Kolkata International Film Festival Opening Ceremony Live: Salman Khan and other Bollywood celebrities attended the 29th KIFF.29th Kolkata International Film Festival 2023 Live Updates: The opening ceremony of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata. The event saw West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, Sourav Ganguly and Mahesh Bhatt, among others, in attendance.
Shah Rukh Khan, who has been a regular at KIFF, is not attending the ceremony this year. Earlier this year, SRK was replaced by Sourav Ganguly as the West Bengal brand ambassador.
Running until December 12, Kolkata International Film Festival 2023 will showcase 219 films from 39 countries across 23 venues in Kolkata. Among them, 72 are feature films, and 50 are short films and documentaries. In the International Competition (Innovation in Moving Images) category, thirteen films will vie for Golden Royal Bengal Trophies in the Best Film and Best Director categories, with prize money of Rs 51 lakh and Rs 21 lakh, respectively.
On December 9, the esteemed Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Laurence Kardish. Additionally, actors Manoj Bajpayee and Sudhir Mishra will lead a masterclass session on acting and direction. Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy, starring Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhat in lead roles, will also be screened during the festival.
(Express photos by Parth Paul)
(Express photos by Parth Paul)
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan inaugurated the 29th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, Salman playfully took a dig at Shatrughan Sinha, Anil Kapoor and Mahesh Bhatt for stealing everything he had thought of including in his speech. Salman also hailed KIFF and called it one of the biggest film festivals he has ever been to.
Bollywood star Anil Kapoor, speaking on the occasion, heaped praise on Kolkata and Bengali cinema. "Kolkata, for me, is not just a city. It's a sensory experiecne. A journey and a treasure trove of memories that have shaped my career and love for cinema," the Animal star said emphasising that Kolkata has left a lasting impact on cinema. Calling ace Bengali actor, producer, director, screenwriter, composer and playback singer Uttam Kumar as an institution, Anil remembered Satyajit Ray's renowned film Nayak (1966), starring Uttam. "Uttam Kumar is a mahanayak," he added.
Mentioning that this is the age of reverse-mentoring, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt urged the film industry seniors and veterans, including him, to be open to learn from the youngsters.
The inaugural ceremony of the 29th KIFF witnessed the attendance of Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha. Speaking on the occasion, she thanked West Bengal for giving her the character Pakhi Roy Chaudhary from Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera. The film's story was set in Manikpur, West Bengal in 1953.
While addressing the gathering during the inaugural ceremony of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), actor, Asansol Lok Sabha MP and All India Trinamool Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha remembered late Bengali actor and director Samit Bhanja and paid tribute to him. The two worked together in the film Jaban.
Mentioning that this is his third time attending the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and ex-cricketer Sourav Ganguly said that the event has become a monumental one wherein people from various parts of the country take part. He also thanked all the organisers, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, for inviting him.
During the inauguration of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took the gathering by surprise as she danced to the music of KIFF's signature film, which she conceptualised. Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Saurav Ganguly, Mahesh Bhatt and Sonakshi Sinha also joined the CM.
The signature film of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was screened during the opening ceremony organised in Kolkata on Tuesday. The film was conceptualised and designed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while Arijit Singh lent his voice to the song in it.
The organisers of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival felicitated film stars and honorable guests Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, and Sourav Ganguly, among others, by presenting them with special commemoration trophies.
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other dignitaries, lighted the auspicious lamp, marking the official inauguration of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).
Following a special performance by a group of artistes, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led the guests, including Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Saurav Ganguly, Mahesh Bhatt and Sonakshi Sinha, onto the stage for the formal inauguration of the film festival.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee join artistes in singing the state song "Banglar Mati Banglar Jol".
Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, Mahesh Bhatt and Sourav Ganguly also attend Kolkata International Film Festival 2023.
Salman Khan has arrived for Kolkata International Film Festival 2023.