Asim Bando's KOLKATA BLOG

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Today is the birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He loved children very much, so his birthday is being observe as Children's Day. Kolkata is observing the day with many activities for and with participation of children. -- A. B.

Now, Maha Kali Puja is being performed by purohit at Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Devotional songs are also being performed by eminent artists there. -- A. B.

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-- A. B. Today's Kali Puja, the festival of light. The devotees gathered at Dakshineswar temple of Kolkata to see Ma Kali and queued to worship. A special puja of Ma Kali is now being run inside the temple.

Today is the Deep Chaturdashi, so lighted 14 pradip (lamps) this evening in my own house. -- A. B.

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Giving film buffs a nostalgic feel of how silent films were screened in tents a century ago, some rare classics of the silent era will be shown at the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) from Sunday. At the complex of the state-run multiplex Nandan, a makeshift camp to accommodate around 200 people has been made to recreate the environment in which films used to screened once upon a time. Named after one of India's first film- makers, the Hiralal Sen Mancha will screen 15 black and white classics during the week-long carnival to celebrate the completion of 100 years of Indian cinema. This Sunday, Dadasaheb Phalke's Raja Harishchandra , India's first full-length feature film released in 1913, will be shown. Based on the mythological story of King Harishchandra, the film will be shown in DVD format. Music composer Debajyoti Mishra has been assigned to play live music during the screening, officials said. This would be followed by another of

-- Amitabh Bachchan just inaugurated the 18th Kolkata International Film Festival here in Kolkata. BigB addresses the audience. The function started with a tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema by sweet melodies. Brand of Bengal Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif with Anushka Sharma are now also on the stage with Dada Mithun Chakraborty. A. B.

Brand Ambassador of Bengal superstar Shah Rukh Khan arrived in the city with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma last night as special guests of the inaugural function of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival to be held at Netaji Indoor Stadium and expressed his primary reaction, said, I'm happy to be here." -- A. B.

18th Kolkata International Film Festival will be inaugurated by Amitabh Bachchan tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Netaji Indoor Stadium. It is the second oldest and only international non-competitive film festival of the country. This year, the fest would be more gorgeous, more star-studded as the Brand Ambassador of West Bengal Shah Rukh Khan will assist BigB inaugurating the festival. Moreover, the leading ladys of the movie Jab Tak Hain Jaan Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma would also be there at inauguration. And Mithun Chakaborty will be there. The whole Tollygunge film industry would be there at Indoor Stadium, so no shooting schedule will be there tomorrow in Kolkata. BigB will go on the stage through the tunnel on which he danced 20 years ago for the film Yarana. Not only that, under the title 'Big Story', a panorama of BigB's memorable films like Saat Hindustani, Abhiman, Main Azad Hoon, Saudagar, Deewar, Black and Cheeni Kum will be exhibited at 7 p.m.

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