Mumbai: It’s the beginning of the festival season and one of the best attended film festivals around the world, the Berlin Film Festival, will see the world premiere of Pink Panther 2. This year, Pink Panther 2 will be amongst the premieres of other films including Dame Judi Dench and Jude Law starrer Rage, Theo Angelopoulos’s The Dust of Time, Chen Kaige’s  Mei Lanfang, Oren Moverman’s debut film The Messenger starring Ben Foster, Julianne Moore starrer The Private Lives of Pippa Lee and Kate Winslet starrer The Reader.

The festival is scheduled to open on 5 February with the world premiere screening of The International, starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. It is learnt that over 20,000 people are to be present at the film festival this year with over 120 countries being present. The Golden Bear this year along with homage at the film festival is being conferred upon Maurice Jarre, legendary composer and winner of multiple Academy awards.

"We are very pleased to be able to present new films by renowned directors and exciting young filmmakers, many of the films we’ve chosen explore the globalized world and its impact on people’s private lives. These works tell of meaningful encounters, resistance, as well as traumatic experiences. International crises are reflected in them, but also the hope that a better world is possible. Besides, towards the end of the festival the Pink Panther will save the world again with humour," says Festival director Dieter Kosslick.

The presence of Pink Panther 2 at the film festival is a joyous occasion for India too as it sees Aishwarya Rai Bachchan cast in opposite Steve Martin as Sonia. Apart from this, as Businessofcinema.com reported earlier Anurag Kashyaps’ Gullal has also been sent to the festival. With the world premiere of Pink Panther 2 at the festival, one expects to see Aishwarya Rai walk the red carpet.