Bangalore or ‘seeti city’?

:Bangalore is popular as the city of IT and BT (Information Technology and Bio-Technology). The enthusiasm for films in the city might as well earn it the sobriquet “seeti city” (whistle city), said actor Ramesh Aravind at the launch of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) here on Thursday.

As if to reinforce the point, the inauguration of the weeklong festival at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium was marked by the audience applauding and whistling all through. The response for the festival’s inaugural function was so overwhelming that there was chaos as film enthusiasts virtually barged their way into the venue, filling not just the seats but also the aisles.

Many stood throughout the programme and cheered when actor-director-producer Kamal Haasan spoke. Similar was their response when actor Sudeep spoke.

Message on social media

The organisers of BIFFes apologised to people for not having been able to accommodate everyone who came to the venue of the inaugural function. On Twitter and Facebook, they said, “We apologise to every one who came for the inaugural function of BIFFes and were not allowed inside. These were circumstances outside our jurisdiction. We will try our best to make other days an eventful one for you.”

Pronouncing names

People on the dais found it difficult to pronounce names of Iranian Cine Director Pouran Derakhshandeh and Festival Director Hof Film Festival Germany Heinz George Badewitz. Actor Kamal Haasan mentioned Derakhshandeh in his speech, and turned to her and asked whether he had pronounced her name correctly. She nodded with a smile.

Technician protests

After Sudeep addressed the gathering, Shivamurthy, a technician who lost his two legs in an accident, took objection to popular actors failing to highlight the problems faced by poor artistes. He was pacified only after Minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree announced that the government was addressing the issue raised by Mr. Shivamurthy.