different. The content isn't yours. Someone else writes it and you have to become another person. Content creators usually play versions of themselves, so there can be limitations. That's why learning the craft, whether at NSD or anywhere else, is important."

He also dismisses the perception that follower counts dictate casting decisions. "I once asked one of the heads of Amazon whether followers really mattered. He told me that isn't true. What matters is whether the actor is right for the role. Marketing teams may think about followers because it helps with reach, but art and follower counts have nothing to do with each other. I don't see that connection."

The joy of seeing one’s film travel to an international festival never fades, regardless of how long one has been in the industry. Filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan affirmed that when mid-day caught up with him to discuss Pastt Tense, his upcoming feature that is set to have its world première at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).

“Once I started doing films like Red Alert: The War Within [2010], Staying Alive [2012], Gour Hari Dastaan [2015], all my films right up to Phule [2025] have been featured at international festivals. So now if it doesn’t feature, I would be disappointed. But then, I wouldn’t make a film that is not considered for global standards,” he said.

A newspaper report sparked the idea for Pastt Tense. While the core story of a son searching for the biological mother who abandoned him at birth came from the report, the filmmaker said “everything else I developed on my own”.

Making an intense drama right after a socially relevant biopic like Phule marks a departure, but Mahadevan said the decision was intentional because he doesn’t like repeating himself. “I want to surprise myself first. It has nothing to do with the audience because [they] would probably lap it up. But my conscience will not allow it. I am the most stringent and uncompromising with myself. So, that’s why [after] Phule, I shifted to Pastt Tense which is a complex film about social guilt and conscience. I felt I could dig deeper into the human psyche.”

“The silence between their characters is explosive. Both have different approaches. Paresh Rawal is hungry for roles that would challenge him. There was a burst of spontaneity in him that surprised me. Aditya’s eyes speak a lot. But the seriousness with which the father and son approach their roles and study their parts is similar.”

Director Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound is becoming a festival favourite. After its première at the Cannes Film Festival, the Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer made the cut for the Toronto International Film Festival. Now, the drama — based on an essay by Basharat Peer in The New York Times — has been selected as the closing film of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).

The drama, which will be screened on August 24, follows two childhood friends from northern India who aspire to become police officers. But as their dream starts to become a reality, their friendship begins to falter. If Ghaywan explored grief and caste discrimination through his maiden directorial venture, Masaan (2015), he trains his lens on friendship this time. “Homebound explores the fragile threads of friendship, ambition, and the emotional cost of breaking free to come into your own,” he shares.

Producer Karan Johar believes that its story about identity will hit home with the Indian diaspora in Australia. He says, “Homebound is a story of aspiration, identity, and the quiet heartbreak that comes with change. Neeraj has crafted a hauntingly beautiful film. To showcase it as the closing film at IFFM is the perfect next step in its journey.”

Homebound is based on an essay by Basharat Peer in The New York Times, in which he told the story of two friends, Mohammad Saiyub and Amrit Kumar, who were struggling to reach their village during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

This year, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will host the LGBTQIA+ Pride Celebratory Night on August 22, which promises to be a tribute to queer cinema and queer South Asian identity in Australia. The organisers have a film that not only reflects queer romance, but also celebrates Indian films’ long association with the theme. Director Prem Kapoor’s Badnam Basti (1971), widely considered as India’s first queer-themed movie, will be the night’s opening film.

Based on Kamleshwar’s 1957 novel Ek Sadak Sattavan Galiyan, Badnam Basti delicately portrays queer desire as it tells the story of a bus driver and a cleaner. It was reportedly shot over four weeks on a shoestring budget of Rs 2.5 lakh and released with an ‘A’ certificate after a few cuts. For decades, the film’s print was presumed lost, until a rare English-subtitled print was discovered in 2019 at Arsenal Institute in Berlin. This print, alongside original negatives from Pune’s NFDC–NFAI  archive, formed the basis of a full digital restoration completed in 2025.

Mitu Bhowmik Lange, IFFM director, says that the festival is committed to inclusivity and representation. Screening Badnam Basti brings them closer to that goal. “It is our responsibility to reflect the world we live in, with all its diversity. This Pride Night is not just about celebrating queer identity but also reclaiming the space that has long been dnied to LGBTQIA+ narratives in Indian cinema.”

Few could explore themes of love, disillusionment, and artistic struggle on screen as beautifully as Guru Dutt did. That’s probably why the actor and filmmaker’s cinema continues to strike a chord over 60 years after his demise. To mark the late filmmaker’s birth centenary, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will honour his legacy with special screenings of his most celebrated works, Pyaasa (1957) and Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959).

