Kolkata International Film Festival: Shah Rukh Khan trying his hands at Bengali and all that happened at inauguration

At the inauguration of 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) on Friday, actor and brand ambassador for Bengal Shah Rukh Khan tried his hands at Bengali as well and said next time he would be more fluent in the language and said he would want a ‘dhoti’ to look like a complete bangali babu.

“I have promised that I will keep on learning Bangla. My Bengali has to get better. This is my new attempt with eight lines. Please bear with me. Let me get this right because by next year I have to do it without reading it off a paper,” he said as he read out a small Bengali message.

King Khan who had recently celebrated his 52nd birthday said that he would probably wear a dhoti next year. “Next time I am going to ask my friends to give me a dhoti also,” he said.

Reacting to it Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee promised that in the next episode of the film festival next year SRK would be given a dhoti and kurta. To critics of the film festival and Biswa Bangla brand she said, “If Bengal becomes an international brand what is the harm? If the world is ready to come to Bengal what is the problem? One should not do politics in everything. ‘Jhandar shonge matha thandao rakhte hoi’ (it is necessary to keep a cool head along with carrying a flag). Our unity is in our diversity. Let them be those who are feeling jealous,” she said.

Interestingly, her former party aide and deputy Mukul Roy at a public meeting had said that at a time when the state was reeling under an attack of dengue, Mamata was busy with film festivals.

The film festival would continue till November 17 and would screen 143 films from 53 countries under 16 categories. In all, 93 foreign language films would also be screened including 50 from India at 12 venues across the city.