New-look film festival comes closer to Kolkata's heart

KOLKATA: The city's signature cultural event shed its intellectual tag and slipped into a glitzy, colourful garb on Thursday, oozing glamour with stars and basking in the warmth of an appreciation and popularity surge.
The 17th edition of the Kolkata Film Festival (KFF) surpassed all its previous editions on the inaugural day itself, thanks to a series of 'firsts' it notched up.Apart from a new venue - Netaji Indoor Stadium - and an extended cultural programme, the festival had Bollywood badshah Shah Rukh Khan and actor Sharmila Tagore flagging it off in the company of a string of Tollywood stars and chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The thousands who filled the stands loved it, whistling, clapping and cheering wildly everytime the stars, especially SRK, took the mike.
Later in the evening, he was invited by Mamata to take on the role of Bengal's brand ambassador. The chief minister also used the occasion to make a plea to industrialists to invest in Bengal.
It couldn't have been bigger or more flashy, a far cry from the low-key begginings that have been the trademark of Kolkata film festivals so far. The crowd, too, was raucous rather than genteel. A deafening roar went up as SRK, dressed nattily in a black suit and wearing a pony tail, walked into the stadium even as composer Abraham Mazumdar was conducting his orchestra.
After the intial round of introduction, SRK was led to the stage by Mamata, with one exhorting the other to climb the stairs first. Eventually, SRK followed Didi to the dais. They were soon joined by a string of Tollywood biggies - Prosenjit, Supriya Devi, Gautam Ghose, Ranjit Mullick, Aparna Sen, Haradhan Bandopadhyay, Sabitri Chatterjee, Sandhya Roy and Sandip Ray. Each of them was felicitated.
Seated next to Mamata, the Bollywood superstar seemed to be soaking in the atmosphere. He often left his chair to help the elderly actors climb the dais and was warmly hugged by Supriya Devi. "It's nice to be at the Kolkata Film Festival. I have been coming to the city more frequently over the past five-six years. Now, I have come to appreciate the culture, literature and cinema of this region. This is the city that has produced greats like Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Sharmila Tagore and several others. I have been acquinting myself with the culture of Kolkata and it's time to take it to the rest of the country," Shah Rukh said.
Wishing international guests a pleasant stay in the city of joy, the Bollywood star encouraged them to take time off from watching films and go around the city and the state. "Please make sure to breathe in the air of this city and the state. You will be left enriched," he said.
In her address, Sharmila Tagore paid a glowing tribute to the city's film culture. "I remember an India International Film Festival in Kolklata 35 years ago, where Satyajit Ray was the chief guest. He narrated how Kolkatans would queue up to watch a Goddard or a Bunuel film. That passion about cinema still remains, but in the age of Internet and DVDs, film-watching has changed. We perhaps need to redefine film viewing," she said. Referring to the city, Sharmila said it remains her home. "This is where I went to school, acted in my first film and met my husband," she said.
Mamata Banerjee said the festival was a tribute to "Tollywood, Bollywood and Hollywood". "Kolkata, as you know, is the cultural hub of the country and has a strong film culture. I am sure you would find that out during your stay and enjoy the visit," she told the visiting delegates. The chief minister specially thanked the delegates from "Turaska" (Turkey) for making it to the festival despite the natural calamity that struck the country recently.
The inaugural programme was followed by the screening of Dutch film "The Magicians".