From ‘Pyaasa’ in 4K to ‘Dhurandhar 2‘: Inside Delhi’s Historic First International Film Festival
New Delhi, March 25, 2026 — The national capital has officially rolled out the red carpet. The highly anticipated, first-ever International Film Festival Delhi (IFFD) 2026 kicked off today at the world-class Bharat Mandapam, marking a historic milestone in India’s cinematic landscape.
Running for a full week from March 25 to March 31, the city-wide festival promises to transform Delhi into a vibrant global hub for cinema, art, and cultural exchange.
A Massive Global Lineup
Organized by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), the inaugural edition of IFFD is operating on a massive scale.
Out of more than 2,000 global submissions, a highly curated list of over 130 to 140 films from 47 different countries has been selected. The diverse programming features everything from international premieres to regional Indian cinema—including films in Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri, Bengali, and from the Northeast.
Festival Highlights Include:
Opening & Closing: The festival opens tonight with the Oscar-nominated road film Sirât by acclaimed filmmaker Oliver Laxe. It will conclude on March 31 with Amoeba, a striking debut by Singaporean director Tan Siyou.
Special Screenings: To mark the birth centenary of legendary filmmaker Guru Dutt, audiences will be treated to a special 4K restored screening of his iconic masterpiece, Pyaasa.
Bollywood Buzz: The lineup also features several major Bollywood titles, with the highly anticipated Dhurandhar 2 expected to draw massive crowds.
A Star-Studded Opening
The opening ceremony at Bharat Mandapam is designed to be a glamorous affair. Hosted by actors Arjun Kapoor and Nimrat Kaur, the gala features a heavy presence of Bollywood royalty. Prominent personalities including Vicky Kaushal, Hema Malini, Bhumi Pednekar, Rana Daggubati, Anupam Kher, and renowned directors like Madhur Bhandarkar and Subhash Ghai are in attendance.
Beyond the glitz and glamour, the festival is heavily focused on the business and future of cinema. It features masterclasses, panel discussions, and the CineVerse Expo—a dedicated space for networking, distribution deals, and exploring the intersection of AI, VFX, and storytelling.
A landmark partnership with Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga’s “Women in Film–India” initiative has also launched the Her Lens program, specifically aimed at empowering women storytellers.
Free Access for the Public
In a bold move to democratize cinema, the Delhi Government has made the festival completely accessible to the public.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra emphasized that IFFD is not a closed-door industry event, but a “city-wide celebration.” While Bharat Mandapam serves as the central hub, movie screenings will also be held at various PVR-INOX multiplexes and outdoor cultural venues across the city.
All public screenings and masterclasses are completely free to attend, subject to prior online registration and venue capacity.
By integrating the “Orange Economy” (creative industries) with top-tier infrastructure, the government hopes to make IFFD an annual fixture, officially establishing Delhi as a premier global destination for filmmakers and film tourism.