Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2017: Monica Bellucci to be honoured, Mukkebaaz to open gala

This year, the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival will take place from 12 to 18 October. While it promises to be an extravagant affair for cine enthusiasts, it has also gone several notches higher in its 19th edition in terms of bringing more diversity on board. It will showcase 220 films from 49 countries and in 51 languages. Some of these languages, though Indian, are unheard of in the realm of cinema. Rare regional languages like Ladakhi, Chokri, Brij and Konkani  will be in the offing at the festival this year. As far as the global diversity is concerned, films in African languages will be a highlight of the festival, particularly rare regional languages like Kikuyu, Bembe, Nyanja, Tonga, Xhosa, Samoan and Lingala. Bollywood will have a lot to look forward to as well, since Anurag Kashyap’s sports drama Mukkebaaz will open the film festival. While Kashyap is a member of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival board, the Festival Director Anupama Chopra denies allegations of nepotism. “Had we not considered his film to be good enough, we would not have had any problem in conveying the same to him. He has been associated with the festival for so long but that has not affected our judgement in any way,” she said, at a MAMI press conference in Mumbai on Thursday. Kashyap is excited at the prospect of the Jio Mami Film Festival screening his film for the first time. He even confessed that he missed a chance of having Mukkebaaz screened at the Busan Film Festival because he preferred MAMI over the overseas festival. Mukkebaaz revolves around a small town boxer, his rise as a sportsperson and tussles with the sporting authorities. It is produced by Aanand L Rai. Also read: Naseeruddin Shah, Tisca Chopra film The Hungry to have Asian premiere at MAMI Film Festival   MAMI will also host a host of international stars this year, including Italian actress Monica Belluci. In her first visit to the country, Bellucci will be honoured with a special award at the gala. “I am very touched and honoured to receive an award by the Mumbai Film Festival as well as presenting some of my films there. It is very exciting to come to India for the first time,” Bellucci said in a statement. [caption id=“attachment_4046185” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] File image of Monica Bellucci[/caption] Among Bellucci’s films that will be screened are On The Milky Road and Irreversible. According to a source in the know of developments, Kashyap will be in conversation with Bellucci at a session during the gala. Also, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is likely to host a party for the actress. Popular director John Madden, whose Shakespeare In Love had won an Oscar and who helmed The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel series - widely shot in India - will serve as head of the international jury at the festival. Konkona Sen Sharma, actor-turned-filmmaker, will be the only Indian on the international jury of the 19th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. With inputs from IANS.