Chief Guest Aamir Khan — Over 75 films in 31 languages — Dance Competition
Indian I-Day flag hoisting — Awards night — Opening Night – Closing Night
MELBOURNE, 23 July 2025: The 16th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025 kicks off from 14 August with the Australian premiere critically acclaimed movie ‘Baksho Bondi – Shadowbox’ of debut filmmakers Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, after featuring in the Berlin Film Festival’s Perspectives section (Berlinale 2025).
The film is set in a working-class suburb of Kolkata (with a narrative rooted in Barrackpore, West Bengal) and centers on Maya, a resilient woman who juggles multiple jobs—domestic work, farm labor, ironing clothes—to support her family in the face of grinding poverty and social stigma.
Maya (Tillotama Shome) is married to Sundar (Chandan Bisht), a former soldier dishonorably discharged from the army, likely due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sundar is unable to work, spends his days collecting frogs for local science colleges, and is viewed as a nuisance or even a “lunatic” by the community. Their teenage son, Debu (Sayan Karmakar), is caught between affection for his father and embarrassment caused by his erratic behavior. Maya’s own family offers little support, having always disapproved of her marriage to Sundar.
The central crisis unfolds when Sundar suddenly disappears and becomes a suspect in a murder investigation. While searching for him, Maya is forced to confront not only the possibility of his involvement in a serious crime but also the fragility of her family’s unity. When Sundar returns, hungry and frightened, the family faces its greatest emotional test, with Maya’s love, patience, and dignity constantly challenged.
The key themes of the movie are resilience, family loyalty, mental health stigma, women’s labor, social marginalization, and the quiet strength found in everyday survivor.
Mitu Bhowmick Lange, Director of the IFFM, who launched the festival program today said, “We are honoured to open IFFM 2025 with Baksho Bondi – Shadowbox, a film that exemplifies the strength of Indian independent cinema while touching on themes that are deeply personal and globally relatable.”
The IFFM 2025 will have Indian cinema’s iconic Aamir Khan, whose latest movie Sitaare Zameen Par, focusing on raising awareness about autism and psychiatric disability in children, is running successfully.
IFFM 2025 will honour Khan’s artistic impact with a specially curated selection of films that reflect his bold, socially conscious storytelling. A highlight of the retrospective will be a screening of Sitaare Zameen Par, followed by a live conversation with Aamir Khan, director RS Prasanna, and Aparna Purohit, CEO of Aamir Khan Films, offering audiences unique insight into the creative process behind the film.
Supported by the Victorian Government, the festival will run from August 14 to 24, with the highly anticipated NAB IFFM Awards Night set for August 15, honouring cinematic excellence across film and OTT categories. Winners will be selected by an esteemed jury comprising some of the most respected names in Australian cinema and cultural landscape including Garth Davis, director of Dev Patel- Nicole Kidman’s LION, Theatre Director and Film Producer – Nadia Tass.
Homebound, Village Rockstars 2, Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox) , Stree 2 lead film nomination nods, while Paatal Lok, Black Warrant, Manorathangal lead OTT nominations for the festival.
