Being (semi)retired comes with many perks, the best of which is peaceful sleep at night. One of the others is spending time on things that you always fancied doing but never felt not-guilty about/while doing. Watching movies with no one judging me for the same is one such indulgence that I never indulged in during my prime. So, when I got to know, pretty late, that the much-talked-about film festival is back in town, I could not wait to experience my first KIFF.

I got the schedule printed and was ready, like a kid, to immerse myself among all the Bengali film fanatics. I had to go to Nandan for my first day, which apparently was the second day of the festival. Nandan is like the Mecca of Bengali serious film culture, where freedom of expression is felt literally and figuratively. And what better to start than one of my favourite Ray’s masterpieces - Aranyer Din Ratri.

The show is the 4K restoration of ADR, which will be shown for the first time in India after Cannes, and hence it was a big deal. But I literally realised it when I had to stand almost 3 hours in a queue with 200 others to get that invaluable entry pass. I was just swept away by the vibe of the area inside Nandan that day and never lost hope, patience, or the desire to keep myself hungry for those 3 hours. The wait was not over after getting the pass; it was another hour of standing in the queue to enter the sanctorum. The rest of the evening was spent getting amazed at the brilliance of the master craftsman. It was my first Ray movie on the big screen and was worth all the hunger and pain.

The next day was a bummer. I underestimated the power of Sunday and, hence, the Bengali people’s itch not to waste a moment in their homes. When I arrived a couple of hours before the next show to get the entry pass, I was already the 150th person in line. And by the time I realised there was nothing much I could do there, waiting for the pass, and also the fact that I am not influential enough to get myself an all-permissive delegate card, I wished to try my luck at another venue near my place, Nazrul Tirtha. But it was the same story over there as well. It was a bittersweet moment: I was sad about missing all the world cinema I wanted to watch, but I was happy that we Bongs still have that intellectual sting alive today.

Rest of the days I had to go with precision planning - only check the schedule of the nearest venue, reach 2 hours before to get the pass, and then reach at least half an hour to get inside first to get the good seats. The only downside to it is that my choices were limited and I could watch only one movie a day. I was content.

I picked Zweitland and Franz as my picks from the world cinema options for the next 2 days. Both of them were fantastic. While Zweitland was a powerful portrayal of human resolve and inhuman arrogance for violence, Franz was a technical brilliance when it comes to modern movie-making.

The penultimate day was another heartfelt day. I went to watch Ghatak’s Subarnarekha.

The average age of the whole hall would be around 70. People were sitting on the floor, and a few were standing for a couple of hours in amazement. I can’t do justice talking about the movie. I feel so proud to be a Bengali, mainly for these auteurs who inspire me to strive for perfection in my craft and never to be strident on the known/expected path.

The end today was like the perfect dessert to an already perfect 5-course dinner.

Blue Moon was like the movie made on order for my intellect. The humour of the witty old-English conversations, with the right dollop of adult innuendos, is hardly visible in any modern shows or movies. Ethan Hawke’s performance, along with the stellar screenplay, was the best ending that I never expected.

Next year, I am going to get the delegate card — by hook or by crook. Many things could be done differently to improve the overall experience, but I am not expecting anything to happen. I just wish they would keep the same quality of movies next year and get more restorations done for other Bengali auteurs. It’s just pure magic to see those masterpieces on the big screen with all like-minded cinephiles.