There is No Better Venue than Goa for the IFFIÂ’
by Christina Viegas
navhindtimes.com
In a ‘one-to-one’ with Christina Viegas.
Kabir Bedi, IndiaÂ’s popular International actor, says
that he can kill for a ‘Sorpotel’ and loves drinking
‘Feni’
Striding towards me with the magnetic royalty of the
majestic lion itself, actor Kabir Bedi is ‘all smiles’
when asked about his relationship with Goa. In regal
style, he states, “I have been coming to Goa for the
last 30 years. Even when I was abroad, I made it a
point to come down to this beautiful place. I was even
present when Goa hosted the International Film
Festival of India, for the first time.”
So, what draws him to this ‘maravilloso paradiso’?
Bedi replies, “Everything about this state is
beautiful – its people, the atmosphere. I love
drinking the ‘feni’, while, I can kill for a
‘sorpotel’. I mean there is such a wide range of Goan
delicacies to satiate the taste buds – your
‘vindaloos’, ‘xacutis’, ‘cafraels’, everything.”
Quickly, he raises his voice, “I plead with the
legislators to pass legislations that will necessitate
that the builders who buy land have to build houses in
true traditional Goan style. This has to be strictly
followed otherwise they will ruin the landscape of
this beautiful place.”
What is the starÂ’s take on Goa being announced as the
permanent venue for the IFFI? The lion roars, “I feel
there is no better venue to host this festival. The
festival has definitely grown. This year 176 films
from 46 countries were screened, 117 were foreign
films and 49 were Indian. The organisers deserve to be
praised, everything was very well organised and this
can go on to become one of the most important
festivals in the world. But, this calls for a long
term vision, and for the involvement of huge corporate
funding.”
While most felt that this year the IFFI was more
cinema oriented devoid of carnival activities, the
actor opines that these activities should not be done
away with entirely. He explains, “The festival is
about films, but it is also about showcasing the
Indian culture, whether it is the floats from Goa, or
the ‘Bhangra’ from Punjab.”
Full of life, Bedi is extremely excited about the
closing ceremony of the festival where he plays host.
He says, “It is definitely not going to be a song and
dance kind of ceremony, but more focused on the
awards. And, it is so appropriate to have the Spanish
film ‘Fados’ as the closing film. With Lisbon as the
iconic backdrop, it involves music and the culture of
the Portuguese which ties it to Goa and is very much
in sync with Goa.”
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