Soumitra Chatterjee slams Kolkata fest as crass and senseless; disassociates from it

Just a day after the Kolkata International Film Festival was inaugurated with much fanfare in the presence of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, the organizers had to face flak at the hands of Dadasaheb Phalke award winner and veteran yesteryear actor Soumitra Chatterjee on Sunday. Chatterjee, who hadn’t received a delegate card but was handed a last-minute invitation to Saturday's inaugural ceremony, slammed the opener as ‘crass’ and ‘senseless’. The legendary actor, who has been the face of Bengali cinema for decades along with the late Uttam Kumar, has vowed not to be a part of the festival this time. “I had a stage performance on Saturday evening and I considered it to be more important than being part of a programme not consistent with the spirit of the Kolkata film festival,” Chatterjee said. "It was absolutely senseless and I am happy that I didn't go. I had expected a guest card to attend the film shows but it hasn't reached me so far. Even if they send me one, I am not going to attend the film shows," he remarked. Incidentally, Chatterjee hadn't attended the festival's opening ceremony last year either but was later extended a personal invitation by CM Mamata Banerjee for the closing ceremony which he attended at Nandan.