Amos Gitai at Nandan; (bottom) June and Arindam Sil at the festival. Pictures by Aranya Sen

Nandigram left Nandan high and dry through the 13th Calcutta Film Festival. There were more lows than highs, but the festival managed to crawl back to life after a bandh and a high-profile celeb boycott. A view from the ringside...

The Ritwik connection

Festival guest Israeli film-maker Amos Gitai arrived at the tailend of the do — well after Argentine director Fernando Solanas had left under a cloud of confusion — and found himself under the spotlight. Four of Gitai’s films Sacred, Kedma, Alila and Promised Land had touched a chord in the audience.

An architect by profession, Gitai is known for his hard-hitting war films. At Dum Dum airport, a cop presented Gitai with a copy of Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali. “I am so moved by the gesture. This can only happen in India. I am going to read it on my way back,” said Gitai, who names Ritwik Ghatak as his inspiration. “I admire Ghatak. I know he didn’t have an easy life but his films continue to inspire young film-makers. He spoke about displacement and such issues are my concern too.”

Before leaving, the film-maker revealed plans to return for the 14th Calcutta Film Festival, along with Hollywood actress Juliette Binoche!

Father and son

Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar was the first Indian film to win the Grand Prix at the Cannes film festival. On his 10th death anniversary, son Ketan Anand paid a tribute to his father with the 90-minute documentary Chetan Anand Poetics of Film. It was screened in the documentary section. “I am now busy with my father’s Haqeeqat, which will be re-released in colour,” said Ketan.

Lust story

Agnidev Chatterjee’s debut directorial venture, Prabhu Nashto Hoye Jai, had faced censorship problems over three scenes — one where tea is soaked with sanitary napkin, a love-making scene and a condom-blowing scene.

To match the content the dialogues are equally titillating with raunchy one-liners, but even that couldn’t hold the audience at Okakura Bhavan. Many walked out midway, as the film made little sense.

Here’s a couple, Locket Chatterjee and Kunal Mitra, who are married for 20 years but have not had sex for 17 years. So, Locket makes out with different men every night, while her husband is happy cooking dinner for her lovers. Ananya, their daughter, is a bindaas babe, all set to give birth to her “first lovechild” (by her professor). Ananya’s best buddy Arunima has a thing for Kunal, and the two head for the bed...

But the black-and-white film is already on its way to fame — Prabhu Nashto Hoye Jai has been chosen for the competitive section at Berlin Film Festival!