Vidya Balan to open the first Indian Film Festival of Perth as chief guest

Vidya Balan will be the chief guest at the first Indian Film Festival of Perth, which runs from January 22 to 24, 2027. The actor will open the festival's inaugural edition in Western Australia.

The team behind the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and the Indian Film Festival of Sydney is organising the new event. After building festivals in those two cities, they now want to bring Indian cinema to audiences in Western Australia.

Its launch was announced while Roger Cook, the Premier of Western Australia, was visiting India. The organisers see the festival as a sign of the growing cultural and creative ties between the two regions.

Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM called the Perth launch "a very special milestone" for the team. She said cinema can bring people together across borders, and that the organisers were "thrilled to welcome Vidya Balan" for the first edition. She added that the festival would celebrate the variety of Indian storytelling and build cultural links between India and Western Australia.