Boman Irani delivered the prestigious Vijay Tendulkar Memorial Lecture at the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) 2025. Irani shared his unconventional journey in cinema, from managing a wafers shop for 14 years to working as a waiter at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. He reflected on his iconic performances in Munna Bhai MBBS, 3 Idiots, and Don, offering insights into his creative methodology. The session was also attended by PIFF director Jabbar Patel and actor Jitendra Joshi. The 23rd PIFF was inaugurated by minister for information technology of Maharashtra Ashish Shelar at the Shri Ganesh Kala Krida Rangmanch on Friday. The ceremony on the first day honoured cinema stalwarts Shubha Khote and Anupam Kher with the PIFF Distinguished Award. Vocalist Kavita Krishnamurti received the Music Director SD Burman Award. Commemorating Raj Kapoor’s birth centenary, the festival opened with a performance by percussionist Vijay Chavan, followed by the Italian feature ‘Gloria’ by Margherita Vicario.
