Bollywood Hungama

Subhash Ghai brings Aamir Khan, Hema Malini, Rana Daggubati and Imtiaz Ali together for Celebrate Cinema Festival 2026

Celebrating the spirit of cinema and creating a space for meaningful conversations around the craft, filmmaker Subhash Ghai is set to bring together four distinctive voices from Indian cinema, Aamir Khan, Hema Malini, Rana Daggubati and Imtiaz Ali for the Celebrate Cinema Festival 2026, taking place on October 7, 8 and 9 at Whistling Woods International. The three-day festival will see each day spotlight a different cinematic journey. Aamir Khan will be part of the festival on October 7, with a conversation around Sitaare Zameen Par. On October 8, Hema Malini will be paying a tribute to the late Dharmendra in a special way and Rana Daggubati shall grace the event while October 9 will see filmmaker Imtiaz Ali join the festival for a session around his successful film Main Wapas Aaunga. Subhash Ghai himself will also interact with students and aspiring filmmakers as part of the celebrations. Announcing the festival on Instagram, Subhash Ghai shared, Celebrate Cinema Festival 2026 at Whistling Woods International is on October 7, 8, 9th for all aspirants. With gratitude to great big screen filmmakers Aamir Khan: Sitaare Zameen Par on 7th Oct, Hema Malini and Rana Daggubati on 8 Oct, Imtiaz Ali: Main Wapas Aaunga on 9th Oct. And myself with gratitude too with you to interact with 2000 students. We all are excited. The festival brings together four artists with distinctly different journeys and perspectives, offering aspiring filmmakers an opportunity to hear directly from the people behind some of Indian cinemas most recognisable stories and performances. From Aamir Khans approach to performance and filmmaking to Hema Malini paying a tribute to late Dharmendra with a scholarship on behalf of the institute, Rana Daggubati's iconic performances and Imtiaz Alis distinctive storytelling, the three days will explore different facets of the cinematic experience. Across three days, the festival will feature a diverse line-up of workshops, panel discussions, exhibits and interactive classes exploring the impact and evolving experience of cinema on screen. For the Showman of Bollywood, Subhash Ghai, the initiative is an extension of his enduring association with cinema and his belief in keeping conversations around filmmaking alive for the next generation. With 2,000 students expected to participate, Celebrate Cinema Festival 2026 will create a direct dialogue between established voices from the industry and those looking to build their own journeys in cinema. Also Read: Subhash Ghai celebrates Ishita Deshmukh as Gondhal becomes Indias official Oscar entry