The screenings, the dates of which will be announced early August, are expected to draw over 2000 cinephiles from across Australia to Melbourne. The event will be part of a curated retrospective celebrating Indian cinema’s golden age. Dutt greatly influenced Hindi cinema in his two-decade career, giving us classics like Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), and Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam (1962).

Noting that he continues to inspire today’s generation of filmmakers, Mitu Bhowmick Lange, festival director, said, “Guru Dutt was far ahead of his time, both in terms of cinematic technique and the emotional depth of his narratives. His films, Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, are not just classics, they are cultural treasures that speak to the soul of Indian cinema. This tribute is our humble way of remembering his genius and introducing his timeless work to new global audiences.”

Actor Rasika Dugal returned as Beena Tripathi in Mirzapur 3. The latest season of the franchise, which released after a considerable gap in June, failed to get a strong response this time around. However, Dugal would much rather focus on the series’ loyal audience.

Ask why she isn’t too bothered about the lukewarm response and she replies, “When you have done three seasons of a show and have as loyal and committed an audience as that of Mirzapur, they own the show as much as you do,” adding, “Many loved season three and said commented how different it was from what they expected. Every kind of response is good and very welcome.”

A recent picture of Dugal and co-star Ali Fazal, who plays Guddu Pandit in the show, has left fans wondering whether it holds clues to the show’s next season. “I love that every post about Mirzapur sparks a conversation about what is to come,” says an amused Dugal, continuing, “It was a stylized take on the Guddu-Beena relationship. Does it hint at something to come? Anything can happen in Mirzapur.”

Dugal, who recently won the Diversity Champion award at Indian Film festival of Melbourne goes on to acknowledge the role festivals have played in her career. “The recognition I received at film festivals gave me the drive to push through challenging times. I value the festival space for nurturing new talent,” she ends.

For the first time, Indian film personalities, actor Rani Mukerji and filmmaker Karan Johar, will address the Australian Parliament on August 13. They will discuss the role Indian cinema played in bridging cultural and geographical divides, ahead of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

Talking about this “milestone moment”, Mukerji says she is “proud” to represent the Indian film industry. “It would be an honour for me to speak about the growing cultural ties between Australia and India through cinema,” she says, adding, “Indian cinema comprising Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Hindi, and others, is right now at the forefront of shaping pop culture worldwide. Our talent and films are making a mark globally.”

Johar, noting the global impact of Indian films, says he’s “thrilled to be a part of this historic event”. “It’s incredible to see how far the stories, we as an industry create, can travel, and this moment is a testament to the growing influence of the cultural impact of Indian cinema,” the 52-year-old adds.

Four years ago, directors Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, and Rima Das were brought on board for My Melbourne, an anthology of four short films. This year, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will open on August 15 with the anthology’s première. Each short film is inspired by true incidents and explores themes of race, gender, sexuality, and disability, thus reflecting the festival’s core values of diversity and inclusivity.

National Award-winning director Das says making her short, Emma, was an “uplifting experience”. Das, who co-directed it with her mentee Samira Cox, states, “The theme of our film is disability, and we wanted to keep it authentic. We worked with a mix of senior actors and relatively new actors, including members of the deaf community. I hope the film initiates a dialogue about how we can be more inclusive in all walks of life, including art.”

For Khan, helming Setara was a no-brainer as it talks about the triumph of the human spirit. When he heard the true story in 2021, he was immediately drawn in. “Setara’s unique escape from Afghanistan to Melbourne and finding a sense of belonging through cricket made this a story I had to tell. Working with local creative teams and the girls’ cricket teams of Melbourne made this an even more authentic experience,” he shares.

While Ali’s project Jules revolves around gender issues, Onir has trained his lens on the subject of sexuality through Nandini. Ali sheds light as he states, “I was moved by the story of two different yet displaced women in Melbourne.”

For Onir, the joy of working with a local Australian crew was memorable and enriching. “[My] film captures the essence of [inclusivity] through various migrant experiences. As a filmmaker too, it was about the sharing of cinematic language and culture as I worked with an Australian [team].”

For his debut feature film Little Thomas, director Kaushal Oza agrees he has struck a dream team in lead actors Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Dugal, as well as producer Anurag Kashyap. As the slice-of-life offering gears up for its August 19 première at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the director says he couldn’t have asked for a better producer than Kashyap.

“Anurag is a zero-interference producer. I remember he and all the other producers had liked one piece of music, while I had liked another. Ultimately, I went with my gut. Only a producer who has also been a director can offer such freedom to the filmmaker,” says Oza.

