The inauguration of the 26^th Kolkata International Film Festival was conducted virtually keeping in mind the global pandemic situation. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated 26^th KIFF and was attended by West Bengal’s brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan.

CM Mamata Banerjee allowed full occupancy in the cinema halls in the state with full adherence to the Covid-19 safety measures.

CM also highlighted the fact that many film festivals were canceled due to the pandemic. However, the 26^th KIFF has not been deterred due to the pandemic. Only the scale of the festival is on a smaller scale.

She also paid tribute to the late veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee who died recently.

She also invited Shahrukh Khan to be a part of KIFF next year and visit the state during Raksha Bandhan.

Renowned actors like Rituparna Sengupta, Dev, Rukmini Maitra, directors like Anubhav Sinha, Raj Chakraborty, and others graced the inauguration ceremony held at Nabanna.

Priyanka Dutta