JEDDAH: The third edition of the Red Sea Film Festival kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

The 10-day festival will witness the screening of four Pakistani films, including two feature-length movies.

Pakistan`s official Oscars entry, In Flames, is gaining international acclaim. Zarrar Kahn`s film has already won the International Newcomer Award at the 72nd International Film Festival in Mannheim, Heidelberg, Germany, securing a 30,000 euros cash prize.

Another noteworthy Pakistani motion picture, Wakhri One of a Kind by Iram Parveen Bilal, draws inspiration from the tragic story of social media star Qandeel Baloch.Besides these, two short films from Pakistan Solaria by Hira Yousafzai and Eid Mubarak by Mahnoor Euceph will feature in the festival`s annual contest.

Kicking off the festival, the packed Vox Cinema at Red Sea Mall hosted a talk with Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, delving into cinema and his acting beyond his usual cheerful persona. He revealed he was never shy, described by teachers as `voracious` and `gregarious` on report cards, and always entertaining the class.

`It was my grandma who gave me the nudge to be the performer. She would always push me for dancing.

From that first nudge I took the same to my school where I was inclined towards performing arts, theatre, drama and whatnot and continued that into college.

He spoke about the transformative years for Hindi cinema between 2000 and 2010, when the grammar and syntax of films underwent significant changes.

`Especially in 2010 when we started seeing a new wave of filmmakers finding genre-specific sto-ries to tell, but traditionally Hindi movies are multi-genre in which heroes have to do dance, romance and comedy and all,` he said.

He shared a moving experience of watching Rocky and Rani Ki PremKahaniincognito in a cinema at 10pm.

`Witnessing a mother and daughter moved to tears, with the mother resting her head on her daughter`s shoulder, was profoundly fulfilling,` he said, describing acting as ajourney ofself-exploration,expressing his desire to venture into diverse genres and test his versatility.

`Until a few years ago I did not have the mechanism to let go of the character or the emotion of the day,` he said accumulating that he developed several skills to compartmentalise emotions.

`It`s also something I have learnt from my wife and a fine actor herself. She does not bring her work home and that what I have learnt by observing her. She really helps me in my life but also in my work. To have a life partner like that is hugely advantageous as she understands the challenges and difficulties. I am very lucky to have a consummate artiste as a life partner who I can lean on to learn more,` he said.

Ranveer calls Sanjay Leela Bhansali one of the most important creative influences on his craft because working with him taught him about the infinite possibilities in creativity.

`He (Bhansali) deconstructed me, broke me down and made me formless like water,` he said.

Discussing the present cinemalandscape, Ranveer noted significant changes over the past five years, especially in entertainment and post-pandemic. He highlighted the transformative impact of social media, shifting the dynamics of celebrity life with everyone becoming a content creator and performer.

`The films that earlier would find audience in theatre I don`t think the audiences would go to theatre to watch them now, they would rather watch them at home. The theatre belongs for the spectacle, the audio visual, the large canvas and the kinda experience that warrants a giant screen. That`s been the biggest change and it affects realm of entertainment as a whole. My focus is attached to that experience now, he said.

Ranveer discussed pivotal movies in his career, citing Band Baja Baraat as the turning point, propelling him from obscurity to stardom within 72 hours. Highlighting Lootera and Ram Leela in 2013, he addressed initial doubts about his acting prowess.

The festival`s opening ceremony, featuring the Saudi film HWJN, took place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.