KOLKATA: An exhibition to mark the 80th birthday of Amitabh Bachchan will be inaugurated by Jaya Bachchan on December 16 at the 28th Kolkata International Festival (KIFF).
The festival, which will see the Bachchan couple in attendance at the inauguration on December 15, will also have an exhibition of iconic director Jean-Luc Godard’s posters and stills at the Nandan foyer. Danseuse Dona Ganguly is expected to perform at the inaugural ceremony. Two short films—one on Bachchan and another on Godard—will be screened at the exhibition and Shuvaprasanna has also done pen-and-ink portraits of the two that will be used as motifsacross all panels at the festival.
Amitabh, who could not attend the 25th KIFF due to poor health, had sent a video message that was released at the closing ceremony in 2019. The 26th KIFF was inaugurated virtually in January 2021. The 27th edition of KIFF, which was held this April, did not have any outstation celebs in attendance.
Shuvaprasanna, chairman of the exhibition committee of KIFF, told TOI many celebs from Mumbai will attend the festival. “Apart from Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan is also expected to attend. Jaya will inaugurate the exhibition, which we have curated at the Gaganendra Shilpa Pradarshashala. In most cases, KIFF exhibitions are devoted to legendary personalities who are no more. In my memory, this is the first time an exhibition of a living legend is being held,” he added.
The committee has collected 16 posters of Amitabh’s major films, including that of ‘Sholay’, ‘Amar Akbar Antony’ and ‘Shahenshah’, for the exhibition.