Kolkata: The 32nd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), scheduled from Dec 17 to 23, promises some surprises. The event’s logo and the Golden Royal Bengal Award trophy will receive a makeover, and the festival’s chief adviser and actor Mithun Chakraborty said actors Rajinikanth and Prabhas were likely to attend.An audio-visual presentation showcased the new designs for the logo and the trophy at an executive committee meeting of stakeholders at the state-run Nandan film centre on Tuesday. The logo being replaced was introduced in 2015 after the festival changed its name from CFF to KIFF. The initial proposal was to redesign the logo from the original Calcutta Film Festival design created by film-maker and KIFF co-chief adviser Sandip Ray. “However, when I started work on that, I found it problematic to replace the C with a K. So, I started working on a fresh design,” Ray said.Many who saw the new logo appreciated its smartness and aesthetic, noting the inclusion of kash flowers. Ray said, “I wanted to keep some motif related to film. That’s why I kept the sprockets as well. But this logo didn’t have any symbol directly related to Kolkata or even the Victoria Memorial’s angel. Adding too many motifs runs the risk of making it clumsy. Thankfully, no one asked me to add anything to what I did.”Demands to change the trophy had surfaced during a KIFF committee meeting on Sept 11. Actor-Tollygunje MLA Papiya Adhikary said, “I had formally proposed redesigning the trophy. The earlier trophy looked cruel. I love the new design that was shown to us on Tuesday. I loved the new logo and the way the colours saffron, white and black have been used.”Discussing the design, Ray explained that the intention was to depict the tiger in a standing posture. Ray said, “The earlier tiger in the trophy was shown as taking a leap. This posture leaves room for rough edges. I wanted it to be smooth. Otherwise, it is difficult to grip it properly.” Describing the new concept, he added, “This new design of the trophy that was shown in the AV presentation has a regal gait. If the final trophy can retain the regal features, it will look nice.”Apart from Chakraborty, Ray and Adhikary, Tuesday’s meeting was attended by Prosenjit Chatterjee, Agnimitra Paul, Purnima Chakraborty, Rudranil Ghosh, Sarbori Mukherjee, Hiran Chattopadhyay and Jeet Madnani, among others. After Tuesday’s meeting, Chakraborty told the media, “This year, Rajinikanth and Prabhas may be present. I am in talks with Anupam Kher. I will also speak to Kangana Ranaut. Paresh Rawal is also expected. We will not make the gathering too crowded.” He also expressed hope of inviting a Hollywood personality and other international stars. “Let’s see how far we can take this,” he added.
