Actress Rekha to Hoist Indian Flag at Melbourne IFFM 2026

Evergreen Indian actress Rekha will serve as Guest of Honour at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026. As part of the Independence Day celebrations she will hoist the Indian national flag in Melbourne, and she will be presented with the festival’s Excellence in Cinema Award for her lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. The festival will also screen her classic film Umrao Jaan.

Festival founder and director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said Rekha “transcends cinema and becomes part of a nation’s cultural consciousness.” In a press note Rekha said, “Umrao Jaan has never left me. It lives in my memories… to see the film celebrated on a global stage is both humbling and moving.”