Shillong makes Bollywood veteran turn nostalgic
SHILLONG: The penultimate day of the Indian Panorama Film Festival now being held in Shillong saw the participation of a special guest with connections with the North East region since her childhood.
A nostalgic Kirron Kher described her association with the NE, appreciated a cultural performance presented in her honour and advised budding film personalities from the region on how to be successful in the national arena.
This was not her first visit to the region, the versatile actor mentioned. She recounted to the audience of her connections with the region as a child. Her father was an army officer posted in various parts of the “special” North East.
She was delighted with the cultural performances that preceded her interaction with film students and other enthusiasts at the State Convention Centre, referring to the girls of the Khmih Shillong Group as “my little darlings” and telling them that they performed even better today than they did when on India’s Got Talent, where Kher was a judge.
In an interaction, Kher emphasized on the need for people from the North East who wanted to succeed in mainstream Indian cinema to be able to communicate in the language of most films, i.e. Hindi.
“It is a great loss that we don’t have so many people from here over there, which we would love to have. We have a lovely, diverse country,” Kher regretted, but was still confident that singers, dancers, actors and editors from the North East region would all find a place on the national stage.
“What should stop them? Nothing at all. Pursue your dreams with passion and integrity and coming from the northeast will not be a barrier to you.”
She fielded questions from an audience that was a little shy to begin with, but opened up with some insightful queries. “I would like to tell the whole of the world to please don’t judge our beautiful children by your own silly, narrow standards. Let them blossom, give them respect and dignity and a right to live in peace and harmony with all of us anywhere in this great country of ours,” Kher said, in a criticism of racial discrimination against people from the NE.
Earlier in the day there was a well-attended workshop on film direction, led by Anjan Dutt. There were also contributions by fellow directors Veena Bakshi and Goutam Ghose.
Five films were screened at U Soso Tham Auditorium on the third day, including the moving Leipaklei and Baandhon. The evening feature was The Coffin Maker, directed by Bakshi.
