The 29th edition of Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) opened in Kolkata on Tuesday, December 5

Bollywood star Sonakshi Sinha, Salman Khan, CM Mamata Banerjee, Mahesh Bhatt and Anil Kapoor are dancing during inauguration of 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, India, on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. (Photo by Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Mamata Banerjee joined Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Mahesh Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, and others on the dance floor in a viral video. In the accompanying video, Mamata Banerjee joins Salman Khan and other celebrities on stage and dances to a song conceptualized by her and sung by Arijit Singh.

A 29th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) opened in Kolkata on Tuesday. A number of notable personalities attended the opening ceremony, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha, Sonakshi Sinha, Sourav Ganguly, and Mahesh Bhatt.

In the viral video, Mamata was seen grooving alongside Salman, Mahesh Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, Sonakshi, and Shatrughan Sinha, while Sourav Ganguly was seen clapping beside them.

Superstar Salman Khan on Tuesday said he was awestruck by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s modest house, maintaining that it showed that people do not need much to live.

Salman Khan expressed admiration for the Trinamul Congress chief for living in a ‘very small house’. “I was shocked to see that Didi’s house is actually smaller than mine. How can somebody in this position have a house smaller than mine? This only shows how simple people are and we don’t need that much to live,’ the actor said.

During his last visit to Kolkata, Khan visited Banerjee’s house in the Kalighat area during the inaugural ceremony of the Kolkata International Film Festival.

‘When I was invited by Didi to her house, my only thing was I have to go and see whether it was really small, if it was smaller than mine… Shatru sir (Shatrughan Sinha) has come to my house, and he had a problem — there was no place to sit. It’s one room, one small kitchen like a pantry and a bedroom,’ he said.

‘I am jealous that her house is actually smaller than mine. And, I am jealous of the fact that how can somebody in this position have a house smaller than mine. I don’t wish for a smaller house but she has given me a big complex. It only shows how simple people are and we don’t need that much,’ he said, pointing to the chief minister who was on the dias, amid applause from the audience.

In the same vein, Khan also recalled his meeting with Kapoor for the film ‘No Entry’.

‘One day Anil Kapoor called me to his house. First, the ground floor, I thought this was his home. Then he said let’s go to the first floor. I thought that was where he lived. Then, second, third, fourth… he has a five-storied house, and I think it is even bigger now. I asked him, did you ask me to come here to make me feel jealous? He said no I need help with a film called ‘No Entry’. I took the film, and he helped me with that character. Today, I am here. People have loved the film and the character. Thank you Kapoor sir,’ Khan said.

The superstar also said that this was the biggest film festival he has ever been to.

219 films from 39 countries will be screened across 23 venues in Kolkata during the current edition, which runs through December 12. There are 72 feature films and 50 short films and documentaries among them.

There was a special performance by a group of artists at Tuesday’s ceremony. In addition, the guests grooved to the festival’s theme song along with Mamata Banerjee to enthrall the audience. With his Dabangg hook step, Salman once again captured everyone’s attention.

Speaking on the occasion, Anil Kapoor said, ‘Kolkata, for me, is not just a city. It’s a sensory experience. A journey and a treasure trove of memories that have shaped my career and love for cinema.’

He also remembered Satyajit Ray’s renowned film Nayak (1966), starring Uttam.

‘Uttam Kumar is a mahanayak,’ Anil added.

The Kolkata Film Festival was organised for the first time in 1995. But it was opened for the public in 2011.