July 05, 2025 05:05 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
'Fadnavis did what Balasaheb Thackeray could not...': Raj Thackeray jibes at Maharashtra CM after MNS chief reunites with Uddhav | Modi will bow to Trump's deadline: Rahul Gandhi attacks PM over India-US trade deal | Marathi should be respected but thuggery in the name of language won't be tolerated: Devendra Fadnavis reacts to slapgate | Pune rape: Accused was not delivery boy but complainant's friend, she was angry at him for forced sex, say police | July 4 celebration: Trump signs 'One Big Beautiful Bill' into law | Vijay named as TVK's CM face for upcoming Tamil Nadu polls | India says only Dalai Lama can decide his successor, China responds with warning | Pakistan had 30-45 seconds to respond: Shehbaz Sharif's aide on India's BrahMos attack during Op. Sindoor | Calcutta HC orders closure of all Bengal college union rooms until fresh elections in wake of Kolkata rape case | ‘We will cross that bridge when we come to it’: Jaishankar’s response on US bill proposing 500% tariffs
KIFF

The Show Must Go On: Low-key 26th KIFF inaugurated in Kolkata

| @indiablooms | Jan 08, 2021, at 11:14 pm

Kolkata/IBNS: Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, a low-key 26th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) was inaugurated virtually at the state headquarters Nabanna on Friday.

The inauguration took place in presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, KIFF chairman Raj Chakraborty, Tollywood film personalities, Bollywood filmmaker Anubhav Sinha.

Bollywood superstar and West Bengal brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan, who couldn't fly to the city amid the pandemic, was present at the event virtually.

In a message to his film community, Khan said, "2020 has been the worst of the years all around the world... I have learnt from this pandemic that nothing matters more than the family. When I say family, I don't mean only our children, parents, wives, friends and loved ones but family is an extremely extended one. I feel Kolkata, Bengal and the entire country is my family.

"In 2021, we all in our line of work have to try and make our families happier than may have been in the last year. We have to pledge that whatever we do has to be for the country. We should dedicate this year entertaining all our families throughout the world."

Expressing sadness for not being able to turn up at the inauguration physically, Khan said, "I have been coming to the KIFF inauguration every year since 2011. I feel bad that I couldn't make my physical presence there because of the pandemic."

Raj Chakraborty, who is in charge of the festival for the second consecutive year, said, "All credits for hosting the 26th KIFF amid Covid-19 pandemic go to our Honourable Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The size of the festival has declined but the quality of it remained the same even this year. This year's festival has a bunch of new thoughts."

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stressed on following the Covid-19 protocols while visiting the cinema halls or participating in interactive sessions.

"Whenever people are going to watch a cinema at theatres or participating in interactive sessions, they should wear the mask," Banerjee said.

The latest edition of KIFF, which was about to be held in November, 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic, will run between Jan 8 and 15.

The inaugural film of KIFF will be late legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray's Apur Sansar at Rabindra Sadan at 5 pm on Jan 8.

In total, 81 feature films and 50 short and documentary films from 45 countries will be screened at eight festival venues of Kolkata in eight days.

A special tribute will be paid to Soumitra Chattopadhyay, Fernando Solanas, Kim Ki-duk, Basu Chatterjee, Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Tapas Pal, Amala Shankar and Santu Mukhhopadhyay, who passed away in 2020 leaving their fans to teary eyes.

The Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture this year will be delivered by Article 15 and  Mulk director Anubhav Sinha.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Close menu