A Stroll Through the Cinema Pavilion...

35MM camera at the cinema pavilion, Photo: Safal Choudhary

The cinema pavilion of the book fair is lively with film discussions, screenings, releases of books on cinema and interaction with film directors such as Muzaffar Ali ( best known for his Umrao Jaan released in 1981), veteran actors such as Sushma Seth and Satish Kaushik, writers such as Javed Akhtar. Images and stills from films are displayed in the pavilion. The main attraction however remains the 35mm camera that was used by early filmmakers like Satyajit Ray. Books on cinema, film theory and scripts of films have also been displayed at the pavilion. 

Javed Akhtar and Satish Kaushik with the director of NBT

Biographies of noted film personalities such as Dev Anand, Rajnikanth, Pran, Raj Kapoor and many others have been exhibited for fans to get a glimpse of their favourite star's life. Three braille books - "Cinema of Satyajit Ray", "Balraj, My Friend" and "Dada Saheb Phalke" – have also been released at the book fair for the benefit of the visually impaired. Famous film adaptations are being screened at the pavilion. Films like Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray, 1955), Shib Biwi Aur Ghulam (Guru Dutt, 1962), the TV series Malgudi Days (Shanker Nag), based on R.K. Narayan's novel by the same name are screened at the cinema pavilion.

Audience watching Umrao Jaan.

The pavilion not only entertains but educates the visitors of  the book fair about the deep relationship of literature and cinema, how they are often compared to each other, often seen as antagonistic forms of art but together they form culture that constantly influences and sometimes even inspires us.

Find the complete schedule of films screenings and  other events at the cinema pavilion @

 http://www.nbtindia.org.in/download/Feb2012/WBF/Theme.pdf