A fitting conclusion to the festival

The valedictory function of the fifth Bengaluru International Film Festival saw people from all strata of society coming in to laud the efforts of the organisers of the festival. Dancing star Prabhu Deva was the star attraction — the applause and cheer refused to die down every time he came on stage.

The evening was kick-started with a montage of the film festival, which showed the various guests, directors and delegates of other countries who were a part of it. “We got an overwhelming response from the film buffs here. 160 shows were houseful, we had 101 repeat screenings — a total of 185 films were showcased during the last week.

Initially, we had thought of screening only 160 — but later, we increased the number to 185,” says Tharaanooradha, the chairperson of Karnataka Chalanchitra Academy.

The montage was followed by a dance by Namitha Rao, Vikram Suri and team, who performed a mix of bharatanatyam as well as kathak. Popular singer Shashidhar Kote rendered a song by Yesudas. Tharaanooradha also presented the report of the festival.
“I am very glad that we received such a great response from the citizens of Bangalore; it helped us screen more films. I also express my gratitude to the embassies who supported us whole-heartedly,” she adds.

 Actor Ambareesh addressed his fans and said that though he was not actively involved in the film fest this year, he was aware of the interest people took in it. “It is a great move and I extend my greetings to all the foreign dignitaries, who have come here to attend and participate in the programme. I hope you enjoyed being in the City. Of course, the traffic can be a pain sometimes. I also welcome the Micheal Jackson of India, Prabhu Deva,” he states.

Actress Harini and director Siddalingaiah were felicitated by the governor, Hansraj Bhardwaj. Soon after, actor, choreographer and director Prabhu Deva addressed the audience. The excitement among the crowd could not be contained, though the ace dancer talked for very little time. “I am extremely honoured that I have been called to the film festival. I would definitely like to come to the festival every year. I belong to a small village in Karnataka and it is always great to come back to Bangalore. When I landed in the City and sat in the car, I did not feel the need for an air conditioner, Bangalore is so cool,” he notes.