He had an equally delightful experience with his lead actors as they joined forces to tell the story of a seven-year-old boy trying to bring his parents together. While Devaiah ensured a breezy working environment, the director praises Dugal for her hard work.

“Her character is a piano teacher, and Rasika learnt the piano for eight months so that she could play the classical pieces. She also prepared hard to get the Goan accent right. She had just come off months of Mirzapur shoot, so to be able to switch so convincingly between the two worlds took a lot of work.”

Not too long ago, Pratibha Ranta would look in awe at Alia Bhatt’s performances on the big screen. Today, her performance in Laapataa Ladies has scored her a nomination alongside Bhatt in the Best Actor category at the upcoming Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. “Alia, Jyotika [for Kaathal—The Core, 2023] and Parvathy [for Ullozhukku] have inspired me with the kind of roles they’ve done and continue to do. To be nominated alongside them is a dream come true,” she says.

After playing the strong-minded Jaya in her debut film, Ranta was seen in a short but impactful part in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar in May. Her life hasn’t remained the same ever since she became a popular face. “I want to keep my life as it used to be before. When my life was simple, I was able to focus on my craft more. I always remind myself of that.”

Being grounded also helps the actor approach her work practically. She is happy to use her social media popularity for financial sustenance, which gives her the freedom to choose only films that she truly loves. “My social media activities make me so financially secure that when I am offered acting work, I’m not even negotiating money. I only negotiate on the script,” she says, adding that she aims to feature in more stories about women.

“I want to lend a voice to the women around us. I’m being offered a variety of characters. They are so interesting that at times, I get confused about what to pick.” Does it get difficult to say no? “I had never read a script before this; all of this is new to me. It is not easy to turn down an offer. But if you’re honest, you find a way.”

Over the past nine months, it has been one film festival after another for Sanya Malhotra’s Mrs. Last November, Arati Kadav’s directorial venture premièred at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, followed by screenings at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the New York Indian Film Festival.

Now, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2024 (IFFM) has chosen it as one of its centre-piece movies. The drama will be screened on August 23, with both the leading lady and director Kadav in attendance.

An adaptation of the Malayalam film, The Great Indian Kitchen (2021), Mrs delves into the life of Richa, a dance teacher whose life is suddenly confined to the kitchen when she marries into a conservative family.

Malhotra, who has earned the Best Actress nomination at IFFM 2024 for the film, says, “Mrs is special to me as it explores the complex journey of a woman trying to find her own voice amid society’s expectations. Working with Arati Kadav and the entire team has been a profound experience. The IFFM has always celebrated diverse narratives, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it.”

While the Jio Studios offering—also starring Kanwaljit Singh and Nishant Dahiya— delves into the emotional intricacies of a woman’s life, Kadav credits her leading lady for enriching the material further. She says, “Sanya’s performance brings depth to the character, making it a powerful narrative.”

When Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, it expectedly won rave reviews. Before the social comedy hits the screens next week, it will make a final pit-stop at Melbourne. It has been selected as the opening film of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne’s (IFFM) Summer Festival that will run from February 29 to March 2.

Currently in its second edition, the three-day festival continues to be a spiritual extension of the IFFM—which takes place in August annually—as it showcases the vibrant spirit of Indian cinema to a wider audience.

For Rao, it’s heartening to see her small-town comedy, which tells the story of how a young man’s life takes a turn when his new bride is unexpectedly switched with another, travelling across the world. She beams, “It’s a great honour for Laapataa Ladies to be the opening film at IFFM. I hope the Melbourne audience enjoys the film, and that I get to visit this city in person soon.”

Festival director Mitu Bhowmick believes the Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta and Nitanshi Goel-starrer is a perfect addition to the festival’s calendar, as she states, “We are thrilled to kickstart our latest venture with Kiran’s nuanced film that celebrates women and the unexpected complexities that life throws at us.”

With her latest big-screen release, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (RARKPK), international series Halo (2022) and jetting off to Australia to hoist the Indian national flag at the ongoing 2023 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), actor Shabana Azmi is in the busiest phase of her career.

The Padma Bhushan awardee is quick to point out that she has always juggled multiple things, “I have always been doing films and theatre along with activism, and working in villages. But it is only now that people are becoming aware of it. We (lyricist-husband Javed Akhtar and her) travel a lot and it’s always a roller coaster. I keep telling him we need to slow down, but I don’t think we will, just like my father (late poet Kaifi Azmi).”

