:: IFFK 2008 ::

This is the 13th International Film Festival of Kerala. But what really happened to this place with the film festival? Did it change something? Did it change anything? I think it did. And a real lot. The number of people changed. The kind of people changed. This time, we can clearly see that it's just not the "intellectual" crowd that comes here to watch movies. From Day One, I have been among a crowd of people with different nationalities and varying interests.

But then, when I am thinking what is happening, standing in the lobby of Hotel Horizon, having come here for a workshop, I see a lot of people who are staying here, who have come to represent their films from their countries far away. When I see this man among this whole lot, holding an instrument that looks almost like a swan, I'm suddenly interested. It's about music.

I felt apprehensive about talking to him. I was thinking, one doesn't really know how these people are. They might be highly celebrated people whom one might not know how to approach. Will he be interested or intrigued, or will he just ignore me. But talking to him was as easy as a cheesecake. He easily smiled, and said he was Faizal from France and the instrument is an oud. No, never heard of it. And slyly I try to ask him, how and when can I hear this play. Before that question really affects him, someone calls him from behind and he leaves in a flash.

The next time I meet him on a lift. I tell him in real urgency that I really want to hear your instrument play. He says come over, now I can play for you. I get off on his floor, stand in front of his room for two seconds after he opened the door and while he is waiting for me to enter, with this certain Indian mental block of entering some stranger's room. But it's too bad of me to even think of it that way. A musician with a musical instrument inviting me just to listen to him is more than an honour.

The music the oud played was something absolutely new to me. It is a classical string instrument, more like the sarod which has an undertone of sadness, whatever raga you play. The moment he started playing, I remembered having heard it in Arabian contexts.

For some minutes he took me through many levels in my own self. It was absolutely beautiful to hear him play. He reminded me of emotions, love.

Yes, a film festival is not just a film festival. It is a venue where you get to know people from everywhere. It is a place where many currents meet. Happy to be here.