KIFF 2023: Salman Khan and Mamata Banerjee dance at the opening ceremony
The 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) kicked off at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, yesterday. Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, who were regular faces at KIFF, weren't present at the inaugural ceremony.
Earlier this year, Sourav Ganguly replaced SRK as the West Bengal brand ambassador.
Salman Khan was present as one of the chief guests at the programme. Apart from the "Tiger 3" star, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, Sourav Ganguly and Mahesh Bhatt were also present. The guests were felicitated with special commemorative trophies at the event.
On Tuesday, as Salman Khan made his entrance alongside the chief minister and appeared on the giant screen, the crowd erupted in cheers. When he took the stage to speak, he patiently waited as the enthusiastic whistles and applause, fueled by video clips showcasing his hit films, continued for a while.
Asked to speak following Sourav Ganguly, Shatrughan and Sonakshi Sinha, Mahesh Bhatt, and Anil Kapoor, Salman expressed his complaint: "The seniors have exhausted me. There's nothing left for me to say. Do you want me to repeat the same thing? No, right? Thank you very much," he stated, attempting to return to his seat. However, the crowd insisted he stay. Upon his return, after asking "Kemon achho?" (How are you?), he withdrew again, stating "Baas" (That's enough). The crowd protested once more.
One of the viral videos from the ceremony captures Salman Khan and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dancing in sync on stage. Anil Kapoor, Mahesh Bhatt, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, and others joined them. Salman and Sonakshi, known for their roles in "Dabangg", entertained the audience by performing the film's signature step, prompting cheers from the crowd.
The festival will run until December 12 and this year it will feature 219 films representing 39 countries across 23 venues in Kolkata.
This selection includes 72 feature films, 50 short films and documentaries. In the International Competition (Innovation in Moving Images) category, thirteen films will compete for Golden Royal Bengal Trophies in the Best Film and Best Director categories, offering prize money of Rs 51 lakh and Rs 21 lakh, respectively.
This year's spotlight is on Spain as the focus country, featuring six films, while Australia takes special focus. Two renowned filmmakers from Down Under, Bruce Beresford and Rolf de Heer, are in attendance. A retrospective of Beresford's work includes the screening of six films, including the Academy Award-winning "Driving Miss Daisy".
Centenary tributes will honour Mrinal Sen, Dev Anand, Senegalese director-producer-writer Ousmane Sembene, Charlton Heston, Richard Attenborough, Lindsay Anderson, as well as singer Mukesh and lyricist Shailendra through the screening of the Basu Bhattacharya film "Teesri Kasam".
The Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture, scheduled for December 9 at Sisir Mancha, will be delivered by Laurence Kardish, the curator of New York's Museum of Modern Art.
On Wednesday (today), two exhibitions dedicated to Mrinal Sen and Dev Anand will be inaugurated at the Nandan foyer and Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshashala, respectively.