Manisha, Gul and magic lend glitter to Osian’s opening
(No Ratings Yet)It was a glittering start of another edition of a film festival that has, over the last few years, come to be seen as the greatest exposition of cinematic culture in the city by the capital’s cinema lovers.
Amid presence of Bollywood celebrities Manisha Koirala, Divya Dutta and Gul Panag and personalities from the world of International cinema like Peggy Chao and Japanese writer filmmaker Tadao Sato, the ninth edition of the Osian’s Cinefan, the annual festival of Asian and Arab cinema organized by the Osian’s Connoisseurs of Arts in collaboration with the Delhi government, kicked off in the Capital last night with the World premiere of Japanese film ‘Raami’, an Iran-Azerbaijan co-production that deals with man’s relation with nature, war and music.
Directed by Iranian filmmaker Babak Shirinshefat, ‘Raami’ is set in the backdrop of the period post the Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Speaking about his film, the Japanese filmmaker Babak Shirinshefat said,”Raami is a contemporary variant that takes place ten years after the Karabakh conflict. The film is a narration which took shape out of an inner and gradual rhythm of the original myth, a story of human being’s confrontation with war and nature. While we are forced to choose between the two evils and the inner contradiction of all wars, we may find the only solution to resort to the peaceful and calm nature, as our ancestors were singing in their ballads.” Preceding the screening of the film was a scintillating inaugural ceremony which saw the hundreds of cinema lovers gathered at the Siri Fort auditorium here being enthralled by a breathtaking magic show. Also lending glitter to the occasion were Bollywood stars Manisha Koirala, Divya Dutta and Gul Panag who walked the red carpet.
Lighting the inaugural lamp at the festival, which will screen a total of 140 films drawn from more than 35 countries, during the next nine days, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit lauded the contribution of festival founder Aruna Vasudev and Chairman of the Osian’s Connoisseur of Arts Neville Tuli in ”transforming the festival into one of the most important events that Delhiites look forward to”.
”I have had the privilege and honour of growing up with the festival, having seen it brought to Delhi nine years ago by Ms Aruna Vasudev.
Now, Neville has transformed the festival into one of the most important events that Delhiites look forward to,”the Chief Minister said and hoped that the festival would continue to remain in the Capital city in the coming years too to provide Delhiites a ”feast for the body and the mind”.
On her part, Ms Aruna Vasudev expressed gratitude towards Ms Dikshit for the help extended by her Government to the festival over the past years.
”When Ms Dikshit became the Chief Minister five years ago, she provided me with all the encouragement needed to organize the festival in an endeavour to make Delhi the cultural capital of India. With her immense help, we have been able to achieve just that,’’she said excitedly.
— UNI
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