Patna: Bapu Tower’s three-day Gandhi Film Festival entered its second day on September 10, featuring a discussion on Mahatma Gandhi’s life, work and portrayal through cinema, followed by the screening of two films.
The festival is being organised by Bapu Tower, Patna, in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the National Film Archive of India. The event is focused on bringing Gandhi’s life and ideas to audiences through films and discussions.
Speakers Discuss Gandhi And Cinema
The second-day discussion featured noted theatre personality and IPTA national general secretary Tanveer Akhtar, critic and former Patna College principal Prof Tarun Kumar, and film expert Prashant Ranjan.
Welcoming the participants, Bapu Tower director Vinay Kumar spoke about the films being screened during the festival. He expressed gratitude to NFDC and the National Film Archive of India for their support and highlighted the importance of remembering Mahatma Gandhi through such programmes.
Tanveer Akhtar described the festival as particularly relevant for the new generation and thanked the organisers for conducting an event based on Gandhi’s life and work.
Prof Tarun Kumar said that watching films about Gandhi is an important activity in itself. Prashant Ranjan, speaking during the second session, described film as an influential medium through which different dimensions of Gandhi’s life can be presented.
Two Films Screened On Day Two
The second day featured screenings of T.A. Abraham’s “A Bondless Ideal” and filmmaker Shyam Benegal’s “The Making of the Mahatma”.
The first day of the festival featured Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-winning “Gandhi” (1982) and “20th Century’s Prophet” (1940).
The festival will conclude on September 11, with three films scheduled to be screened on the final day.
Students And Officials Attend
The programme was conducted by Pratyush Chandra Mishra, branch officer at Bapu Tower, Patna. The vote of thanks was delivered by Ajay Kumar Singh, under secretary at Bapu Tower.
Bapu Tower deputy director Lalit Kumar Singh, joint secretary Kiran Kumari and under secretary Arun Kumar Pathak were also present at the event.
Students and teachers from Kamla Nehru Girls School and Shastrinagar Girls School also attended the programme.
The festival is using cinema and dialogue to introduce audiences, particularly younger viewers, to different aspects of Gandhi’s life and legacy.
