A handful of thoughts

West Bengal is going through the birth pangs of a great political change. A change that is expected to alter much of what we now associate with the state. The messiah of this great change is Ms Mamata Banerjee, and besides the public support, she has somehow managed to get another set of people on her side who has in the recent past proved very crucial for channelizing public opinion - the Intelligentsia. All the state’s filmmakers, actors, poets, painters, singers and musicians have sided with her, aiding in the first place to nail the Calcutta Film Festival’s coffin.

The 17th of November was the last day of this year’s festival and I happened to pass by it and I was deeply saddened by what I saw. There were about fifty people loitering about the Rabindra Sadan, Nandan campus, when in its heydays, we hand to stand in queues several meters long, to buy tickets and collect free passes. For certain films, we had to buy tickets in advance for fear that it wouldn’t be available at all. On may occasions, people sat on the floor of the auditorium because there weren’t seats enough to accommodate the crowd. And the celebrities galore….oh the less we talk about it the better. From our very own Soumitra Chatterjee (he still hasn’t changed sides), Aparna Sen (she has), Mrinal Sen, and a host of foreign filmmakers and actors every year flocked to this cultural fest. I have seen some of the best films of my life at this festival and had a chance to witness such celluloid miracles as “Bicycle Thieves”, “Battleship Potemkin”, “King Lear”, “Los Olvidados” on a big screen. Even last year, it was not this bad. The enthusiasm had waned alright, but it had not disappeared. To quote a friend, “this year the Film Festival came and went away just like that.” Forget hype, there was not even any coverage.

I am wondering, is it because the people of Bengal has changed sides or are the rumors regarding the government’s and Cine Central’s shortage of funds true? Some are even saying that the govt. is planning to do away with the festival altogether. One of my colleagues said, “I am sure the festival if it exists in the new regime, will be called something like Uttam Suchitra Festival or Satyajit Ray Festival, considering Didi’s obsession with Bengali heritage…”

I am not sure what is going to happen in the future or what prompted the govt. and the people to desert the festival. All I know is that the Calcutta Film Festival is among the best of its peers in this part of the continent (in terms of its content) and if we lose it, it will be a matter of great shame for our race.