Since the first Indian film ‘Raja Harishchandra’, movies have been an integral part of India—culturally and economically. There have been several film festivals where talented actors, directors, writers and other professionals related to the film industry are felicitated. Among them is the Kolkata International Film Festival. The opening ceremony of the 29th edition of the festival was a starry affair—here’s all about it!
Kolkata International Film Festival 2023
Mamata Banerjee said that Shah Rukh Khan couldn’t attend Kolkata International Film Festival (#KIFF2023) this year because of Suhana Khan’s The Archies film premiere tonight pic.twitter.com/NaJPubQx7v
— sohom (@AwaaraHoon) December 5, 2023
It is the third-oldest international film festival in India, having been established in 1995. Under the auspices of the West Bengal Government, the festival is run by the West Bengal Film Centre. Kolkata saw the opening of the 29th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) on Tuesday. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, Sourav Ganguly, and Mahesh Bhatt were among the prominent individuals who attended the inaugural event.
This year, Shah Rukh Khan, who has always attended KIFF, will not be present at the event. Sourav Ganguly took SRK’s spot as the West Bengal brand ambassador earlier this year. The Kolkata International Film Festival 2023 will screen 219 films from 39 nations in 23 sites in Kolkata until December 12th. In fact, 50 are documentaries and short films, while 72 are feature films.
Also, 13 films are competing for Golden Royal Bengal Trophies in the International Competition (Innovation in Moving Images) category. The prizes for Best Film and Best Director are ₹51 lakh and ₹21 lakh, respectively.
Also Read: All About 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) In Goa
Laurence Kardish will give the prestigious Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture on December 9. A masterclass on acting and directing will also be led by actors Manoj Bajpayee and Sudhir Mishra. Kennedy, directed by Anurag Kashyap and featuring Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat in the key roles, will also be shown during the festival.
Dancing With Stars & Remembering Big B, King Khan
#SalmanKhan dances with Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and Mahesh Bhatt at Kolkata International Film Festival pic.twitter.com/fN2PKE22wM
— Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) December 5, 2023
Salman Khan, Mahesh Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, Sonakshi, Shatrughan Sinha, and Mamata were all seen dancing in the viral video, while Sourav Ganguly was seen clapping next to them. He impressed everyone with his ‘Dabangg’ hook step and everyone was grooving to the music!
Salman Khan expressed his amazement at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s simple home, arguing that it demonstrated that one does not require much to survive. He paid a visit to Banerjee’s home in the Kalighat neighbourhood during the opening ceremony of the Kolkata International Film Festival, which was his most recent trip to Kolkata.
At the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival’s opening ceremony, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee expressed gratitude towards Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, who were absent.
The absence of both stars was felt this year, Banerjee remarked, as the event got underway on December 5. She revealed that although SRK is preoccupied with his daughter’s movie marketing, Big B was unable to attend because of health issues. She also highlighted the close relationship that exists between Bollywood and Tollywood, emphasising the affection and camaraderie that these two industries have.
Also Read: Unleash Your Love For Horror Movies At This First-Of-A-Kind Horror Film Festival Happening In Mumbai
This year’s film festival is like always a big deal for the film fraternity and we hope it will be a success!
Cover Image Courtesy: Kolkata Film Festival/ Instagram
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