Anurag Kashyap is one of the most iconic directors who embodies the strong cultural ties between France and India. He was present in Kolkata at the French Film Festival where his film Kennedy was screened.

After a seven-year break, Indian cinema returned to Cannes with the 2010 debut of his feature “Udaan” in the Uncertain Regard section. This marked the beginning of his association with the festival. His film “Kennedy” won critical praise at Cannes last year, solidifying his reputation as a well-known, internationally renowned personality in Indian cinema.

Renowned Indian director Anurag Kashyap said, “I love coming to Kolkata and I get inspiration from Bengali and French films equally. In reality, there are sequences in my film Kennedy that draw inspiration from French comics. One of the first French films that affected me was 400 Blows. I think it’s critical to make sure that more literary adaptations of films are made”.

He also added that Bengali films in recent times are not of high quality. Compared to the films earlier, these recent films were not of a great standard. Hindi films have equally witnessed a downfall but they were never at the great height of the Bengali films.

Nicolas Facino, Director of Alliance Française du Bengale said “Alliance Française du Bengale organized a special section of the festival to honor directors honored at the Cannes Film Festival, including well-known names like Mrinal Sen, Satyajit Ray, Goutam Ghosh, Sandip Ray, Ritwick Ghatak, and Buddhadev Dasgupta. It was done in recognition of the global influence of Indian and Bengali cinema”.

Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy screening saw a huge turnout of people and the audience appreciated the film.

Priyanka Dutta