18th Kolkata International Film Festival inauguration today at Netaji Indoor Stadium

Inauguration of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival will be held today at Netaji indoor stadium. Shah Rukh Khan has already reached Kolkata and Amitabh Bachchan cpome today. A group of 48 inmates of Presidency and Alipore jail will perform on the stage to entertain Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan. They will perform a dance drama 'Valmiki Pratibha' directed by Alakananda Roy. All the artists of the dance drama are serving life sentence in jails. In real life, dancer and choreographer Alakananda Roy has engaged herself to train the inmates in a process of their gradual return to the mainstream. Alakananda Roy has already achieved the goal.

Besides Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan other celebrities like Mithun Chakraborty, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma are expected to be present on the stage.Jaya Bachchan may also be present at the inuguration ceremony of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival. Like last year, veteran filmmakers like Mrinal Sen and Tarun Majumder will not be present in inauguration of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival. Most of the Tollywood personalities will be present in opening ceremony.

Katrina and Anushka may be in the inauguration of 18th Kolkata Film Festival

It was earlier announced that Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Mithun Chakraborty will share the same stage on the inauguration day of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival. New names are floating in the air. Bollywood darling Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma may also be present on the stage during inauguration of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival.

June and Parambrata Chottopadhyay will anchor the opening ceremony programme of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival.

Highlights of the opening ceremony of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival is Debajyoti Mishra's musical presentation, dance drama Balmiki Pratibha by Alokananda Roy's troupe of jail inmates in which Nigel Akkara is also included.

Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif will reach the city on 9 November, one day earlier of the opening ceremony of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival. Shah Rukh and Katrina are coming together in the city to promote their latest film ' Jab Tak Hai Jaan' and Amitabh Bachchan will land in Kolkata on the inauguration day of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival - 10 November 2012.

The opening ceremony of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival will start with an introduction by Tollywood actor Dev which be followed by an hour long concert by musician Debajyoti Mishra. The main theme of the concert will be to pay tribute to 100 years of Indian cinema. The inauguration ceremony of 18th Kolkata International Film Festival will conclude with director Goutam Ghose's film - A Separation.

Amitabh Shah Rukh and Mithun will share the stage at Kolkata Film Festival

It was earlier declared that Amitabh Bachchan will inaugurate the 18^th Kolkata International Film Festival at Netaji Indoor stadium along with Shah Rukh Khan. There is a little change in it, another superstar of Bollywood film industry and Bengal’s own Mithun Chakraborty will be also at the inauguration of 18^th Kolkata International Film Festival. After 26 years, Mithun and Amitabh Bachchan will share the same stage. For the last time they shared the stage was in Hope 86.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee personally has invited Mithun Chakraborty for the inauguration function of 18^thKolkata International Film Festival. 

Clossing function of 18^th Kolkata International Film Festival will also be a gorgeous one. A dance recital titled Purno Houk Purno Houk Banglar Mati Banglar Jol,which will be choreographed and directed by Sukalyann Bhattacharya and assisted by Saheli Mahapatra on the closing day of 18^th Kolkata International Film Festival. The music will be scored by Joy Sengupta. Eminent female singer Lopamudra Mitra will sing in the dance drama and Madhumonti Moitra will do the narration.

18th Kolkata International Film Festival inauguration and venue

Bollywood megastars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khanwill jointly inaugurate this year’s film festival, 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival. The inauguration ceremony will be on 10 November. On the inauguration day, the two Bollywood megastars and another megastar from Indian politics – Mamata Banerjee will share the same dais at Netaji Indoor stadium in Kolkata.

Total number of films that will be screened in 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival is 189 from 60 countries. The films will be screened in twelve venues including Nandan, Sisir Mancha, Rabindra Sadan and at some of the famous cinema halls in Kolkata like Star, Paradise, Navina and Mitra.

Two rare films like 'Raja Harischandra' and 'Kaliya Mardan' will be screened in 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival. Both the films were made in 1919. 'Raja Harishchandra' is the first full-length Indian film.

In 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival, special attention is being given to Africa. A centenary tribute will be paid to famous African director Michelangelo Antonioni. Five of the feature films and eight documentaries of Michelangelo Antonioni will be screened in 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival.  Focus is being given to Charles Dickens novels in 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival.  Two films based on novels of Charles Dickens will be screened.

Films of Greek filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis will be screened in 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival. This is the first time that films of the Greek filmmaker will be screened in Kolkata film festival.

Under ‘Africa Calling’ section,  fifteen African films from the 1960s to 2012 will be screened in 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival.

Music director Debajyoti Mishra and his band along with number of Bengali filmy stars will perform in the inauguration of the 18th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival.