September 13, 2026 05:27 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in focus: Modi meets Abu Dhabi Crown Prince on BRICS sidelines | Xi Jinping lands in India for BRICS; big Modi meeting set for New Delhi | ‘Hospitality on another level’: South African official stunned by India’s BRICS hosting | Suvendu Adhikari eats fish bhog at Kalighat Temple amid Bageshwar Baba row | Bangladeshi Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das breaks down emotionally as he gets 5-hour parole to attend mother’s funeral | Sheikh Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed quits WHO post amid fraud allegations | After days of silence, China confirms Xi Jinping’s India visit for BRICS Summit | Big setback for Abhishek Banerjee as CID arrests aide Sumit Roy | Firebrand Tukaram Mundhe’s Food Safety Blitz Hits ISKCON Juhu, 3 Licences Suspended | Vande Mataram row erupts in INDIA bloc: Congress objects, ally NC hits back, BJP pounces
French Film Festival
Naseeruddin Shah at the 2nd edition of French Film Festival in Kolkata. (Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)

My curiosity about French cinema brought me to Kolkata festival: Naseeruddin Shah

| @indiablooms | Feb 24, 2025, at 09:34 pm

Kolkata/IBNS: Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah was joined by several other film personalities to inaugurate the second edition of the French Film Festival in Kolkata at West Bengal film centre Nandan last week.

The festival, which started last Saturday, is organised by Alliance Française du Bengale.

It was hosted by Didier Talpain, the Consulate General of France in Kolkata, and Nicolas Facino, Director of Alliance Française du Bengale.

Naseeruddin Shah at the inauguration. (Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)

Speaking at the festival, Naseeruddin Shah said, "I have a confession to make. I don't particularly enjoy being the chief guest because I am expected to say very wise and stirring things which I find myself incapable of doing.

"But there are two reasons for saying yes to this festival- first was my curiosity about French cinema and the second was that the function is to be held in this wonderful city which I love coming to."

"People from this city have put India on the world map of cinema," the veteran actor added lauding Kolkata.

Alongside Naseeruddin, veteran filmmakers Goutam Ghose, Anubhav Sinha, Cannes Award winning actress Anasuya Sengupta, senior Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta, young Tollywood actress Rukmini were present at the inauguration. 

The inauguration of the French Film Festival. (Image by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)

With over 80 films, the festival will continue till March 1.

The second edition of the French Film Festival will present the French Classics as well as some Indian films which were screened at the Cannes Film Festival.

Some animation films will also be screened.

(Reporting by Aaheli Chakraborty, images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.