The third floor lobby at The Park Hotel is abuzz with children of all age groups. They are either engaged in animated talks, singing songs or discussing the evening’s proceedings. In between the organisers interrupt them to take details, give information of the day’s events and explain where and how the children would travel.
As a welcome gift the girls are given faux pearl necklaces. Park is the official hospitality partner for the event and the children who have come from different states are mostly child delegates or jury members.
Each children’s group is usually accompanied by an adult who is often kept busy with monitoring inquisitive children who want to explore every nook and corner of the hotel lobby until they reach their rooms.
The youngsters could be heard talking excitedly about getting an opportunity to see Ranbir Kapoor and the line up of international cinema. A group from Warangal, on their first visit to the fest is still warming up. “We are excited to be here. It will be nice to meet all the interesting people and child delegates. The process is however slow,” says Nitin.
Their guardian is quick to add, “They might have made movies. But there are all talented in different fields; there are good dancers, singers among them and some others are proficient in elocution.”
This group of children from Warangal will attend the workshops and share the learning back in their school. “We are all from different schools and met each other only today. By the end of fest I am sure we will make many friends,” says Sridatta. The rest of the children are Pawan, Sindhuja, Tarun, Mounica and Asma. About their views on the city. “It is beautiful from here,” they say.
Students of Riverside school from Ahmedabad were in the jury in the last couple of years and this year, “we are just representing the state,” says their teacher.
The children are looking forward to learning new techniques in the workshops and will attempt something on film making. These kids are constantly being distracted by young boys in blazers with cameras. They ask inquisitively, “Show us how this operates and tell us what you are going to do.”
The chatter doesn’t stop. Every corner of the lobby has some interesting discussion. If one group is talking about the landscape, the others are talking about sharing the rooms and the pleasant weather. Some are also seen posing for photographs for lensmen from different media. They are posing but not without demanding to catch a glimpse of the preview on the digital cameras!
