India Habitat Centre’s annual Habitat Film Festival kicked off on May 8 in the city with the opening screening of Margarita, With A Straw directed by Shonali Bose and starring Kalki Koechlin. Kalki enthusiastically interacted with the audience. Post screening she presented her views, discussed some issues and shared her anecdotes while the movie was shot.
An exhibition titled Rhythm, Raga and Melody in collaboration with National Film Archive of India, Pune was also inaugurated by Kalki Koechlin, Bauddhayan Mukherji – Director of Bengali movie Teen Kahon, Rakesh Kacker – Director, India Habitat Centre, and Vidyun Singh – Programme Director, India Habitat Centre at the Convention Centre Foyer just before the opening screening. The exhibition of around 90 films posters highlights the contribution of music in Hindi Cinema.
The other film which was screened on Day one was Bauddhayan Mukherji directed Bengali movie Teen Kahon. It seemed that it touched the audience immensely and the post screening interaction was lively.
One of the highly anticipated and most loved events of the Habitat cultural calendar, the film festival showcases the Best of Pan-Indian Cinema from the past year.
This year it will feature 48 films in 13 languages presenting some fresh and innovative storylines, stunning cinematography, veteran actors and directors, rising stars and award winning performances of 2014-2015 apart from 19 National Award Winning Films.
A major attraction of this edition of the Habitat Film Festival is the Kamal Haasan retrospective. Kamal Haasan’s retrospective showcase his amazing multifaceted talent with Vishwaroopam, Ek Duje Ke Liye, Sadma, Chachi 420 and Saagar, Hey Ram (in Hindi) and Virumandi, Nagayan and Eenadu (in Tamil) and opened on May 9 with an interaction with the star followed by the screening of Vishwaroopam.
Over the next 10 days, Habitat Film Festival will see the screening of several outstanding films including Marana Dandane (Kannada), Bey Yaar (Gujarati), Lajwanti and Gour Hari Dastaan (Hindi), Quolf (Kashmiri), Shukha Asuchi (Oriya), Elizabeth Ekadasi & Ek Hazarachi Note (Marathi), Ottal (Malayalam),
Qissa, Punjab 1984 and Chaar Sahibzaade (Punjabi), Pallepfam(Manipuri), among a host of other films from various regions and languages.