Shamayita C (BOMBAY TIMES; November 13, 2017)

Inside, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and other big names held the audience hypnotised, but outside, some of Bengal’s best talents found themselves excluded from the recent inaugural ceremony of the 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival, which scored a new high in terms of hype, hoopla and crowd mismanagement.

Two directors — both of whom have a festival footprint this year — were not allowed entry into Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium, despite having delegate cards to the event. While Indrasis Acharya’s Pupa is the only Bengali film competing in the newly-formed Indian Select category, Anindya Banerjee’s experimental film Smug will be screened in the World Premiere section. Both directors were told by policemen at the gates that the stadium was too crowded to let them inside.

Said Indrasis, “I reached the venue at 3.15 pm with my producer. The entry gate mentioned on my card was already blocked. As I tried another gate, a policeman informed me that there was no space on the floor. He asked us to go to the gallery, but I refused. More than watching the inauguration ceremony, I went there to be a part of the festival. My film will be screened and I deserve a bit more respect. I have visited other film festivals and have always seen that directors and crew members who are part of films screened usually get access to the event.” Anindya added, “I was asked to go to the gallery to watch the ceremony. I saw my producer running here and there to get entry. It was very awkward for me.”

Since their films are being screened at the festival, Indrasis and Anindya had collected their special delegate cards from the kiosk of the Information and Cultural Affairs department.

Anindya further said, “Many friends say that the crowd that gathers at the inauguration is there to see the stars. I disagree. I think the carnivalesque approach has created awareness of world cinema among common people. However, I also realise that there is a level of mass hypnotism in this ceremony.”