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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee remembered superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan at the inaugural ceremony of 29th Kolkata International Film Festival as they gave it a miss.
As the festival kicked off on December 5, Banerjee said that the absence of both actors was deeply felt this year. She shared that Big B couldn't come because of health reasons, while SRK is busy with her daughter's film promotion. She also emphasized the strong bond between Tollywood and Bollywood, highlighting the love and friendship shared between the two industries. On Tuesday, superstar Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, Mahesh Bhatt and Sourav Ganguly attended the opening ceremony of the film festival at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in the City of Joy. The current edition is slated to run till December 12 and has on showcase 219 films from 39 countries across 23 venues in Kolkata. Among them, 72 are feature films, and 50 are short films and documentaries. Tuesday's ceremony began with a special performance by a group of artistes. The guests also did not leave a chance to enthrall the audience as they grooved to the festival's theme song along with Mamata Banerjee. Salman, like always, stole everyone's attention with his Dabangg hook step. Speaking on the occasion, Anil Kapoor said, "Kolkata, for me, is not just a city. It's a sensory experience. A journey and a treasure trove of memories that have shaped my career and love for cinema." He also remembered Satyajit Ray's renowned film Nayak (1966), starring Uttam. "Uttam Kumar is a mahanayak," Anil added. The Kolkata Film Festival was organised for the first time in 1995. But it was opened for the public in 2011. (ANI)
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