In a surprise move, IFFI organisers here screened the Pakistan-Bangladesh partition drama 'Children of War' as a last minute addition to the festival, claiming that they wanted to gauge the response of the audience towards the critically-acclaimed movie.
The film starring Victor Banerjee, Farooque Sheikh and Raima Sen, was a last minute entry in the bouquet of films being screened at the ongoing IFFI.
The organisers of the festival said though the film deals with sensitive issues of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War but they had no problem screening it.
"We put 'Children of War' in our film screening section to get an audience response," said Director of Film Festival Shankar Mohan and shot back "hasn't the film been released in India? So what's the problem? It is not under any particular section."
The Mrityunjay Dewrat-drected film is being screened at a time when India-Pak relations are at alow.
The film shows the Pakistan army in a bad light.
Mohan said the film's last minute entry is not an exception as in the past few Konkani-language films were also introduced in the same way.
He said the organisers will also get an overall audience feedback about the festival so that the loopholes can be plugged.
