Big B, SRK, Salman & Anil Kapoor to grace Kolkata film fest inauguration

Our correspondent

KOLKATA: With just three months to go for the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), preparations are in full swing. Starting December 5, every year KIFF is a huge draw for the film lovers of Kolkata.

Ever since Mamata Banerjee became the Chief Minister, the inaugural programme of the festival has become a much-talked-about event with the who’s who of Indian Cinema gracing the show. This year, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Mahesh Bhatt will be present.

On Wednesday, Banerjee visited the Bachchan residence ‘Jalsha’ in Mumbai and even tied rakhi on the megastar. Later, she confirmed the presence of the Bollywood dignitaries at the 29th KIFF.

“We organise a huge film festival in Kolkata. Without Amitabh Bachchan, our festival is incomplete. I have invited Amitabh Bachchan to our Kolkata International Film Festival. Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan will also be there. Anil Kapoor has also agreed and so has Mahesh Bhatt,” she said. This is for the first time both Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan will be sharing the stage together at KIFF inauguration. Known as the Karan-Arjun pair, both the superstars recently shared screen in SRK-starrer ‘Pathaan’.

This year, the festival will pay tribute to maestro Mrinal Sen on his 100th birth centenary.

Tribute will also be paid to Bollywood icon Dev Anand.

Last year, the inauguration ceremony of the Kolkata film fest saw the presence of Big B, Shah Rukh, Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukherji and Sourav Ganguly.

Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film ‘Abhimaan’ (1973) starring Big B and Jaya Bachchan opened the festival. A retrospective on senior Bachchan, celebrating his life and works was also held.