Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said the ultimate focus should be on making the festival more accessible. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement With the curtains coming down on the inaugural International Film Festival Delhi (IFFD), the national capital is beginning to stake a claim as a cultural and cinematic hub alongside its historical and political identity. Plans are under way to institutionalise the festival as an annual event, festival director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, a veteran filmmaker, said in a conversation with The Hindu on Tuesday. “The energy and enthusiasm the festival received grew day by day,” said Mr. Mehra, describing the experience of helming the first edition as “enriching”. Published – April 01, 2026 01:17 am IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation No hourly cap on pink cards, says Gupta Abhay and Anahat receive Asian Squash Federation honours