The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) is inviting Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan to this year’s International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which is scheduled for November.
The move by ESG, established by the Government of Goa in 2004 as the nodal agency in the organisation of the IFFI, is expected to break the ice between the actor and the organisers.
The relationship between Mr. Bachchan, 71, and IFFI, since it shifted to Goa, has generated a great deal of controversy in the past.
There have been instances when the invitation to Mr. Bachchan was withdrawn at the last moment, purportedly because of the strained relations between the Nehru-Gandhi family and the Bachchan family.
The erstwhile Congress-led UPA government in Goa did not invite Mr. Bachchan for the event, fuelling speculation that non—invitation was political and purposeful. The Congress, however, has always denied the charge.
“We have already begun a process to invite Amitabh Bachchan for the festival. We all are his fans. I will be personally happy if he comes to Goa to attend the festival,” ESG vice-chairman, Damodar Naik told PTI .
He says that the presence of Mr. Bachchan would lend more importance to the event, which has been held in Goa since 2004.
Mr. Bachchan had attended the IFFI in year 2004 as a brand ambassador of campaign for HIV/AIDS.
He was present for the screening of an acclaimed South African film on the subject during the 35th IFFI, when the festival travelled to Goa for the first time from Delhi.
The IFFI is scheduled to occur from November 20—30, 2014. Mr. Naik says that the preparations for the festival have already begun.
