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RSSKamal Hassan not in International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
Now that the word is out that the prestigious International Film Festival of India (IFFI), beginning on November 23 in Goa, will not have a section on Kamal Hasan, who completed 50 years in cinema, the omission has left the Tamil film industry saddened. While some blamed it on the North-South bias, others said the organisers of the festival may have woken up late to the fact that it is actor’s golden jubilee year in cinema.
On Monday, IFFI sources said that Haasan would not be part of the retrospective, though the festival will showcase films of yesteryear actors Sharmila Tagore, Asha Parekh and Soumitra Chatterjee, who have all completed 50 years. According sources, the actor wanted seven of his films to be screened, but the organisers claimed that the had space to screen only three.
Though the organisers announced that there would be a separate retrospective on the actor in Delhi in 2010, many in the film industry felt this is akin to asking the winner to accept a consolation prize. Industry sources said it appeared that the organising committee woke up to the fact that it was Haasan’s golden jubilee year too late and ran out of time to arrive at a solution. “Fitting in seven films over two weeks is not impossible, and a chance for the international delegates to experience world-class cinematic experience has been lost,” they said.
There were even murmurs about the organiser’s ignorance of Haasan’s achievement, and a bias against the South Indian film industry. The actor, on his part, told the media in Chennai on Tuesday, “It was my friends in Delhi who insisted that three films wouldn’t do. Anyway they are screening my films separately, so fans won’t miss. North-South bias is there but we too are to be blamed. The fault is ours, we don’t represent ourselves in meetings.”
But the voice of regret is simmering in Chennai. “It is unfortunate that such a gathering of the elite of the world cinema will not have the privilege of watching the work of one of the finest actors in Indian cinema ever, specially in his 50th year. Rules, time and space constraints apart,” said director K Balachander.
Director Vasanth, a regular at the Goa film festival as a jury member, said there was tremendous appreciation for Haasan’s volume and breadth of work in the North. “You cannot find a better actor than him in India today.”
It is a sentiment that the organisers themselves agree with. Manoj Srivastav of Goa Entertainment Society, which along with IFFI conducts the festival, said, “This has got nothing to do with the stature of Kamal Haasan. Any festival will be honoured to invite him and he is quite justified when he says that his work can’t confined to three or seven films. He has a vast body of work behind him, not only as an actor but also as a director. But there is a practical problem in scheduling these films. But I think a solution should have been found and the work of Haasan should have been included.”
However, with time running out, it looks like regulars at the film festival will have to settle for the memory of Haasan’s trip to the festival last year. He was feted by Balachander, who was himself being felicitated for his contribution to cinema.
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