Bollywood Hungama

Aamir Khan to be honoured with Screen Icon Award at Singapore International Film Festival

Aamir Khan is set to receive the Screen Icon Award at the 37th Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF). The actor-filmmaker will also attend a special screening marking the 25th anniversary of his Oscar-nominated film Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India. Aamir will attend the screening of the 2001 period sports drama with director Ashutosh Gowariker. He will also participate in the festivals In Conversation With series, Variety reported. Set in 1893 during British rule in India, Lagaan follows the residents of a small village who face heavy taxes imposed by a British officer. With their livelihood at stake, the villagers agree to play a cricket match against the British in an attempt to escape the tax burden. The film stood apart from mainstream commercial cinema with its period setting, unconventional storyline and lengthy runtime. It went on to receive both critical and commercial success. Lagaan was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2002 Academy Awards, but lost the award to the Bosnian film No Man's Land. The Singapore International Film Festival will take place from October 21 to November 1 and will feature several filmmakers and actors from across Asia. Among those attending are Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda and Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong. The festival will open with the South Korean political thriller The Assassin, starring Yoo Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho. Director Hur Jin-ho and cast members Shim Eun-kyung and Park Sung-hoon are also scheduled to attend the opening. Kore-eda, whose filmography includes Nobody Knows, Like Father, Like Son, Monster and Palme dOr winner Shoplifters, will receive the festivals Cinema Honorary Award for his contribution to Asian cinema. His latest film, Look Back, will have its Southeast Asian premiere at SGIFF. Adapted from Tatsuki Fujimotos one-shot manga, the live-action film follows two girls whose shared interest in drawing manga leads to a friendship as they grow up. The festivals In Conversation With series will also feature Kore-eda, Shim, Hong Kong filmmaker Peter Chan and Wong. Other filmmakers and industry figures expected to attend the festival include South Korean filmmaker Yim Soon-rye, Japanese director Koji Fukada, cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa and Hong Kong filmmaker Jacob Cheung. Also Read : SCOOP: Aamir Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala and R. Balki discussing an ambitious superhero film