Rani Mukerji and Karan Johar will deliver the keynote address at the Australian Parliament House on August 13. The prestigious honour comes ahead of the 15th annual Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) which begins on August 15. DiversityIn this event, both the celebrities will talk about ‘the power of cinema to connect cultures and unite audiences across geographical boundaries’.

Both the celebrities were invited following the recent co-production treaty between India and Australia.

“I am proud to represent the Indian film fraternity at the Australian Parliament House and speak about the rich history of cinema that we have offered to the world. This is a milestone for our fraternity, and it will be an honour for me to speak about the growing cultural ties between Australia and India through cinema,” Mukerji said in a statement.

He further added, “Indian cinema comprising of Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia, Hindi and other languages ​​is currently at the forefront of shaping pop culture across the world with its brilliance, our films are making their mark globally. Our films bring a lot of joy to the world, our films add a lot of colours to people’s lives.”

Karan Johar said he was ‘very proud to be invited to this prestigious event.’ “I am thrilled to be a part of this historic event and celebrate the incredible journey of Indian cinema,” he said.

He added, “It’s incredible to see how far the stories we create as an industry travel, and this moment is a testament to the growing cultural influence of Indian cinema. I am grateful to the House and the Members of Parliament for extending this invitation and allowing me to represent the rich heritage of cinema and storytelling.”

Rani Mukerji and Karan Johar will address Members of Parliament, ministers and several other dignitaries.

IFFM Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said the presence of the two celebrities was ‘a testimony to the growing influence and recognition of the festival.’

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne will begin on August 15 and go on till August 25.