Kathmandu, April 13 (Inditop.com) When Nepal ushers in the Nepali new year 2067 Wednesday with much fanfare and feasting, joining in the celebrations will be a popular visitor from across the border – Bollywood.
A five-day film festival organised by the Indian Cultural Centre kicks off in the capital Wednesday, to be followed by the arrival of famed Bollywood director Govind Nihalani and actor Nandita Das to take part in an ensuing seminar.
The films to be screened range from the all-time classic “Mother India” directed by Mehboob Khan in 1957 that made a star out of Nargis, to “Umrao Jaan” by Muzaffar Ali and the eloquent “Black” that saw director Sanjay Leela Bhansali plumb new depths with the story of a deaf, blind and mute girl.
The year 2010 marking the 150th birth anniversary of Indian writer, philosopher and humanist Rabindranath Tagore, the film festival also includes a movie based on his celebrated short story “Nashto Nir” (The destroyed home) that was made into an acclaimed film by Satyajit Ray, “Charulata”.
Ray’s 1960 film “Devi”, that won the President’s Gold Medal, is also part of the film festival along with Aparna Sen’s “Paroma”.