May Day in Delhi

May 7, 2015, Kolkata: I had a trip to Delhi and Jaipur in the last four or five days. On May 1 I went to Delhi and after having a meeting at the Ministry of External Affairs, South Block, went to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to witness the special screening of Suman Ghosh's film Kadambari. 
With Babul Supriyo and Suman Ghosh
The Union Minister of State, Babul Supriyo, who had sung a song in the film, was also present. The Hon'ble President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, his wife, the cast and crew of the film, Mr Jawhar Sircar, CEO, Prasar Bharati, and few other selected guests watched the film. It was a gathering of 35 people.
After the screening, I hosted a dinner at India International Centre, Annexe Court, for the guests. The weather was kind enough and by the time dinner started after the screening it wasn't too hot.
With Konkona Sen
The Konkona Sen Sharma-starrer Kadambari is slated for release in Kolkata tomorrow. Prambrata Chatterjee plays Tagore in the film. I again plan to host a dinner at The Taj Bengal. 
Kadambari is a film that touches upon the sensitive and once much talked about relationship between Rabindranath Tagore and Kadambari Devi, his sister-in-law, who had committed suicide four months after Tagore married her sister Bhabatarini. This is the first time the topic is the subject of a Bengali film.
Director Suman Ghosh said in his speech at the Rashtrapati Bhavan that he wasn't scared to take up the sensitive topic shrouded in several myths and simplistic explanations, but felt a huge sense of responsibility to present it in a dignified manner. The film's narrative, he said, is an amalgamation of myth and reality.
With Konkona, Jawhar Sircar and Suman
On the evening of May 2, I went to Jaipur, did a series of meetings, and came back to Delhi on May 5 evening. I landed in Kolkata on that very night.
In fact, after quite a long spell there will be three events of Prabha Khaitan Foundation on the same day and for the first time at the same venue. On May 8 there is the twenty first edition of the Author’s Afternoon” at 4 pm with Suhel Seth, followed by a book release at 7 pm and at 9:30 pm I shall be hosting a dinner – all of it at the Taj Bengal.
My thanks to Taj Bengal’s outgoing General Manager, K Mohanchandran. It is because of his efficiency that these events are so well-planned and successfully executed by The Taj.
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