Rajnigandha Presents Jagran Film Festival 2026: Day One Sets the Stage for Four Days of Cinematic Brilliance

New Delhi, 20 August 2026: The 14th edition of Rajnigandha Presents Jagran Film Festival opened today at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, bringing together filmmakers, actors, storytellers, industry voices and cinephiles for four days of cinema and conversation.

The festival commenced with an inaugural lamp-lighting ceremony graced by the esteemed presence of the Hon’ble Minister of Information & Broadcasting, setting the tone for four days of meaningful conversations, diverse cinematic voices, and immersive experiences. From the moment audiences entered the venue, the festival transformed the space into a celebration of Indian cinema, with photographs of iconic stars, film-inspired installations, and engaging visual experiences creating an atmosphere that extended beyond the screening rooms. The strong turnout, particularly among GenZ audiences, reflected the growing appetite for discovering new stories and experiencing cinema collectively.

The opening day also witnessed an engaging conversation with Jaaved Jaaferi and Sayani Gupta, who explored the themes and unspoken conversations at the heart of Shikayatein, ahead of its highly anticipated world premiere as the festival’s opening film.

In between conversations, when Jaaved Jaaferi was asked to share a memorable moment with Naseeruddin Shah, he responded with a fun anecdote about a prank he once played on the actor with Shekhar Kapur, Pooja Bedi and Mazhar Khan. He said, “We decided to play a prank on Naseer bhai. Shekhar called him and said Amrish ji, Amrish Puri ji, was also there, and then handed me the phone. I started pretending to be Amrish ji, and after a few minutes, Naseer bhai realised, ‘Yeah, this is Javed!’ He also used to joke with me, once telling me, ‘Javed, log overacting karte hain, tum overdance karte ho. You’re an overdancer.’ I replied, ‘Sir, as long as you don’t overact, I won’t overdance. We’ll have this pact.’ We shot Tehelka together for about a month, and later, when I saw his character in the trailer, I thought, ‘Yaar, is character pe gaana banate hain.’ That’s when I coined ‘Mumbai’ and wrote the song with my friend Kiran. It became a crazy, mass yet satirical song, and that remains one of my funniest memories with Naseer bhai.”

The day’s programming brought together compelling voices and diverse cinematic perspectives, with Sudhir Mishra and Madhur Bhandarkar in conversation for “The Price of Truth: Cinema, Society & The Stories India Doesn’t Want to Hear,” while Lillete Dubey, Pan Nalin and Aimee Baruah explored the responsibilities of storytelling in “The Ethics of Storytelling.” The JFF Junior screenings of Appu: Elephants Lives Matter and Chidiya introduced younger audiences to stories of wildlife, childhood and resilience, while the enigmatic JFF Untitled project Yen Pashyati Tat Pashyati added an element of discovery. The day also strengthened JFF’s international cinematic exchange with the Indian premiere of the Japanese drama Nagasaki – In the Shadow of the Flash.

With premieres, conversations, international cinema and programmes for young audiences, Day One set the tone for three more days of stories, ideas and cinematic discovery at Rajnigandha Presents Jagran Film Festival 2026.

About Jagran Film Festival:

Jagran Film Festival is the world’s largest travelling film festival and one of India’s leading celebrations of cinema. Through screenings, workshops, masterclasses and conversations across the country, the festival continues to champion meaningful storytelling while providing a platform for both established and emerging voices from India and around the world.