Panaji (Goa) [India], November 28 (ANI): The nine-day 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) came to an end today in Goa, with the closing ceremony held at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium near Panaji on Monday evening.

The closing ceremony of the film festival saw Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur's speech highlighting every prospect of his vision. Not just this! He also addressed his viewpoint on Israel and India's relationship in the presence of the makers of the mega-hit Netflix series 'Fauda'. Thakur stated, "The Netflix series FAUDA has been a hit in India and received a thunderous reception during the IFFI premier of their 4th season. Israel and India can be leading partners to propel the creative economy sector."He further said, "Israel and India are both leading startup destinations of the world, especially in the Tech sector. India and Israel share an extraordinary bond. In the times ahead I am confident we'll see collaborative productions, untold captivating stories and cutting-edge innovation emerging. This is just the beginning of our creative economies! When hearts and minds meet; a thrilling story awaits us! After watching Fauda, I realise it's the right time to forge a relationship with Israel".

On Sunday, Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, creators of the famous Israeli series 'Fauda', visited India to attend the Asia premiere of the fourth season of their hit project at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

Fauda, which means "chaos" in Arabic, first debuted on Israel's Yes network in 2015 and subsequently streamed worldwide on Netflix. The show focuses on the Israel and Palestine conflict.

Bollywood celebrities Asha Parekh, Ayushman Khurana, Manushi Chhillar, Esha Gupta, Rana Duggubati, Anand Rai and others attended the IFFI closing ceremony. (ANI)