A soulful rendering by tabala maestro Zakir Hussain marked the beginning of the 20th edition of International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), the state's premier movie gala, here.
Hundreds of movie buffs including foreign delegates thronged the Nishagandhi auditorium, the venue of the inauguration, as Chief Minister Oommen Chandy lit the traditional lamp marking the opening of the week-long extravaganza.
The participation of an array of dignitaries from cinema and cultural fields added more colour to the glittering ceremony.
Addressing the gathering, Chandy said IFFK is the second largest film festival of this kind in Asia in terms of the delegate participation.
"The world has now become a village and we get a whiff of the culture, tradition and life of people there through festivals like IFFK," he said.
In his key note address, Zakir Hussain said he was "overwhelmed and delighted" to be part of IFFK.
"India is a place of culture...A place that imbibes incredible tradition...A way of life...In Kerala in particular," he said.
Lauding the rich cultural tradition of the state, he said, "Whether it is thayambaka, idakka, chenda, maddalam or kathakali performances, it is an incredibly rich cultural heritage this state represents."
The tabala wizard also said he had the honour of learning from many gurus of the state.
Later, Hussian enthralled the audience with his brief but magical performance.
'Wolf Totem' by Jean-Jacques Annuad, was screened as the inaugural movie. A total of 176 films from 70 countries will be screened at 13 venues across the city at the festival, organised by state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy.
Sideline events such as Open Forum, Meet the Director, In Conversation and Master Class sessions as also the Aravindan Memorial Lecture, panel discussions and seminars will be held as part of the festival.
Over 12,000 are expected to attend the gala this year which will be concluded on December 11.
