Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor groove with Mamata Banerjee at inauguration of Kolkata International Film Festival 2023

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], December 5 (ANI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday inaugurated the opening ceremony of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival 2023 (KIFF) at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here.

Celebrities Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, Mahesh Bhatt and Sourav Ganguly were the guests of honour. Others who attended the ceremony included ace filmmakers Sandip Ray and Anjan Dutt.

The ceremony began with a special performance by a group of artistes. The guests also did not leave a chance to enthrall the audience as they grooved to the festival’s theme song along with Mamata Banerjee. Salman, like always, stole everyone’s attention with his Dabangg hook step.

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#WATCH | Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Film Director Mahesh Bhatt, former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly, actors Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha shake a leg at the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).

(Source: KIFF Social Media) pic.twitter.com/EHOKtK9g3B

— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2023

Speaking on the occasion, Anil Kapoor said, “Kolkata, for me, is not just a city. It’s a sensory experience. A journey and a treasure trove of memories that have shaped my career and love for cinema.”

He also remembered Satyajit Ray’s renowned film Nayak (1966), starring Uttam.

“Uttam Kumar is a mahanayak,” Anil added.

The current edition of KIFF will showcase 219 films from 39 countries across 23 venues in Kolkata. Among them, 72 are feature films, and 50 are short films and documentaries. It will run till December 12.

The Kolkata Film Festival was organised for the first time in 1995. But it was opened for the public in 2011.