As for the “privilege” of hoisting the Indian flag and representing the country at IFFM, the 72-year-old shares, “It made me feel very proud. Every time the national anthem is sung, I cry. Aisa ho hi nahin sakta ki main use sunoon aur goosebumps na ho, especially when I hoisted the flag outside the country. I was honoured when they asked me if I would do it, and I jumped at it.”

Azmi shared a kiss with actor Dharmendra in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani that left many surprised. She says, “I suppose nobody had tried it (having a scene with an old couple kissing) before. People accept love between two seniors, but to do it in this way was new. When Karan (Johar, director) narrated the scene, he said the magic words ‘Trust me’. When a director tells me that, main bahut jaldi surrender kar deti hoon. I found the kiss charming. It was a new thing and I am open to new experiences.”

“Making the kind of films I make is tough,” Kanu Behl’s opening line hits us hard. At a time when we believe that there is enough space for diverse voices out there, the director observes that independent filmmakers still find it difficult to get backing for their movies. It was the same story with Agra, which won immense love at the Cannes Film Festival this year. Now, the drama is set to be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 15.

“It takes a lot of work to make a film exactly the way you make it. I have many more stories I’d love to tell at a quicker pace. But to find a producer and get the film released is the toughest bit. This, even when there is no dearth of courageous people, who want to push the envelope,” says the director.

Starring Rahul Roy and Priyanka Bose, Agra is described as an exploration of sexual dynamics within a family. It is a deeply personal film for Behl. “Growing up, from the age of 15 to 25, I felt sexual repression and an inability to express myself. This was still coming from a place of privilege; I lived in a 3 BHK in Delhi. But imagine, people who were a few notches below me economically going through the same thing. There is a sense of transactionality in our most intimate moments. It was an important emotion to discuss.”

It is worrisome that the story is being told at a time when censorship is at its peak. But the director isn’t perturbed at the moment. Right now, the film is enjoying its festival runs, and hasn’t got a CBFC certificate. “My previous experience with the CBFC was reasonable, so I hope they see Agra in the same light. It is not sensationalizing sexuality.”

A story about sexual repression will most likely elicit strong reactions in the sensitive and reactive world of today. Does he find his voice curtailed in such a scenario? “For a while on the initial drafts, I was censoring myself. I’d ask myself how to make this movie. But the only way to battle it is to continuously try and be honest. I asked myself, what is my base impulse to work? My output should be fair to my impulse.”

Mrunal Thakur is all geared up to ring in her 31st on the sets of her upcoming movie with actor Vijay Deverakonda, today. The actor, who loves keeping her birthday celebrations “low-key” and intimate, finds this new way of celebrating “rewarding”.

“If acting and being on the set won’t give me happiness, what will?” quips Thakur, adding, “This time, I’m celebrating on the sets of VD13, with the cast and crew. And it sounds fun because everyone will be sweetly wishing me; the vibe is really nice!” 

The Sita Ramam (2022)actor has planned for an intimate celebration with family after wrapping the first schedule of VD13 in Hyderabad. “I like my birthdays to be fun, intimate and one where I can spend time with those close to me,” she shares.

She continues, “My birthday wish is to do all kinds of films with diverse filmmakers. I want to do more larger-than-life romantic dramas. At the same time, I also want to do hardcore action.”

After her birthday, Thakur will jet off to Australia for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023 (IFFM), set to commence from August 11. “Had it not been for the festival, I might not have had the same trajectory I have today. It’s where I got my first Hindi film as a lead, and it’s also where I was introduced to the Sita Ramam producers. So it’s special for me,” she ends.

Ali Fazal began the year with the world première of The Underbug at the Slamdance Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury prize for the Breakouts Feature. Now, the psychological horror film is en route to another film gala. Shujaat Saudagar’s directorial offering, starring Fazal and Hussain Dalal in lead roles, will be screened at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) on August 16 and 17.

With The Underbug, Saudagar tells the story of two rioters who take refuge in an abandoned bungalow as communal riots spread across the country. Naturally suspicious of each other, the two men are further terrified when they are convinced of an eerie presence in the house. Fazal was so impressed by the horror film and its political subtext that he also came on board as an executive producer. Proud that The Underbug is travelling to Melbourne, the actor-producer hopes that the movie’s experimental nature and powerful theme will resonate with the audiences.

“Our first outing with the film was a stellar success, and personally, it is close to my heart. It’s a genre I have never done before. The Underbug is experimental in all the right ways, and it’s thrilling that a new set of audience at the festival will witness it,” he shares.

