To mark the birth centenary year of Satyajit Ray, the Kolkata Literature Festival (KLF) will dedicate an entire session to the auteur at the ongoing International Kolkata Book Fair.
Mamata Shankar, who had acted in the maestro's Agantuk' (Guest), will be in conversation with eminent director Suman Ghosh on the inaugural day of the eighth edition of KLF on March 11.
Called Tomare Selam - 100 Years of Satyajjit Ray', the one-hour session will also be attended by actor Sabyasachi Chakraborty, who had essayed the role of Feluda in several flicks directed by Sandip Ray, the son of the legendary filmmaker.
Feluda is a fictional private investigator in Bengali novels and short stories penned by Satyajit Ray.
"The first book on Ray's cinematographer Subrata Mitra, who shared a special bond with the filmmaker will also be unveiled on the first day of the two day meet by eminent painter Suvaprasanna, curator of the literary meet Sujata Sen told reporters here on Wednesday.
The book, Subrata Mitra-Painter with Light' has been published by West Bengal Heritage Commission.
Mitra, at the age of 21, began his career as a cinematographer with Ray for Pather Panchali' (Song of the Road) in 1955. He is known for pioneering the technique of bounce lighting while filming 'The Apu Trilogy'.
In another session, historian Sugata Bose and other eminent academicians will speak on the theme Freedom of Expression in India in its 75th year of Independence' on the first day.
There will be a discourse on Bengali literature with poet Srijato Bandyopadhyay and authors Pracheto Gupta, Himadri Kishore Dasgupta and Debarati Mukhopadhyay.
Eminent author mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik will decode the interrelation of myth, mudras and the modern times at a segment on the second day, Sen said.
Scholar Gayatri Chakraborty Spivak and historian Rudransgshu Mukherjee will be speaking on the second day of the KLF.
"Despite having changed the schedule of the KLF from the original date in early February to early March, most of the invited guests consented to the changed itinerary. From the response of people in the book fair, we now think the two-day literary festival could have been extended to four days," Sen said.
Noted Bengali writer Sirshendu Mukherjee will inaugurate the event on March 11.
This will be the first in-person literary festival like pre-pandemic days in the eastern region, to be followed by Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet expected to be held in April.