On December 15, the likes of Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukherji, Shatrughan Sinha, and more attended the opening ceremony of the Kolkata International Film Festival. They posed for a couple of clicks with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The speeches of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, in particular, have received reactions from across the country. While the Pathaan star spoke about the "narrowness of social media", Amitabh Bachchan raised the issue of freedom of expression and free speech, which is prevalent in Indian cinema.
At the 28th Edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival, Bachchan said, "The 1952 Cinematograph Act set out the structure of censorship as it stands today upheld by the film certification board. But even now, ladies and gentlemen — and I am sure my colleagues on stage will agree — questions are being raised on civil liberties and freedom of expression."
Shah Rukh Khan spoke about the negativity on social media and discreetly reacted to the criticism that his upcoming film Pathaan has been receiving. The actor said, "It is somewhere that negativity increases social media consumption and thereby increases its commercial value as well. Such pursuits enclose the collective narrative making it divisive and destructive."