Superstar Shah Rukh Khan graced the virtual inauguration of 26th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) on Friday, January 8. Khan, who is the brand ambassador of Bengal, attended the event through a video called and said that he misses hugging West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
As SRK joined KIFF along with other celebrities from the Bengali film industry, Mamata Banerjee welcomed him saying, "Nomoskar Shak Rukh, bhalo acho toh?"
Replying to her, the 'Zero' actor said, "Haan ami bhalo achi, ekdum accha," adding, "Mera bohat dil kar raha hai ki main wahan par hota. But all I can say from here is that I love you all and I miss Bengal. Mamata di, I miss you and miss hugging you. Inshallah when I come next time jo bohat hi jald hoga, do-chaar extra hugs le lunga aapse."
The seven-day festival will commence by paying tribute to two greats -- auteur Satyajit Ray on his birth centenary, and iconic Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee, who died of post-COVID complications in November last year.
"Together we will overcome this pandemic. But the show must go on. We are going ahead with #KIFF 2021 virtually, on a smaller scale. Glad that my brother Shah Rukh Khan will join us virtually at the inaugural event on Jan 8, 4pm," Banerjee had said on Twitter.
Ray's classic 'Apur Sansar', which was Chatterjee's debut film, will be screened at the inauguration.
A total of 131 films -- in feature, short and documentary formats -- will be screened at the select state- run theatres of the city, including Nandan and Rabindra Sadan.
