Big B, SRK attend Kolkata International Film Festival’s inauguration

Remembering his father and eminent poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan at the inauguration of the 18^thKolkata International Film Festival here on Saturday, Amitabh Bachchan said his father once said that the experience of watching a film assures the viewer of poetic justice in three hours while it may take three generations to achieve it in real life. He stated, “I once asked my father what is it about Indian cinema that is so fascinating. He said, ‘When you watch an Indian film, you are assured of poetic justice in three hours. For many of us it will take three generations or three lives to attain poetic justice.’ I thought that was a very apt and worthy description of what cinema means to all of us”.

Mr. Bachchan also said that in recent years India’s presence in international cinema has been because of super stars. “The kind of cinema we are associated with has often borne the brunt of sharp criticism, sarcasm and a very great deal of cynicism. The cynicism and criticism was about the content and the quality of our films. But through time, despite all the negativity, we have not changed our content, and happily so. Because for that very content, we have come close to an international community that has now begun to recognise us in great numbers,” he said. Besides, Big B Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and hisJab Tak Hai Jaanco-stars Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma and Mithun Chakraborty were also present there. Shah Rukh Khan said he is a big fan of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "It is highly commendable the way she leads. I a big fan of hers. She is a firebrand leader, she takes a lot of initiative in doing things. That is her leadership style. In our country for a lady it is doubly difficult to be so outgoing".