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With a bouquet of 127 films from 38 countries, the 16th Kolkata Film Festival, one of the biggest cultural galas of West Bengal, opened here Wednesday.

Ramananda Sengupta, a renowned cinematographer of yesteryears, inaugurated the festival by lighting the ceremonial oil lamp.

'The festival will showcase 127 films from 38 countries. We have tried to reach out to all those countries. In this festival, we have tried to collect all the colours of rainbow,' said West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, while addressing the inaugural function.

The festival will screen films by iconic Japanese director Akira Kurosowa and movies based on stories by Rabindranath Tagore to celebrate his 150th birth anniversary, he added.

'This year we have one more attraction. We will be showing the documentary 'Sikkim' directed by Satyajit Ray,' Bhattacharjee said.

Veteran film director Mrinal Sen and actor Soumitro Chattopadhyay also attended the opening.

A Costa Rican film, 'Of Love and Other Demons', directed by Hilda Hidalgo, kicked off the eight-day carnival, the second oldest film festival of the country.

The film festival will conclude Nov 17.

(IANS)



Long waited kolkata festival has started in city.Get yourself ready for great music, thought-provoking theatre and taste bud-tickling cookery shows till January 31.A opening at the Nicco Park Big Lawns on Saturday has a opportunity for music-lovers. Singer KK will enthral the audience at a programme to be held under the banner of Times of Youth. On Sunday, Runa Laila ( Short note on Runa Laila:Laila sang playback for many movies in Bangladesh and India and, before the independence of Bangladesh, in Pakistan. She is especially known for her songs “Dama Dam Mast Qalandar” and “Mera Babu Chhail Chhabeela Main to Nachoongigi,” which have been covered by numerous artists.) will transport the audience back to the Eighties with her evergreen hits at the same venue.

Later more music and high-voltage drama to come up at the GD Birla Sabhagar(Location:29 Ashutosh Chowdhury Avenue Calcutta -19 kolkata. Tel: 24747449,24615579).

Munawar Masoom and Niyazi Brothers will perform qawalis on January 25, theatre personality Rajesh Gopie will take the stage over the play Out of Bounds’.

Celebrities like Chiranjib Chatterjee, Rajesh Dubey and Manoj Ashwal shall be seen dishing out mouth-watering fare at restaurants like Afraa and Mainland China. Shabana Azmi and Farooque Sheikh will come together to deliver yet another memorable performance of Tumhari Amrita (A Hindi play directed by Feroz Abbas Khan)

Rajasthani Roots will perform fusion music on January 29 at the Tollygunge Club Lawns (Tollygunge Club is an all in one club which is based in a place called Tollygunj or simply Tolly. The club is famous for the variety of facilities which it offers. This club situated at southern Kolkata boasts of a 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, squash courts, billiards and pool, recreation and health club, mini indoor as well as a an Olympic size outdoor swimming pool, Equestrian specialties etc. )

Shubha Mudgal will belt out her fusion numbers in the backdrop of the magnificent Prinsep Ghat on January 30 under the “Dharohar” section of the festival.Baul band Brahmakhyapa will charm the audience at South City Mall(Prince Anwar Shah Rd, Jadavpur, Kolkata, West Bengal, India).

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar shall stage for Kaifi Aur Main (About the Theatrical Show: Kaifi Aur Main:Kaifi Aur Main is a theatrical collage based on the reminiscences of Kaifi and Shaukat. Scripted by Javed Akhtar, the narrative traces Kaifi and Shaukat’s journey of life from childhood in Mijwan; their unusual romance culminating in a marriage that lasted 55 years; life in Bombay in the 50s; the Progressive Writer’s Movement; Kaifi’s social and cultural activism; his path-breaking work as a lyricist in Hindi cinema; his fight against life-threatening illness; and their relentless fight to make Mijwan a place of progress. Kaifi Aur Main is also a celebration of Kaifi Azmi’s poetry and his unparalleled contribution to Indian Cinema. Written by Javed Akhtar. Starring Shabana Azmi & Javed Akhtar. Direction by Ramesh Talwar.) in evening at GD Birla Sabhagar

The festival comes to an end with renowned band Saptakshara setting the stage on fire at the Prinsep Ghat on January 31. Percussionists Vikku Vinayakram and Selvaganesh, Pandit Jasraj, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Swapan Chaudhuri will also perform the same evening.

Original News Source: timesofindia