Panaji, Nov 20 (IANS): Getting American actress Susan Sarandon and Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi together on stage is a testimonial to India's strength as a "soft power", union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said Wednesday.

Tewari was addressing a press conference in Panaji a few hours before the inauguration of the 44th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

"We have a filmmaker from Iran and a US actress on one stage. It is a testimony to India's soft power," Tewari said, adding light-heartedly that even the United Nations has not managed such a coup.

While Susan Sarandon is the chief guest at the festival's inauguration ceremony, Majidi is one of the guests of honour.

According to festival director Shankar Mohan, the invitation to the Academy Award winning actress was a part of the plan to up the international profile of the festival.

"We have had Indian film stars at the inauguration ceremony, but it was a conscious decision to invite Susan Sarandon. She is an international star and this is an international event," Mohan said.

Bilateral ties between the US and Iran, which had strained for nearly two decades, witnessed a recent thaw after US President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani held a rare conversation over phone in September over issues related to Iran's nuclear programme.