UP govt plans film fest at Kumbh Mela

Lucknow: Cinema and religion may not go together but the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will bring the two together in the Kumbh Mela next year.

The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in 2019 will have a panorama on India cinema and films, both Hindi and regional, will be screened at the event.

According to official sources, the ministry of culture will host a series of cultural events called “Sanskritik Kumbh” during the religious fair and this includes cinema in its list of activities.

Mr Amir Chand, a national office bearer of Sanskar Bharti, the cultural wing of the RSS, has been made the convener of the Sanskritik Kumbh and will work out the modalities for the grand event.

Officials said that film festivals and discussions about cinema by prominent personalities will be organised and celebrities from the Hindi film industry as well as regional cinema will be invited.

For the various cultural activities, a cultural village called “Sanskriti Gram” will be set up in the Kumbh township. It will be spread across 10 acres of land and will host performances of artists representing various genres of music including classical and folk.

Uttar Pradesh state government expects around 10 crore visitors at the 2019 Kumbh Mela including the international tourists.