NEW DELHI: ‘Bombay Talkies‘, the closing film of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IIFM) received a rare honour by receiving a standing ovation by a 600 member strong audience.

"We could not have wished for a better closing night movie than Bombay Talkies, making its Australian debut only three days after receiving a gala screening in Cannes. The response to the screening has been beyond expectation" said IFFM festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange.

An anthology of four short films by four of India‘s most exciting directors - Anurag Kashyap, Dibakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Karan Johar - Bombay Talkies was the icing on the cake for the festival‘s own celebrations of 100 years of Indian cinema, and the packed audience loved it.

"That was incredible. We saw aspects of India we rarely see, and could identify with every story," said one fan. "It was a real eye-opener about India, and Indian cinema. The gay kiss was refreshing to see too! And the film extremely confronting, especially coming from a mainstream film maker like Karan Johar", said Leima Popal who is an avid Bollywood fan.

Following a long standing ovation, Aussies could be heard singing the Bombay Talkies song on their way out.