Alankrita Srivastava's "Lipstick Under My Burkha" kickstarted the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2017 that aims to highlight the diversity in Indian cinema.

"It was indeed a great pleasure to host the Australian premiere of 'Lipstick Under My Burkha'. The audience was thrilled to have seen a film that has literally redefined the way women oriented content has been shaping up in India for the past few years," said Mitu Bhowmick, founder of IFFM, in a statement received here on Friday.

"Alankrita and Konkona graced the opening night and also addressed questions of the curious audience post the film. We are happy to have 'Lipstick' as the opening night film because the film doesn't only entertain but also makes us think," Bhowmick added.

The festival, which started on Thursday, will be showcasing films with inspiring stories and experiences.

It has a line-up of over 60 Bollywood films, indie films and short films in 20 different languages, which are from India and the subcontinent, including over 30 Australian premieres, read the statement from the fest organisers.

Besides screenings, the fest will also hold several special events including flag hoisting event, master classes, Telstra Bollywood Dance Competition, screening at Dandenong and a special awards night.

Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be hoisting the Indian national flag at the Federation Square in Melbourne. She will also be felicitated for her contribution to global cinema.

Aishwarya also met Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria, Australia, with Bhowmick.

Guests including Karan Johar, Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao, Adil Hussain, Malaika Aroa, Nitesh Tiwari and Vikram Phadnis are attending the fest.