UNION MINISTER for Railways Mamata Banerjee lit the traditional lamp to lift the curtains on the 41st edition of the International Film Festival of India at Goa at a colorful ceremony at Kala Academy on Monday evening in the presence of noted film director Yash Chopra and actor Ajay Devgn. The 11-day extravaganza began with the screening of the British film West is West directed Andy de Emmony.
The 41st edition of the International Film Festival of India was inaugurated at a star-studded gala function at Kala Academy in Panaji. Banerjee inaugurated the festival in Panaji, which was attended by various dignitaries, including industry veteran Yash Chopra.
In her speech, Banerjee said she will take up the film industry's concerns over taxation with the government.
‘The film industry has contributed a lot to the country; It is not the joking industry they ( film producers) also expose us (politicians) through cinemas. They don’t get any thing, taxation is too much, it is a matter related to the finance ministry and I will take up the issue of taxation with Pranab da (Mukherjee)," Banerjee said.
Veteran film director Yash Chopra earlier said that the Indian film industry is taxed heavily and filmmakers will not be able to make movies anymore if taxed any further.
Also present at the inaugural function were eminent personalities such as Goa Governor S. S .Siddhu, actors Ajay Devgan, Raima Sen, actor Aftab Shivdasani and actress Gracy Singh.
The 'reel' history of Indian cinema, spread over 88 years, would be showcased through posters at the International Film Festival of India venue.
The event is the biggest annual film extravaganza in South Asia, involving the participation of 61 countries, 300 world acclaimed films and over 6,000 delegates. The 41st edition of India’s oldest film festival will screen films across 11 auditoriums in Panaji and Margao.
The opening ceremony at the Kala Academy was followed by the inaugural film West is West (2010) directed by Andy de Emmony and produced by Leslee Udwin. The film is a sequel to the Popular ‘East is East’ produced in 1999. The cast of the film include Om Puri, Linda Bassett, Aqib Khan, Jimi Mistry, Ila Arun and Vijay Raaz.
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