Director Rituparno Ghosh is the focus of this year's Habitat film festival that starts this Saturday
Director Rituparno Ghosh is the focus of this year's Habitat film festival that starts this Saturday
It is once again time for the Capital's film lovers to catch their dose of good films. After impressing film lovers in the city for over a decade, the Habitat Film Club has brought to the screen some of the best and critically acclaimed pan-Indian films from last year. The Habitat Film Festival festival will begin with Kaushik Ganguly's lauded Arekti Premer Galpo (Just Another Love Story) which has director Rituparno Ghosh playing a gay film director who has a stormy affair with his bisexual, married cinematographer.u00a0 
For spotlight
What makes the festival unique is that it focuses on regional cinema lying hidden and undiscovered. Exuding a strong flavour of various states across the country, the festival makes it possible for audiences to experience at close quarters the cultures of our country. "Every year we focus on a person from the film industry who doesn't get the much-needed spotlight. The criteria for this space depends on merit and availability," says Vidyun Singh, Director,u00a0 Programmes, Old World Hospitality.
Ghosh's side of story
An important feature of the festival is the celebration of works of a director/actor/writer/technician for his contribution to cinema. So this year, they are holding a retrospective of films by actor-director Rituparno Ghosh. "It's a great honour that my works are been appreciated and I am thankful to Habitat for considering me," says Ghosh, who was raised in Kolkata, started out as an adman before switching to films.
His second film Unishe April won the National Film Award for best film in 1995. Since then, he's been a fixture on the international festival circuit with Bengali, Hindi and multi-lingual features, often using Bollywood stars like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and Amitabh Bachchan. "All the movies were chosen with my consent but there are a few issues with the prints because of the National Award selections going on simultaneously. I will only be present for the closing ceremony due to my busy schedule," says Ghosh.
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Other Underscores
In addition to the daily screenings, you can be a part of the daily Face to Face with directors of the day's films. The festival also includes an exhibition saluting the Dadasaheb Phalke awardees, courtesy the National Film Archive of India, Pune.
There is also an exhibition this year, which gives an insight into the colossal contribution of the Dadasaheb Phalke awardees to the growth and development of Indian cinema. It includes rare posters which have not been showcased in earlier exhibitions. "The festival this year is different as we are showcasing a lot of short films that otherwise go unnoticed or don't release in theatres. Then we have a narrow premiere of two of Rituparno's films," reveals Singh. The week long extravaganza might just be a cine experience to remember.
At Stein Auditorium, Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road
For passes, contact Programmes desk at 43663080/90
Visit www.habitatworld.com
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