Anurag Kashyap’s Bandar to close NIFFA 2026 as Melbourne leg begins

MELBOURNE: Going out with a bang and a Bandar, the National Indian Film Festival of Australia is saving one of its biggest attractions for the finale. Bandar, the acclaimed thriller directed by Anurag Kashyap and starring Bobby Deol and Sanya Malhotra, will headline the closing run of the National Indian Film Festival of Australia as the event enters the final leg of its 2026 edition.

The festival, which describes itself as the world’s largest celebration of Indian cinema outside India, opened its Melbourne programme on Friday before travelling to Hobart, the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

Adding further weight to this year’s edition, Australia’s national screen museum, ACMI, has come on board as a cultural partner. The remaining festival events will also feature appearances by noted Indian filmmakers Anubhav Sinha and Leena Yadav.

In a significant development for the festival’s future, NIFFA has signed a three-year partnership with Destination NSW. The agreement will see New South Wales become the festival’s Focus State across both India and Australia from 2027 onwards, underscoring the growing cultural and creative ties between the two countries.

The partnership comes amid increasing collaboration following the implementation of the India-Australia Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty, which has opened new opportunities for filmmakers and production companies across both markets.

This year’s Melbourne programme also pays tribute to India’s cinematic heritage through a collaboration with the Film Heritage Foundation. Audiences will be treated to restored screenings of Manthan, presented in a new 4K restoration, alongside the cult classic In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, written by Arundhati Roy. The latter will be screened at Reading Cinemas Dandenong, with the film’s lead actor expected to attend.

“Indian cinema is not niche here. It is a serious cultural and commercial force, and a living bridge between our two countries,” said NIFFA festival director Anupam Sharma.

The festival’s footprint has continued to grow, with this year’s edition travelling across nine Australian cities, from major metropolitan centres such as Sydney and Perth to regional and outback locations including Alice Springs and Broken Hill.

Reflecting on that expansion, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha said reaching audiences beyond Australia’s major cities was a significant achievement, particularly at a time when the co-production treaty is creating new possibilities for cross-border collaboration.

Meanwhile, filmmaker Leena Yadav described NIFFA as “a space being built deliberately for reflection, dialogue and discovery”.

As NIFFA heads towards its finale with Bandar leading the closing line-up, the festival is doing more than showcasing films. It is strengthening cultural ties, celebrating cinematic heritage and creating new pathways for collaboration between two of the world’s most vibrant screen industries.