This one is for the Bengalis!

The second Hyderabad Bengali Film Festival, organised by the city’s vibrant Bengali community saw hundreds thronging Prasad labs for an evening of good entertainment.

The theme of this year’s film festival is “Relationships”— between a woman and her cat, husband and wife or same-sex relationships. The organisers agree the event was to bring Bengalis here the one thing  they enjoy besides fish — films.

“We are from different backgrounds but we come together to make sure that Bengalis in Hyderabad can get a taste of some meaningful Bengali cinema,” said Partha Pratim Mallik, convener of the festival.

The inauguration even saw quite a few Bengali actors and directors attending. SP Cyber crime T.K. Rana, who was the chief guest, said, “It is a great initiative and I welcome it. The festival not only brings the community together but also binds them culturally.”

The first day of the show had parallel screenings of two films, Nirbashito directed by Churni Ganguly and Chhotoder Chhobi, directed by Kaushik Ganguly. Nirbashito is the story of well-known Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen and how she deals with alienation in an unknown land — where she has been exiled to, and her separation from her pet.

Each screening was followed by a Q&A round where the audience can ask the director about the film. “It was an enriching experience for us where we could talk to the director and get our doubts cleared,” says Debasree Ghosh, a member of the audience. “When I watch a movie back in Kolkata, it’s only the movie. Here I met the director — it’s great,” she said. Will we have the fest next year? Chances are, it will be a yes.

“It is the only Bengali film festival here in Hyderabad. It is a lot of hard work but when we see the smiling faces, we feel good,” said Shantanu Mukherjee, a member of the organising committee.