Salman Khan and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on stage
Salman Khan was one of the chief guests at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival 2023 opening ceremony, held in Kolkata on Tuesday. Apart from Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, Sourav Ganguly and Mahesh Bhatt were present at the event. An inside video from the ceremony went viral in which Salman Khan and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can be seen matching steps on stage. Joining them on stage were Anil Kapoor, Mahesh Bhatt, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha and others. Salman Khan and Sonakshi, who co-starred in Dabangg, can be seen doing the signature step from the film while audience cheer for them.
Salman Khan also shared a few glimpses from the ceremony on his Instagram story. In one reel, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can be seen welcoming him at the entrance gate of the event. In another picture shared by Salman Khan, he can be seen seated next to the Chief Minister at the event.
Salman Khan arrived in Kolkata on Tuesday morning. The actor was received by West Bengal Minister and playback singer Babul Supriyo at the airport.
The inaugural film this year was Deya Neya, starring the timeless Uttam Kumar-Tanuja. Australia has taken centre stage as the Special Focus Country at the Kolkata International Film Festival 2023, and it will be celebrating the vibrant cultural exchange between Australia and India. This selection not only marks a significant cinematic collaboration but also underscores the deep-rooted ties shared between the two nations, both as members of The Commonwealth and through a mutual love for cultural nuances, including the sport of cricket.
The current edition of KIFF will showcase 219 films from 39 countries across 23 venues in Kolkata. Among them, 72 are feature films, and 50 are short films and documentaries. It will run till December 12. The Kolkata Film Festival was organised for the first time in 1995. But it was opened for the public in 2011, reported ANI.