Bollywood actress, Madhuri Dixit, inaugurated the Indian Panorama section of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), on Thursday, in Panaji, Goa. The Chief Minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat, is also seen.PIB 
Bollywood actress, Madhuri Dixit, with jury members at the inauguration of the Indian Panorama section, during the 42nd International Film Festival of India, in Panaji, Goa, on November 24, 2011.PIB 
The Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Uday Kumar Verma presented a memento to Bollywood actress, Madhuri Dixit, at the inauguration of the Indian Panorama section, during the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2011), in Panaji, Goa on November 24, 2011.PIB 
The Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Uday Kumar Verma welcomes Bollywood actor, Jackie Shroff, at the inauguration of the Indian Panorama section, during the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2011), in Panaji, Goa on November 24, 2011. Bollywood actress, Madhuri Dixit is also seen.PIB 
Bollywood actress, Madhuri Dixit, briefs the media at the inauguration of the Indian Panorama section, during the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2011), in Panaji, Goa on November 24, 2011.PIB 
The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ambika Soni (R) with the French filmmaker, Bertrand Tavernier, at the inaugural ceremony of 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2011), at Ravindra Bhavan, in Madgaon, Goa on November 23, 2011.PIB 
French filmmaker, Bertrand Tavernier, the first ever recipient of the International Film Festival of India’s Lifetime Achievement Award, addressing the inauguration of the festival at Ravindra Bhavan in Madgaon, Goa, on November, 23, 2011.PIB 
The Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Uday Kumar Verma addresses the audience at the inauguration of the Indian Panorama section, during the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2011), in Panaji, Goa, on November 24, 2011.PIB 
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan interacts with the media at the inaugural ceremony of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2011) at Ravindra Bhavan in Madgaon, Goa, on November 23, 2011.PIB 
Bollywood actor, ShahRukh Khan, at the inaugural ceremony of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2011) at Ravindra Bhavan in Madgaon, Goa, on November 23, 2011. The Chief Minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat, is also seen.PIB 
Bhojpuri actor, Manoj Tiwari, with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ESG, Manoj Srivastava, at the inaugural ceremony of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2011) at Ravindra Bhavan in Madgaon, Goa, on November 23, 2011.PIB 
Bollywood film director, Sudhir Misra, with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ESG, Manoj Srivastava, at the inaugural ceremony of the 42nd International Film Festival of Indi (IFFI-2011) at Ravindra Bhavan in Madgaon, Goa, on November 23, 2011.PIB
Bollywood actress, Madhuri Dixit, inaugurated the Indian Panorama section of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), on Thursday, in Panaji, Goa.
"I am honored to be here. I thank the Indian and Goa government for inviting me. Goa is a wonderful place and it is a great idea to hold IFFI here," said the actress at the event. The event then saw the screening of Makarand Brahme's non-feature Hindi film "Adwait Sangeet" and Santhosh Sivan's Malayalam feature film "Urumi". The actress also felicitated jury members behind the selection of the films. The inauguration ceremony also featured actor Jackie Shroff and the event's Director, Shankar Mohan and the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Ambika Soni.
The Minister, when addressing the gathering, stressed on the growing position of Indian cinema and asked that the IFFI become a "truly international event- an international people's festival." The Chief Minister of Goa, Digambar Kamat, also spoke, saying that his government was working towards making Goa a more desirable and permanent destination for films.
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, the chief guest for the opening day's ceremony, shared his views on cinema as a medium that bound people together. He spoke of cinema as the "modern art of storytelling a collective focus addressed to all, open to all and including all".
Meanwhile, the event saw the Lifetime Achievement Award conferred on French filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier. The festival itself opened with "The Consul of Bordeaux", directed by Francisco Manso and Joao Correa.
Check out the slideshow for photographs of the opening day ceremony.
