Nandan, which is generally the epicentre of activities during the KIFF, missed the crowd of cinema lovers on the second day
Auditoriums having several seats vacant, ground sans beelines of film lovers, exhibition centres attracting lesser footfall than previous years, the sweltering heat and the scorching sun, kept the cinephiles away from Nandan during the ongoing 27th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).
Nandan, which is generally the epicentre of activities during the KIFF, missed the crowd of cinema lovers on the second day of the grand event. The Nandan ground that comes alive with movie lovers queuing up in front of the auditorium entrances right from the morning could hardly be spotted today. The auditoriums during the afternoon shows used to draw huge crowds with audiences sitting on the steps and others standing till the entrance and exit gates to be able to catch glimpses of some of the internationally acclaimed films. However, the same venues witnessed lesser footfall with several seats still remaining unoccupied.
On the other hand, some of those who came braving the sun to watch a movie at the city’s much loved film festival, decided not to turn up during the ongoing heatwave-like condition.
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Four friends who had assembled at Nandan from different parts of the city to watch the afternoon show, said, “We came here today just because we eagerly wait for the event for the whole year. But after coming here amid the sweltering heat, we thought it is advisable not to turn up on a second day. As we live in the fringes of the city and there is a crisis of buses after late evenings, we decided not to come here again.”
With similar assertions, two other college friends said, “As our parents do not allow staying out till late in the evening, we used to catch the afternoon shows here every year. This year, my mother has given me permission only for today fearing that I might fall sick in the prevailing hot weather. It is very disheartening for me to miss such beautiful films because of unfavourable weather conditions.”
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