After Kolkata book fair, Bangladesh to miss participation at 30th KIFF
KOLKATA: After the Kolkata International Book Fair, the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) is also set to miss Bangladesh’s participation. While bibliophiles will lament the absence of the Bangladesh pavilion, a major attraction at the book fair, cinephiles will be disappointed by the lack of Bangladeshi films at this year’s festival. For the last few years, Bangladeshi films have been a constant at the fest.
“The borders may separate the two countries, but Bengalis share the same language and emotions. There’s political developments in Bangladesh and also visa issues. So, there will be no Bangladeshi films at the festival this year. However, we hope the situation improves next year and we get to see their films too,” Gautam Ghose, chairman of 30th KIFF, told the Millennium Post. For Ghose, a multiple National Award-winning filmmaker, the absence of any Bangladeshi film feels like a personal loss too. His iconic 1993 film Padma Nadir Majhi, an Indo-Bangladeshi collaboration, won the UNESCO Award at Cannes and multiple National Awards in both countries. Similarly, his films Moner Manush and Shankachil, also Indo-Bangladeshi productions, earned widespread acclaim both nationally and internationally. “My roots are also in Bangladesh and we have always enjoyed the collaboration between artistes from both sides of the border. Let’s hope situations improve soon,” he said.
Raktim Sengupta, a cinephile and regular attendee of KIFF, recalled standing in queue for over an hour to watch the Bangladeshi film Hawa, starring Chanchal Chowdhury at the 4th Bangladesh Film Festival in 2022. “I still remember being mesmerized by Nonajoler Kabbo in 2020. Bangladesh is producing remarkable content. It’s disheartening that we won’t get to watch their films this year,” Sengupta said.
Nonajoler Kabbo went on to win the Asian Select (NETPAC) Award at the 26th KIFF, while in 2022, Muhammad Quayum’s ‘Kura Pokkhir Shunye Ura’ shared the prestigious Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Film in the International Competition: Innovation in Moving Images category (with a prize of Rs 51 lakh) alongside the Spanish film Upon Entry. Sources revealed that the Bangladeshi film Dear Maloti was submitted to KIFF. However, it will have its Asian premiere at the ongoing International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
