Dilip Guha, New Delhi: The annual Indo-Bangla Movie Festival is all set to celebrate its fifth anniversary from February 16th to 18th, 2024 at Siri Fort Auditorium II in New Delhi. This premier event celebrates the vibrant and diverse film cultures of India and Bangladesh and promises to captivate audiences with its carefully curated selection of films. As a venue, the Siri Fort Auditorium II offers state-of-the-art facilities and amenities that are sure to enhance the overall festival experience. Attendees can look forward to an immersive and engaging program that showcases the very best of Bengali cinema.
Films from India and Bangladesh, featuring regional language filmmakers’ cultural traditions and unique storytelling, will be showcased in the film festival organized by Purple Touch Creatives in association with Probhas Kalyani Priti Trust.
To mention, Purple Touch Creatives was founded in 2009 to be the ultimate destination for all creative advertising, events, and promotional needs. With their innovative film and educational initiatives, they are now leading the way in promoting contemporary Indian art and culture.
The Prabhas Kalyani Priti Trust is a charity trust that is dedicated to promoting education, art, and culture. This socio-cultural institution has earned a well-deserved reputation for its credibility and respectability. Its reputation as a credible and reputable socio-cultural institution is well-established.
The festival takes great care in choosing the films that will be showcased in order to represent the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the participating nations.
Talking to this reporter the Festival Director, Shri Asish Ranjan Das, says unequivocally that the movie festival is an exceptional space for individuals who are committed to creating art and preserving culture. The festival aims to foster renewed conversations and celebrate the art forms. Furthermore, each screening will be followed by Question and Answer sessions where the audience can participate, making the event more interactive.
“The festival tries to bring together a diverse cross-section of people, including cinephiles, filmmakers, artists, writers, and journalists, fostering camaraderie over films and conversations”.
“Additionally, a lifetime achievement award will be presented to Srimati Mamata Shankar, a national award-winning actress and dancer whose film Bijoyar Pore directed by Abhijit Sridas will also be screened during the festival he added.
He informs some notable attendees of the event will be Gautam Ghose, Chanchal Chowdhury, Koushik Ganguly, Rima Das, Swastika Mukherjee, Shiboprosad Mukherjee, Nandita Roy, Abhijit Sridas, Tathagata Bhattacharjee, Sudeshna Bhattacharya, Prasant Saikia, Jaya Ahsan, Urmila Mahanta, and others.
The festival will open up with the screening of Kaushik Ganguly’s movie “Ardhangini”. It was featured at the 54th IFFI Indian Panorama section. It’s a story of a young rebellious woman against gender stereotypes and an orthodox man who falls in love with each other.
The festival will also feature a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Mrinal Sen in his birth centenary with the screening of the movie “Palan”, directed by Kaushik Ganguly.
Two films from Bangladesh will be screened at the event. The first one is “Padma Nadir Majhi”, a joint production of India and Bangladesh, directed by the world-renowned director Gautam Ghose. The second one is a Bangladeshi supernatural thriller film called ‘Debi’ (Goddess). It is based on a novel by Humayun Ahmed and directed by Anam Biswas.
Another film is ‘Raktabeej’ released in 2023. This Indian Bengali-language action thriller is co-written and directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee. The plot is inspired by the true events of the 2014 Burdwan Blast, which had a deep impact on Bengal and the nation. The movie features talented actors such as Victor Banerjee, Abir Chatterjee, and Mimi Chakraborty in the lead roles.
‘Akorik’ is a Bengali-language family drama film directed by Tathagata Bhattacherjee also to be screened. Released in 2023 and stars Victor Banerjee and Rituparna Sengupta in lead roles.
The festival will showcase two highly anticipated Assamese films. “Tora’s Husband” is a 2022 Indian Assamese language film that has been written, shot, edited, produced, and directed by Rima Das. This film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in the prestigious Platform Prize section. It was subsequently screened at the Asian Premiere at Busan International Film Festival 2022, followed by the Indian Premiere at Kolkata International Film Festival 2022.
“Guwahati Diaries”, on the other hand, by Prasant Saikia, is a series of vignettes that focus on Guwahati locals seeking love and happiness. The movie’s primary premise is about achieving success in a fast-paced city. It delves into the predominantly negative side of ambition, lust, and power.
This Indo-Bangla Film Festival promises to be a celebration of cinematic excellence and cultural diversity and is sure to attract a diverse audience of film lovers and industry professionals alike.