Varun Grover's directorial debut All India Rank opens Dharamshala Film Festival

Screenwriterdirector Varun Grovers affair with Dharamshala International Film Festival continues After showcasing his maiden short as a director Kiss at DIFF last year Grover brought his feature debut All India Rank to kickstart the festivals latest edition over the weekendThe sliceoflife dramedy opened to a thundering response as it saw a packed screening with the audience embracing the world of Grovers 90sset offeringAhead of the premiere Grover emphasised the impact of movies saying that in a world thats falling apart today humanity finds connection through cinema The writerlyricist said if one makes the other watch a cinema they love the world will probably see less hateIn todays world which is falling apart very quickly in front of us cinema makes us feel connected to fellow humans Not just in this room but the rooms which made these films which we are going to see in the next few days Cinema even if it doesnt change us to be better humans it heals us it sometimes gives us an indication of what kind of person we are Grover saidAll India Rank was premiered at the mountaintop inside one of the onsite auditoriums turned into a cinema hall with audiovideo logistics provided by mobile theatre company PictureTimeGrover noted how each year the festival has only scaled up I first came in 2015 with Masaan last year I came with my short film Kiss and now my feature film All India Rank is opening the festival which is one of my favourites in the world This is a true honour he saidAt the 12th edition of DIFF apart from the two onsite auditoriums with 2K projection systems and 51 Dolby surround sound movies from across the world will also be showcased at two stateoftheart inflatable screening halls mounted by PictureTimeActor Manoj Bajpayeestarrer Joram which is due to release theatrically next month will close the movie gala today The film has been helmed by Devashish Makhija who previously directed Bajpayee in the awardwinning drama BhonsleTalking about his partnering with DIFF Sushil Chaudhary Founder PictureTime Digiplex said the aim for this years edition is to provide viewers with an unforgettable movie watching experiencePictureTime has joined forces with DIFF to offer filmmakers delegates and cinema enthusiasts an experience akin to a bigscreen theater Our collaboration is flourishing and this year wersquove expanded to include four auditoriums equipped with an immersive viewing environment three of which boast DCIcompliant screens With each passing year the festivalrsquos growth is evident and we take pride in being a contributing partner Sushil said in a statementDIFF showcased a total of 92 films from 40 countries including 31 feature narratives 21 feature documentaries and 40 short filmsOther festival favourite titles included Pa Ranjiths production Bottle Radha which made its world premiere Toras Husband by filmmaker Rima Das Achal Mishras Ri Aamir Bashirdirected The Winter Within and While We Watched by Vinay ShuklaIn addition to the film screenings the festival also featured panel discussions and masterclasses with industry experts and filmmakers