Vidya’s selfie with Big B and the Bengal ‘tigresses’!

He was addressing a star-studded gathering, which included West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.

In a well-researched and erudite speech, Bachchan said Bengali literature and cinema has always reflected the tolerant nature of Indian culture.

The cinematic icon’s wife wife Jaya, actresses Vidya Balan, Sharmila Tagore and Moushumi Chatterjee will also be seen gracing the event. “And most importantly the banishment of communal prejudices and hatred”, Bachchan said. The largest cash award is 51 lakh at present in any global film festival for selected best movie. This clamoured has been inaugurated by Satyajit Ray who is a great filmmaker.

Banerjee also spoke against intolerance.

Reciting lines from Tagore’s Jana Gana Mana, Bachchan said the stanzas exemplify “Bharat Mata’s unconditional love for all her children”.

“It’s fabulous that the competition focuses on women directors and I think this is the time of women power and goddess power and what could be better than Kolkata to start this”, Balan said about the global competition.

This year for the second time, the KIFF is a competitive event, which focuses on films helmed by women filmmakers.

“I am here today because of Rinku di (Sharmila Tagore)”.

In reciprocation, Sharmila lauded Jaya’s “spontaneity” and her zeal to always wanting to become an actress. “It will include films that are made by women directors”, says a source close to Vidya.

“R.L. Khemka, who began Kolkata’s East India Film Company, was the first Indian producer to screen a film at an global film festival, Bachchan said, referring to the film Sita shown at the Venice Film Festival in 1934″.