Hindi
First Indian Ocean rim film festival kicks off on 22 Feb in New Delhi
NEW DELHI: The Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) Film Festival will be held in New Delhi starting 22 February. Inaugurating the event will be Anand Sharma, Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India.
The nine-day event, which runs until 1 March, will screen nine films and a documentary from ten affiliated countries including Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa.
To be held at Siri Fort auditorium, this film festival is a joint effort of the Directorate of Film Festivals and the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
“This is a part of India‘s commitment to the IOR-ARC,” said Malay Mishra, Joint Secretary (MER), Ministry of External Affairs. “We had pledged our commitment at the 7th Council of Ministers Meeting held in March 2007 in Iran. Since India is a global power in cinema, it was evident that we should start,” he added.
Speaking to the press, additional director general of the Directorate of Film Festivals Neelam Kapur said, “This is a package of ten very powerful and socially sensitive films on a variety of subjects. It will also be interesting to see how cinema has evolved in these countries, and if there is some similarity with Indian cinema as Indian cinema is popular in most of the member countries.”
Among the films will be Yolngu Boy, an Australian film which tells the story of three Aborigines that trek through Australia, and From so Far, a Mauritian documentary that tells the story of Indian immigration in Mauritius. Representing India in the festival will be Chak De! India.
“The director of the Australian film Stephen Michael Johnson is arriving tomorrow, and during the course of the festival we expect the directors from Mauritius, Bangladesh, Kenya and Bangladesh to come,” said Mishra.
“We also expect film students and people from the film fraternity to come at the screenings,” said Kapur. “The movies that will be shown at the festival will not be the same as ones screened at the IFFI. In fact, we intend to bring the Indian panorama to Delhi and Kolkata in the next few months,” she added.
Asked whether this is going to be an annual event Mishra replied, “We haven‘t thought about this on those lines. This is something that we‘ll decide in the future.”
The festival is wholly funded by the Government of India, and the passes will be available free of cost from February 19 at Siri Fort auditorium.
The IOA-ARC is a regional cooperation initiative established in Mauritius in March 1997 with the aim of promoting economic and technical cooperation and currently has 18 member countries: Australia, India, Kenya, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Yemen, Bangladesh, Iran, Thailand and the UAE (Seychelles withdrew in 2003).
Hindi
Marico founder Harsh Mariwala’s book Harsh Realities set for film adaptation
Almighty Motion Picture taps Karan Vyas to script Marico story
MUMBAI: Almighty Motion Picture is turning its lens on India Inc., with plans to adapt Harsh Realities: The Making of Marico into a screen project. The story charts the rise of Harsh Mariwala, the chairman and founder of Marico, and is currently in early development, according to a report by Variety.
Writer Karan Vyas, known for his work on Scam 1992, Scoop and Made in India – A Titan Story, is attached to pen the screenplay. The project continues the studio’s growing interest in real-life Indian narratives that blend business with human drama.
At the heart of the story lies a defining moment in 1987, when Mariwala chose to step away from the family-run Bombay Oil Industries and strike out on his own. What followed was not just the creation of a company, but the reinvention of a legacy. Marico would go on to become a global FMCG player, with brands like Parachute, Saffola, Set Wet and Livon becoming household names, reaching nearly one in three Indians.
The source material, co-authored by Mariwala and renowned business strategist Ram Charan, offers more than a boardroom chronicle. It captures the grit behind the growth, the risks behind the rewards and the leadership lessons forged along the way.
The adaptation aims to move beyond balance sheets and brand milestones, focusing instead on the person behind the enterprise. Expect a narrative that leans into the emotional stakes of entrepreneurship, where decisions are as personal as they are professional.
Today, Marico draws about a quarter of its revenue from international markets across Asia and Africa, reflecting its steady transformation from a domestic player into a multinational force. Yet, if the makers have their way, the screen version will remind audiences that every global success story begins with a leap of faith.
With development set to begin soon, this is one business story that may just trade spreadsheets for storytelling, and profit margins for moments that linger
