Namaste Vietnam Festival 2023 Culminates Amidst Overwhelming Response

The second edition of the coveted Namaste Vietnam Festival' culminated in Hanoi on Sunday amidst celebrity fervour and an unprecedented positive response from the people of Vietnam. The mega festival of India was organised jointly by the Indian Embassy, Consulate General of India, IFFW and Innovations India to celebrate and strengthen the bonds of friendship between India and Vietnam conforming to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reiteration that Vietnam is a key partner of Indias Act East Policy.

Helly Shah, Captain Rahul Bali, Anupam Kher and Avika Gor walk the Red Carpet

Curated by Internationally Acclaimed Festival Curator Captain Rahul Bali, the 09-day festival aimed at spreading the fragrance of India in Vietnam was graced by the presence of Dignitaries, Luminaries, Diplomats, Notable Actors & Filmmakers, Captains of the Industry, Corporate Conglomerates, Business Chambers, Senior Government Officials, Business Delegations and Media from both the countries.

With the objective of diffusing the essence of Indian culture in Vietnam and fostering deeper bilateral relations, the Namaste Vietnam Festival showcased a diverse array of activities, including film screenings, musical concerts, business seminars & trade meets all aimed at generating a sense of enthusiasm for India in Vietnam.

The festival was organised in a number of locations across Vietnam like Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat, Phuyen, HaNam & Hanoi from 12th to 20th August and was attended by celebrities and stars from India like the illustrious award winning Actor & Filmmaker Anupam Kher, renowned Indian singer Alisha Chinai, acclaimed filmmakers Rahul Mittra, Hansal Mehta, Gajendra Ahire, Rahat Kazmi, Tariq Khan, Abhishek Jain and Shoib Nikash Shah. The most popular Indian Actress in Vietnam Avika Gor who is famous for her role in the TV Serial "Balika Vidhu" was there for the second time. World Famous prominent Indian actresses Helly Shah & Yuvika Chaudhary and a number of Vietnamese Dignitaries & Celebrities like Chairman of HUFO Mr. Ho Xuan Lam, DG Vietnam Railways Mr. Duong Hong Anh, Chairman VIENC Mr. Dinh Vinh Cuong, Actress Mai Thu Huyen, Miss Vietnam Emily Hong Nhung, Chairman Vietnam Cinema Association Mr. Do Lenh Hung Tu, Vietnamese Singer Vo Ha Tram also graced the occasion further enhancing its allure and grandeur.

Avika Gor, Alisha Chinai and Helly Shah

The festival encompassed four significant components that included an Indian Film Festival featuring the World Premiere of 2 Indian Films - Anupam Kher's 'The Signature & Rahat Kazmis Kaya Palat which also were the opening and closing films at the festival and saw full houses. Additionally, the esteemed Indian singer Alisha Chinai whose famous song Made in India holds immense popularity in Vietnam enthralled the audiences with her absolutely mesmerising musical performances.

Speaking to the media after the World Premiere of his film, Actor Anupam Kher said, "It is incredible to get a standing ovation for a Hindi Film in a country like Vietnam where Indian Films are not so popular. But it speaks volumes about the love and affection shown by the people of Vietnam to me, my film and towards Indian Cinema as a whole. I feel that Namaste Vietnam Festival has marked the beginning of a great cultural love story between India & Vietnam."

Furthermore, the representatives from both nations convened for seminars, on pivotal topics like Railway, Tourism & Cinema to further bolster the bonds of friendship and promote enhanced business cooperation & bilateral collaborations.

The "India - Vietnam Railway Cooperation Seminar" saw a large delegation from India headed by Mr. Anshul Gupta and comprising of representatives of big Railway Enterprises from India like Railtel, JMV, GG Tronics, Efftronics, Bitcomm Technologies & Ashoka Buildcon engaging and interacting with the top officials of the Vietnam Railway Authority, Vietnam Railways & MAUR HCMC for exploring opportunities and creating synergies for business cooperation for the betterment and upgradation of Railway Network in Vietnam. Similarly, more than 30 top Tour operators from India met and interacted with more than 50 Tour operators of Vietnam to explore the various opportunities to promote tourism in both the countries during the "India - Vietnam Tourism Cooperation Seminars" held in different cities across Vietnam.

Similarly, more than 30 top Tour operators from India met and interacted with more than 50 Tour operators of Vietnam to explore the various opportunities to promote tourism in both the countries during the "India - Vietnam Tourism Cooperation Seminars" held in different cities across Vietnam.

The most momentous aspect of the festival was the celebration of Indias 76^th Independence Day at the India House - the official residence of the Consul General of India in Vietnam that was attended by more than 1000 eminent personalities from both India & Vietnam as well as Diplomats from across the world.

His Excellency the Consul General of India Dr. Madan Mohan Sethi said, "I am elated to see that the response of the local population of Vietnam towards the second edition of the Namaste Vietnam Festival has been wonderful. I express my sincere gratitude to all the Celebrities from India, the local Government, the Sponsors and the Festival organisers who have done a wonderful job in putting together this fantastic extravaganza of India in Vietnam. My Compliments to everyone who contributed towards the stupendous success of this project."

Consulate General of India Dr. Madan Mohan Sethi, Anupam Kher and Captain Rahul Bali

The delegation from India comprising of Filmstars, Railway Companies and Tour Operators also visited Dalat, Phuyen & HaNam to experience the beauty of these exotic destinations in Vietnam as well as showcase India's outreach to Vietnam's provinces in promoting trade, culture and tourism ties and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

A lot of sponsors and partners expressed their solidarity with the Namaste Vietnam Festival and contributed immensely in organising this mega event. Vietnam Airlines the flag carrier of Vietnam that now connects to major cities in India as well as other parts of the globe with their direct flights and world class services was the Partner Airline of the festival which was supported by Government of Vietnam, VIENC, HUFO, INCHAM, HADUCO, UPL, Charm Group, ANPHAT, Bank of India, Railtel, JMV, Bitcomm, GG Tronics, Efftronics, Ashoka Buildcon, ONGC Videsh, KCP VIL, Godrej, TATA Coffee, Sudima, Benaras Indian Bistro & Namaste India Restaurant. Hotel Rex Saigon, Lein Minh Group Dalat, Stelia Beach Resort Phuyen, Tamchuc Pagoda HaNam & Paradise Suites Hanoi were the official Hospitality Partners of this mega festival of India Vietnam Friendship.

The dynamic Curator of the Festival Captain Rahul Bali signed off in his signature style, "It is my absolute honour to Curate this wonderful festival for the second successive time. This year's festival was a resounding success as we were able to touch upon a number of aspects to boost the bilateral relations between the two countries and enhance people to people relationships. More than 10,000 people from across Vietnam participated in the festival. MOU's were inked, Friendship were fostered, Films were screened, Audiences were entertained, Bonds were created and the Fragrances of India were spread across Vietnam," he said.