The maker of Sholay, one of the most influential Hindi films of all time, said films from Bengal were a major influence on his craft.
The curtain went up on the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival on Thursday, with Ramesh Sippy taking centrestage at Dhono Dhanyo auditorium in Alipore, where the opening ceremony took place.
The Sholay director lauded films from Bengal, including those of Satyajit Ray, for their “beautiful blend of art and commerce”. “In my films, I have tried to strike a balance between good cinema and commerce and that has happened mainly because of films from Bengal,” said Sippy, who will be delivering the Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture at Sisir Mancha on Friday morning.
Another filmmaker who flew over from Mumbai, Sujoy Ghosh, spoke of his roots. “I grew up in Calcutta at a time when it was said that if you were born in the ’60s, films were your birthright and your blood group was not A or B but C, with C standing for cinema. Cinema brought us together. I desperately wanted to make a film in Calcutta and I did, with Kahaani. The city is an actor in the film,” he said, urging people to keep their love for cinema alive and to visit cinema halls.
Mamata Banerjee conferred the Banga Bibhushan award on eminent singer Arati Mukhopadhyay at the inaugural ceremony of the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival at Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium, Alipore, Calcutta, on Thursday, November 6, 2025
The chairman of the festival, Goutam Ghose, issued a stark reminder of the strife-torn state of the world and the challenges posed by the glut of digital content. “The world is more divided than ever, with intolerance surging... Yet cinema continues to shine as a beacon amidst chaos.”
He also reminded filmmakers of their responsibility to “foster compassion and combat intolerance”.
The relentless expansion of digital filmmaking, he agreed, had made film creation more accessible, challenging festivals to choose quality amidst quantity. “Digital tools have not only democratised filmmaking but also saturated screens, fragmented audience attention and eroded the sacred silence of collective viewing,” he lamented.
He also spoke of a new section at the festival. “We are on the verge of a profound civilisational crisis. ‘Beyond Borders’ will have films exploring themes of migration and displacement. Bold filmmakers are risking everything to document it. They deserve not only applause but profound respect.” Ghose said, mentioning in the same breath the centenary tribute to be paid to Ritwik Ghatak, many of whose films deal with the travails of displacement.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee virtually inaugurated a hockey stadium, touted to be the largest of its kind in the country, with 22,000 seats. The new utility is located in the Salt Lake stadium complex. She also lauded the festival’s rare language section, featuring films in Tulu, Kok-Borok and several others.
The title of Banga Bibhushan was bestowed upon singer Arati Mukherjee and actor-MP Shatrughan Sinha. Prosenjit, Sourav Ganguly and Sinha also addressed the audience.
The festival will continue till November 13 on 20 screens across the city.