Panaji (Goa) [India], November 20 (ANI): Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit was honoured with 'Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema' award at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur applauded Dixit for her "unparalleled talent".

He took to X and wrote, "An icon across the ages, @MadhuriDixit has graced our screens with unparalleled talent for four incredible decades. From the effervescent Nisha to the captivating Chandramukhi, the majestic Begum Para to the indomitable Rajjo, her versatility knows no bounds. Today, we are filled with admiration as we present the 'Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema' Award to the talented , charismatic actress who has redefined excellence in cinema, at the 54th International Film Festival of India. A celebration of an extraordinary journey, a tribute to an everlasting legacy!"The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is back with its 54th edition in Goa. The 9-day gala kickstarted with a star-studded ceremony at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on November 20th.

The guest list for the event also includes Vijay Sethupathi, Sara Ali Khan, Pankaj Tripathi, Sunny Deol, Karan Johar, Shantanu Moitra, Shreya Ghoshal and Sukhwinder Singh, among others.

According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting press note, Catching Dust, thriller by award-winning British filmmaker Stuart Gatt, has been selected as the opening film of the gala. About Dry Grasses directed by French Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan will be the Mid fest film and The Featherweight directed by Robert Kolodny is the closing film for the 54th IFFI.

Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani will serve as the head of the five-member jury for the best web series (OTT) award at the festival. Divya Dutta, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and filmmakers Krishna DK and Utpal Borpujari are part of the jury panel for the inaugural category.

A total of 32 entries across 10 languages from 15 OTT platforms have been selected for the inaugural best web series award. Speaking about the newly introduced OTT awards, Anurag Thakur said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the OTT industry has seen a boom in India and original content created in India is employing thousands of people. In response to the dynamic landscape of this sector, growth of which stands at 28 percent annually, the Ministry has introduced this award celebrating the outstanding content creators on OTT platforms. (ANI)