Mrinal stays away, Sunil attends fest

KOLKATA: Veteran film-maker Mrinal Sen stayed away from the star-studded inauguration of the Kolkata Film Festival. The 87-year-old director, who was a regular at the festival till last year, turned down an invitation to attend the inaugural programme. Known to be critical of the Mamata Banerjee government, Sen, however, was not followed by others like author Sunil Gangopadhyay and actor Sabyasachi Chakraborty - both of whom had so far distanced themselves from government-sponsored meets.
Sen, though, will inaugurate an exhibition of still photographs by Satyajit Ray at the Gaganendra Pradarshashala, next to the Nandan complex, on Friday. The exhibition is being organized as a tribute to the master at the festival.
"I won't be attending the inauguration. I will be at Nandan, though, on Friday after the inauguration of the Ray exhibition. His son Sandip requested me to do it and I have agreed. So, I will be visiting Nandan as well but I don't know if I will be able to catch up a film this week. But I would certainly like to watch "Faust" by Georgian director Sokurav towards the end of the festival," Sen told ToI on Thursday.
Peeved at not being kept in the loop, Sen - a member of the festival committee - had blasted the organizers for being discourteous. He would prefer to attend the Cine Central film festival that gets underway on November 11, Sen had said. "I would still be visiting the Cine Central festival and watching a few films there. At this age, it's difficult for me to watch several films in a row but I will give it an attempt. As for the Kolkata festival, I am yet to go through the entire list of films. As I said, I would be watching a film," he said.
Those present on the dais during Thursday's inauguration were the usual Mamata loyalists. From Ranjit Mallik to Sandhya Roy and from Supriya Debi to Sabitri Chatterjee, didi's own brigade took the spotlight. Then there were others like Prosenjit Chatterjee and veteran Haradhan Bandopadhyay who rarely attended cultural meets during the Left rule. But it was Sunil Gangopadhyay who left many stumped by walking into the Netaji Indoor. An official admitted that organizers were indeed stunned to see him. "It was perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening," he said.
The author said he "thoroughly enjoyed" the evening. "I have not been able to visit the film festival for some years due to other commitments. Fortunately, I reached Kolkata yesterday and was able to make it this time. I have never consciously kept myself away from the new government's programs. I have no such inhibitions. The idea to hold the show at a bigger venue was a good one. The show, though a lot different and more glamorous was a good one. But it could have been cut short," he said.
Sen, on the other hand, refused to explain why he didn't attend the inauguration. He made it clear, though, that his absence should not be interpreted as some kind of protest. "It's a personal decision and I will be there at the Ray exhibition which is very much a part of the festival," Sen added.
At the glitzy inaugural programme graced by Bollywood badshah Shah Rukh Khan and yesteryear glamour queen Sharmila Tagore, Sen's name was repeatedly mentioned. If Sharmila Tagore paid a glowing tribute to Kolkata's film culture by referring to Satyajit Ray and 'Mrinal da", SRK, too, named Sen along with the "great Satyajit Ray" as those who have taken Kolkata to the top of the country's cultural ladder. "It's time that the culture, literature and films from this part of the country were taken to other regions. It will help enrich the cultural ethos of the country," said SRK.