The 17th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM 2026) has kicked off on August 13, 2026. On Day 1, the festival hosted the grand opening night and the starry red carpet awards night at the Palais Theatre at St Kilda in Melbourne, with Rani Mukerji, Rishab Shetty, Dulquer Salmaan, Rekha, Kirti Kulhari, Vijay Varma and Rasika Dugal among others taking home the evening’s top honours.

Indian cinema has often turned to mythology, folklore, and spiritual beliefs for inspiration. In recent years, several films based on local deities and regional legends have found both critical acclaim and box-office success. Suriya's Karuppu recently received rave reviews for being on similar theme. As it is all set to arrive on OTT, have a look at these must-watch deity based folklore