For the first time in 17 years, Kolkata Film Festival will not open in the Nandan auditorium.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s mantra of ‘Poribartan’ seems to be in full swing, be it politics or entertainment. The latest ‘Poribartan’, or change, deals with the shifting of the inaugural screening of the 17th Kolkata Film Festival.
For 16 years, since its inception, Nandan Auditorium has been hosting the inaugural screening. However, this year it has been moved to Netaji Indoor Stadium. The mega event, partially funded by the West Bengal government, is the brainchild of the former Left regime. The tussle between the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ now appears to have divided the film fraternity.
The festival organising committee’s decision to shift the venue for the inaugural screening has created a furore. “The screening of the inaugural film will be held at Netaji Stadium instead of Nandan because it is bigger and can accommodate a larger audience,” says Ranjit Mullick, chairman, Film Festival Committee. Netaji Stadium can accommodate over 5,000 people as compared to the 900-seater Nandan auditorium. However, Mullick assures that Nandan would remain the venue of several important films.
But the change of venue has not gone down well with many. The Chief Minister, who also holds the portfolio of the Ministry of Information and Cultural Affairs, had grand plans for renovating the Nandan complex by sanctioning an initial fund of Rs 25 lakh. This was followed by a reshuffle in the festival organising committee as well as the formation of several other committees.
Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattachajee constructed the cultural hub in the heart of the city in 1985 when he was the cultural minister in the Jyoti Basu government. The former CM was personally fond of the Nandan film complex and would frequent the venue after returning from Writer’s Building to unwind over a movie.
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Veteran film director and erstwhile chairperson of the Film Festival Committee, Mrinal Sen, is not convinced that the venue should be shifted simply because the new one is bigger. Sen says that an event such as a film festival should not be judged in terms of numbers; rather it is the experience that counts.
“Despite having lower capacity, Nandan has seen a jam-packed house on the day of the inaugural movie,” says Sen. It used to be a unique experience for movie buffs who wouldn’t hesitate to even share a seat with others, adds Sen.
Sen had been associated with Nandan since its inception. “Nandan was built with state-of-the-art technology and I don’t see any reason to shift the venue, that too to a stadium,” he says and adds that rather than wasting money on shifting venues, the funds could have been utilised for upgrading the Nandan complex.
This year’s festival would also have movie screenings at multiplexes for the first time. In order to reach out to a bigger audience, the organisers have increased the number of venues by adding standalone theatres as well. The inaugural film, it is believed, will be The Magician.
This year’s edition of the international film festival is also expected to be a crowd-puller. The organisers say they are gearing up to welcome crowds in big numbers. Yet, it is the quality of the films that would ultimately draw the audience to the theatres — be it Nandan, Netaji Stadium or any other venue.