Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and France’s Minister for Culture and Communication Francoise Nyssen on Tuesday jointly inaugurated the 42nd Kolkata International Book Fair world’s largest literary event.
The Fair that would be officially open for the public from today was also special because the French Minister conferred his country’s highest order of merit the “legion d’Honneur” or legion of Honour on veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee star of many a Satyajit Ray’s iconic film.
Incidentally the octogenarian actor ended the three decade “Honour” draught for Bengal. His mentor and Director Satyajit Ray earned it about 30 years ago for his classical films that won accolades all over the world, particularly France.
Chattopadhyay who acted in epoch-making films like Pather Panchali, Apur Sansar, Sonar Kella — before winning the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award — was also conferred CESC honour by the Chief Minister. A French delegation of renowned authors and poets led by the Minister attended the Fair where France was the Theme Country. Organised by the Publishers and Booksellers Guild the Book Fair will conclude on February 11 hosting not only the Indian publishers but those from abroad including Peru, Portugal, Vietnam, Spain, Russia, China, Japan Columbia etc. Inaugurating the Book Fair Banerjee said, “The conferring of the highest French on Soumitra Chatterjee is not only his personal achievement but also an achievement of Bengal and India as a whole. Today’s event has made us proud.”
Reminding that “what France is to the world Kolkata is to India: its cultural capital,” Banerjee said the Tuesday’s event only “refreshed the memories of the great Satyajit Ray.”
The largest of its kind the Kolkata Book Fair draws lakhs of visitors, professional and non-professional authors. last year about 2 million people visited the Fair which also acts as a platform for new writers and facilitates daily summits where literary, political, economic issues are deliberated upon.
Similar summits would be held from February 8 to February 11 when the Fair would conclude.