After a bumpy start to the year with Shehzada, Kartik Aaryan is enjoying a hit with Satyaprem Ki Katha. The audience’s appreciation for Sameer Vidwans’s directorial venture has solidified Aaryan’s position as one of the dependable actors from the current generation. It’s not surprising then that the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will honour him with the Rising Global Superstar of Indian Cinema award in its upcoming edition.

At the awards night on August 11, the actor will be presented the award by the Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC. Aaryan views the win as not only a marker of the audience’s love for him, but also as a source of motivation to do better.

“It’s a privilege to receive this recognition for my work. I have always believed in the power of storytelling, and the ability of films to touch hearts and inspire minds,” he says.

At the film festival that will run from August 11 to 20, the actor will also engage in an in-depth conversation about his journey in the movies—with no godfather in the industry, he forayed into Bollywood with Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011), followed by several forgettable films. After enjoying a breakthrough hit in Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety in 2018, he delivered the blockbuster Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 in 2022, at a time when Bollywood was witnessing a dry spell. The IFFM will also host screenings of his movies.

R Balki probably couldn’t have asked for a more apt place for the première of his next, Ghoomer. The sports drama—starring Shabana Azmi, Abhishek Bachchan, Saiyami Kher and Angad Bedi—will be premièred in Melbourne, considered the sports capital of Australia. It has been selected as the opening film of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) that kicks off on August 11.

Ghoomer tells the story of a paraplegic sportsperson, portrayed by Kher, who excels as a cricketer under the guidance of her coach, essayed by Bachchan. For Kher, it’s a matter of pride that her movie will be screened in the country of the late Shane Warne, of whom she remains an avid fan.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything better than going to the land of the great Shane Warne to showcase our film. Playing a sport on screen was always my dream, I have been manifesting it since I started acting. I’m glad it has finally come true,” she says.

The première will be attended by Azmi, who had been keen to collaborate with Balki. When he offered her the part of Kher’s cricket-obsessed grandmother who encourages the protagonist to follow her dreams against her family’s wishes, the senior actor said yes in a heartbeat.

“Ghoomer has a delicious part for me. I haven’t watched the final cut yet, but it’s exciting to do such a variety of roles at this point in my career,” says Azmi.

Through the movie, director Balki wanted to go beyond a sports drama to show how people can turn an adversity into an advantage. He shares, “The movie is a tribute to sports and the reservoir of human resilience.”

Shah Rukh Khan’s desire to play an active role in the empowerment of women had seen him launch the Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship in 2019, in association with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) and the Australian university. Kerala’s Gopika Kottantharayil Bhasi was awarded the maiden scholarship for her research in agricultural science. Now, after an unforeseen two-year break due to the pandemic, the scholarship has been opened to applicants from August 18.

Female students with a Masters of Research degree within the past 10 years can apply for the scholarship, which is designed to recognize Indian women’s achievements across engineering, cyber security, information technology, health and sports. The selected student will receive a four-year research scholarship at La Trobe University. She will also be felicitated by the superstar at a Mumbai event later in the year.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange, festival director, lauds Khan’s continuous efforts to provide a platform to women across diverse fields. She says, “We all know Shah Rukh Khan has a big heart, and he has proved it again. The scholarship is a life-changing opportunity for a female researcher from India. SRK’s association with IFFM goes back a long way, but now, since it’s for a cause, it makes it even more special.”

The pandemic continues to inspire filmmakers to tell different stories set against such unprecedented circumstances. Director Mehak Jamal, who has previously co-written Love Hostel, is set to showcase one such narrative with Bad Egg at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). After the screening at the festival on August 13, the 28-minute short, starring Akshay Oberoi, Zoya Hussain, Jim Sarbh, Sheeba Chaddha and Shruti Sridharan, will stream on the official website till August-end only in Australia.

Excited about the screening, Oberoi says, “Mehak is a talent to watch out for, who deserves all the glory and success. The film will be a great beginning to bigger and better things for her. It’s all credit to Mehak that our short has been selected for a screening at the IFFM.”

Interestingly, Bad Egg was the first film Oberoi shot for when filming resumed post the lockdowns. “I think it was gutsy to make this film [at such a time]. Short films don’t have big budgets, so we all had to be responsible as a team and work in tandem,” adds the actor.

Without divulging much about the film, Oberoi promises the story is “full of mystery and unpleasant surprises”. “I’m looking forward to the audience response at the IFFM 2022.”

Bad Egg is about a how a daughter unfolds the mystery behind the kidnapping of her sister.