Day Three of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) was marked by packed screenings, standing ovations, and powerful conversations, from Adil Hussain’s heartfelt masterclass on acting to an emotional India premiere of Tannishtha Chatterjee’s Full Plate, starring Kirti Kulhari, which received a thunderous reception from the audience.
DIFF: Kirti Kulhari-Tannishtha Chatterjee’s Full Plate receives standing ovation at India Premiere; Adil Hussain pays tribute to Irrfan Khan in acting masterclass
At DIFF, India’s leading platform for independent cinema, the day began with a deeply personal session titled ‘Truth and Acting’, where acclaimed actor Adil Hussain shared insights from his decades-long journey across Indian, independent, and international cinema.
“To be truly yourself in front of a thousand people, in front of the camera, is so different,” said Hussain as he interacted with cinema enthusiasts and acting aspirants, urging them to focus on authenticity rather than performance.
“Who are you? Not the social masks that you wear in front of your mother or father or lover or husband, or five people when you go out. But when you are in your bathroom, when nobody is watching you… if you act from that absolute honest space, it will be different always. There’s one actor who comes to my mind who was like that: Irrfan Khan. He tried his best to do that.”
Hailing Irrfan, the actor added, “He tried his best to be as vulnerable, as transparent as possible. He was absolutely his best in Qissa, The Namesake, Warrior among others.”
Later in the day, Hussain’s own film, Nidhi Saxena’s Secret of a Mountain Serpent, was screened at the festival to an overwhelming response. The reception was so strong that DIFF announced an additional screening due to audience demand.
But that was not all. Filmmaker Tannishtha Chatterjee’s Full Plate made its Indian debut at DIFF, where the 500-seater venue erupted into a standing ovation as the credits rolled on the drama about a homemaker with a gift for cooking, who battles patriarchy while preserving her individuality.
A visibly moved Kirti Kulhari took to the stage to thank the audience for showering the film with love. “It really means a lot to all of us. Tannishtha couldn’t be here, but I am happy that I got to watch the film with all of us,” she said as the audience cheered and clapped. “It is a huge validation for artists when the audience truly gets the film. In fact, sometimes you were laughing so much that I feared what if you missed the other joke! Our hearts are full. It means a lot to us and I am so proud of the film,” she added about Full Plate, which also stars Sharib Hashmi, Indraneil Sengupta, and Monica Dogra.
DIFF also saw packed reception for the acclaimed Canadian mystery drama 100 Sunsets and the feature Lesbian Space Princess (screened in partnership with Sydney Film Festival) which were showcased on day three along with titles like Rich Peppiatt’s comedy drama Kneecap, filmmaker Carla Simon’s Romería, Bharat Singh Parihar’s Sheep Barn, and Arjun Talwar’s Letter From Wolf Street, among others.
The ongoing 14th edition of DIFF will conclude on November 2, with filmmaker Anuparna Roy’s Venice winner Songs of Forgotten Trees as the closing feature. The final day will also feature a special masterclass with filmmaker Kiran Rao.
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2025 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.
