Superstar Salman Khan arrived in Kolkata to throw open the Kolkata International Film Festival 2023. The actor was received by West Bengal Minister and playback singer Babul Supriyo at the airport. The Kolkata International Film Festival will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday. Actors Anil Kapoor and Kamal Haasan will be the Chief Guests while TMC MP and Actor Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, cricketer Sourav Ganguly and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt will be present. The inaugural film this year is 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.
Australian High Commissioner to India, His Excellency Philip Green told NDTV, "Australia and India are embarking on a much more important partnership but in order for that to be deep and real we need to know each other's stories better. And what better way to learn each other's stories than through films. In these films that are that are being screened at the KIFF this week, I think there are two important things to be aware of. The first is that one of truly great directors, Bruce Beresford is here is here this week and there is a retrospective of his work."
"We have got three categories of films showing. Contemporary films, the retrospective of Bruce Beresford and we have got a little section of horror films, which is why we will have the Tram of Horror trundling through the streets of Kolkata," Rowan Ainsworth, Australian Consul-General in Kolkata told NDTV.
Academy Award winner Bruce Beresford, Australian film director and screenwriter told NDTV, "I am aware that India is the world's biggest producer of films. There are a lot of very interesting films made over the years from all sorts of genres. A lot of Australians work here on different productions, and they always have a wonderful time. I have got six films, and everyone should see them."