Bong Cannes-ction (t2 – The Telegraph / Anandabazar Patrika)
– The Telegraph (t2) / Anandabazar Patrika – 30th May 2013 [here]
BONG CANNES-CTION
Scanty representation from the Bengali film industry at the 66th Festival de Cannes 2013 will make thousands of movie professionals who come to Cannes assume that Indian cinema is all about Bollywood! In the past, we had a number of Bengali actresses who had walked the red carpet at Cannes — Paoli Dam, Nandana Sen, Bipasha Basu.
Sending actresses like Raima Sen and Konkona Sensharma will give Bengal greater exposure, and they will bring a lot of glory to the state.
I believe that one good Bengali actress can be equal to ” 10 Bollywood starlets” and it is true that one good Bengali film is often equal to 10 Bollywood films rolled into one.
It is time chief minister Mamata Banerjee got in touch with the French embassy to make arrangements for greater Bengali presence at the festival. How can we forget that great Indian filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen and Aparna Sen are from Bengal?! We have given Indian cinema great actresses like Suchitra Sen, Sharmila Tagore, Sushmita Sen and many more.
We have to ensure that there is plenty of Bengali representation at Cannes. Bengalis have given a lot to Indian cinema for decades.
Bengali women look great too. Look at Paoli, who dazzled the red carpet in a traditional Bengali sari. She looked absolutely gorgeous! Well, as they say in Bombay, ” Bengali women have beauty and brains, both!”. Well, Mamata didi , it is your time to give back to Bengal and Bengalis.
Sourendra Kr Das, Mumbai