Rekha hoists the Indian Tricolour in Melbourne on Independence Day 2026 and joins Pankaj Tripathi and the Indian diaspora in singing the national anthem.
Melbourne: Bollywood veterans Rekha and Pankaj Tripathi joined the Indian diaspora in Melbourne to celebrate India’s 80th Independence Day, taking part in a special flag-hoisting ceremony and singing the national anthem with the gathering.
The celebration was organised as part of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026, bringing together members of the Indian community, Australian dignitaries, filmmakers, artists and cinema enthusiasts. The event highlighted the strong cultural connection between India and its diaspora in Australia.
Rekha Hoists the Tricolour
The Independence Day celebrations turned particularly memorable when Rekha hoisted the Indian national flag in Melbourne on August 15. Following the flag-hoisting ceremony, Rekha and Pankaj Tripathi joined the crowd in singing “Jana Gana Mana”, creating an emotional moment for Indians celebrating the national festival away from home.
The presence of the two acclaimed actors added a special Bollywood touch to the celebrations and attracted considerable attention from the Indian community and cinema lovers attending the festival.
Rekha and Pankaj’s Fun English Lesson
The event also featured a light-hearted interaction between Rekha and Pankaj Tripathi. In a video shared by the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Rekha playfully encouraged Pankaj to speak in English.
She asked him to repeat the line, “To all the lovely people of Melbourne,” in English. Pankaj responded humorously that he was a Hindi-medium student and might make a mistake.
The two eventually delivered a message together, thanking the people of Melbourne for welcoming them and ending with “Jai Hind.” Their cheerful exchange quickly became one of the highlights of the celebration.
Rekha Honoured at IFFM 2026
Rekha was in Melbourne for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, where her acclaimed 1981 film Umrao Jaan was screened. Directed by Muzaffar Ali, the film starred Rekha in the lead role and was based on Mirza Hadi Ruswa’s Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada.
Umrao Jaan received four honours at the 29th National Film Awards, including the Best Actress award for Rekha.
The veteran actress was also honoured with the Excellence in Cinema Award at the 17th edition of IFFM 2026, recognising her remarkable contribution to Indian cinema.
The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne is scheduled to continue through August 23, 2026, featuring Indian films, filmmakers and artists from across the industry.
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