The 49th edition of the International Film Festival of
India opened to a colourful start on Tuesday showcasing a ‘New India’ at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, Bambolim. It was a jamboree of glitz and glamour all around in which Goa was silently but sadly forgotten.
The only echo of Goa was heard when PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar read out a short speech saying “Goa is a State full of colours with effervescent culture, warm people and a welcoming landscape which makes it the perfect destination to host IFFI”. He said IFFI marks the beginning of the tourism season for Goa, but surprisingly there was nothing on screen that reflected our tourism. If Goa is seen as a tourist destination only for its beaches, casinos, free flow of booze and narcotics, this was one opportunity to bring on stage the rich heritage of Goa, its culture and its welcoming people.
There was a short clipping on Jharkhand that filled the screen with lush green and tempting locales, inviting visitors to experience its pristine beauty. There was another clipping which showed the imposing statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel standing tall in Gujarat with a brief on the Prime Minister’s history-making achievement and then there were schemes the government doles out to enterprising film-makers in terms of subsidies.
Performances catering to various genres took the audience through a melange of history, action, romance and music. There was a touch of romance by versatile playback singer Shilpa Rao and there was even a small cameo from the sensational Arijit Singh. But there was not even a pale reflection of Goa and its people. The lineup of celebrities was long. Names of Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Subhash Ghai, Randhir Kapoor, Arijit Singh, Poonam Dhillon and Ramesh Sippy reverberated through the stadium, but again, Goan names could not find place even in the remotest corner.
It is surprising to see that even Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore was prominently
entertained on stage with his shooting track record and
his medals, a feat which has got nothing to do with Indian cinema. And there was a mediocre chat show on the lines of Koffee with Karan.
While Goa grapples with its beach cleaning and a shaky administration, the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who brought with him the Goan aura in the previous editions of the festival was missing. Conspicuously out of focus were our art and culture minister and the tourism minister. Or were they too lost in the crowd? Lets not forget the numerous international trips our politicians make to showcase Goa abroad while failing to give Goa a push at international events in our own backyard.
So, for all the hype and glamour that engulfs the State during this 9-day festival, we may ask, where does IFFI take Goa?
