Babus in queue for Ray146;s Cannes date, not his cast

On May 12, Satyajit Ray8217;s Pather Panchali will be screened at Cannes, kicking off its Classic section, but the people most closely asso...

On May 12, Satyajit Ray8217;s Pather Panchali will be screened at Cannes, kicking off its Classic section, but the people most closely associated with the film won8217;t be there.

Missing from the venue, thanks to an embarrassing goof-up, would be the I038;B Ministry8217;s star guests: Censor Board chief Sharmila Tagore, who started her career in the legendary Apu trilogy, Ray8217;s son Sandip and his favourite actor Soumitra Chatterjee.

Without them, the Indian presence on the big day would be a clutch of babus, including a senior I038;B Ministry official.

To be screened on its 50th birthday8212;49 years after it won a Cannes award8212;Pather Panchali will be the only Indian film at this festival.

While Tagore has refused to go, saying the tickets handed to her would mean a day8217;s wait at the Mumbai airport and footing the fare for the two-hour trip from Nice to Cannes, Sandip and Chatterjee are yet to get official invites.

At the same time, a sizeable contingent of government officials is busy finalising plans to attend the screening, including officials from the National Film Development Council, chief of Directorate of Film Festivals and the Ministry official.

The I038;B Minister himself may head the contingent but sources said Jaipal Reddy8217;s trip 8216;8216;is still tentative8217;8217;. Reddy was unavailable for comment.

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Tagore confirmed to The Indian Express that she won8217;t be going.

8216;8216;My travelling agent called me today to say I would be required to spend an entire day at the Mumbai airport she will reach there from New Delhi to take the plane to Paris. After that, I would have to make my own arrangements to reach Cannes from Nice, a good two-hour journey,8217;8217; she said.

8216;8216;I am Sharmila Tagore and I am 60. Had I been 18, I would have agreed to spend an entire day at the airport. I cannot do it now,8217;8217; said Tagore.

The Censor Board chief wanted a direct ticket from Delhi to Paris, which the Ministry was not able to provide, citing 8216;8216;budgetary constraints8217;8217;.

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As per government rules, an official is allowed 400 euros on such trips as daily allowance and for accommodation, roughly equivalent to Rs 21,600.

Ray8217;s son Sandip Ray said he has not heard from Ministry officials. 8216;8216;I am yet to be formally invited by the government. In any case, it is too late now to go,8217;8217; he said.

Ray8217;s hero, Chatterjee, said it8217;s too late for him, too.

8216;8216;I8217;m yet to be formally invited. And now even if an invitation comes, I will not be able to go since I have other professional commitments,8217;8217; he said.

With Shamik Bag, Kolkata