Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has been appointed festival director for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). File | Photo credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, known for films like ‘Mr India’, ‘Bandit Queen’ and ‘Elizabeth’, has been appointed as the festival director for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

Kapoor will lead the 55th and 56th editions of the festival, held annually in Goa, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said in a notification.

The notification said, “With the approval of the competent authority, it has been decided to appoint Shri Shekhar Kapur as Festival Director for the 55th and 56th editions of the International Film Festival of India to be held at Goa.”

Kapoor, 78, is an influential name in Indian cinema and one of the first directors to establish his name in Hollywood with his film “Elizabeth” and its sequel “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”.

He has directed films such as “Masoom”, “Mr. India” and “Bandit Queen” in India. Most recently, he directed the British comedy “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”

Kapoor served as the President of the International Competition Jury at the 54th IFFI. He also served as the Chairman of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India from 2020-2023.