Governor opens three-day children's film fest

Patna: The three-day children film festival organized by Children's Film Society India (

CFSI

) and Vishwa Samvad Kendra was inaugurated by governor Ram Nath Kovind at

Bharatiya Nritya

Kala Mandri on Wednesday.

"The film on children plays an important role in the learning of the young minds of the country. Apart from art and music, films and filmmaking, workshops also be encouraged at the school level," the governor said and added that children films should also be watched by the parents as "they inspire us as adults". The child actors involved in the filmmaking should be encouraged.

"I hope the next time the organizer should hold such film festival on a larger scale," the governor said.

Sunil Goenka, who looks after CFSI's public relation, said the festival, named Film Bonanza, will showcase films like Gopi Gawaiya

Bagha

Bajaiya by Shilpa Ranade, Ek Tha Bhujang directed by Mohinder Pratap Singh, Rajan Khosla's Gattu, Kaphal directed by Batul Mukhtiyar, Pappu Ki Pugdandi directed by Seema Desai, Krish, Trish & Batliboy directed by Munjal Shroff and Tilakraj Shetty. "The festival will offer wholesome entertainment to the children of Patna," said the CFSI official.

The 78-minute animation film, Gopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya, was screened on the first day. The story is of Gopi and Bagha, two musicians gifted with magical powers by the king of ghosts. It is the Hindi version of the Satyajit Ray's popular Bengali film 'Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen'. More than 100 children from different schools watched the film.

"The movie was entertaining and filled with humour and message of non-violence. The friendship of Gopi and Bagha was the one which invokes a sense of trust that should be cultivated among us. They had given three boons by the king of ghosts when they were wandering in the jungle. They utilized three boons to help the king from his tyrannical brother and the clutches of his minister. This is a movie about friendship and courage to bring peace and harmony," said Alia Ashraf, a student of Class IX from a city school.