If it’s IFFI, it will be covered by BBC: Brij Bhushan Chaturvedi

DOLCY D’CRUZ

dolcy@herald-goa.com

PANJIM: The International Film Festival of India brings with it a gamut of films and delegates from across the world who travel to the smallest State of the country to dive into the world of cinema. One person that has been a constant feature of this festival is 86-year-old Brij Bhushan Chaturvedi, lovingly called BBC by almost everyone in the fraternity. He has been here in Goa right from the first festival that was held in 2004 and has been attending it, since its first edition in different cities of the country.

Of the 53 IFFIs held BBC has covered 51, missing out on only two. But when it comes to IFFIs in Goa he has a 100% track record.

“I was overjoyed when I heard that IFFI was moving to Goa. I personally met Manohar Parrikar and I told him that I am glad that you brought the world of cinema to the shores of Goa. It has been a wonderful journey covering the festival for so many years in Goa and I keep coming back for more cinema,” says Chaturvedi, or as he is called in the media circle by his friends, BBC.

A Dadasaheb Phalke awardee, Brij is a veteran film critic, historian, journalist, and retired school principal from Indore. When he was 14 years old, he started working as a gatekeeper for a talkie in Indore and ‘Thokar’ was the first film that he wrote about in a newspaper. He has met the greats of Indian cinema and has such a vast collection of photographs and rare booklets based on cinema that he hopes to have the world’s largest cinema exhibition in Indore.

With the aid of a walking stick and his IFFI bag hanging over his shoulder, he has the quickest fingers to book the tickets for films that he would like to watch at the festival. He comes prepared too for his press conferences. While attending the press conference of ‘The Kashmir Files,’ he praised Anupam Kher for his performance in the film and compared his work to the legends of cinema like Dilip Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, and Amitabh Bachchan. To which Anupam Kher responded, “I had a feeling that in today’s press conference, I would have a moment in history,” while recording a video of BBC.

As IFFI came to a close, BBC will be heading home with a heart full of fond memories and a desire to visit the sunny State next year for more amazing wonders on the big screen.