Kareena Kapoor is a picture of grace as she inaugurates film festival

The 10th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (Biffes) got off to a glittering start on Thursday and gracing the occasion was Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan, reports The Hindu. Speaking from the steps of Vidhana Soudha, the paper quoted the actor as saying:

“Cinema is the coming together of people, which has no language, religion and regional boundaries,” she said, to a resounding applause. “Cinema is in my blood. It is my passion and it is food for the soul for me.” The actor opened up about her family’s association with the state. In particular, she spoke of her grandfather Raj Kapoor’s love for Karnataka. She said: “My grandfather Raj Kapoor’s spirit is among us to night, blessing us all storytellers, directors to keep up the good work they are doing... I am saying this not because of my presence, it is because of his (Raj Kapoor’s) love for Mysuru,” she said.

Raj Kapoor had shot many of his films in Mysuru, the report added. The actor then went on to express her desire to work in a Kannada film. She said, “I don’t know the language, but I hope some day I will entertain in your language. May be in a film some day.” Not to be left behind, ace Bollywood director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra of Rang De Basanti fame too chipped in with his association with the state. He was quoted as saying, “I’m the son-in-law of Karnataka as my wife, PS Bharati, (who worked for Rang De Basanti as editor) is from Bengaluru.”

He further praised the state government for the support it was providing to the film industry. “I have not seen a government which is putting its heart and soul, besides support and patronage,” he added. Also present at the inaugural was Iranian actor of repute, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, who called cinema a “family”. He said, “Wherever there is cinema, we can see peace and humanity.” Cinematographer Marc Baschet said attending Biffes to him was the “same feeling of getting an Oscar!”