MUMBAI: Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni, who inaugurated the two day retrospective of Shakti Samanta Films, said that she, along with her new team is committed to take good cinema to the common man by organizing more such retrospectives of celebrated film makers.

Soni commended the Directorate of Film Festivals for recently organizing a mini film festival at Shillong. She added that soon she would have more such mini film festivals organized in Meghalaya, Jammu – reaching all far corners of India.

She recalled her experience during last year’s Cultural festival in China where an eager demand for Indian cinema was voiced. Soni also said that the government was fortunate to have made use of the talent of Shakti Samanta for seven long years as head of the Central Board of Film certification.

Director and son of Samanta, Ashim Samanta as the keynote speaker, narrated snippets from the life of his father Shakti Samanta, bringing forth a vivid account of the human aspect, struggle and determination of Shakti Samanta that made him the icon he became in Bombay cinema.
Ashim recalled when Shakti Samanta started as a school teacher 100kms off Bombay and would travel to Bombay every Friday. These visits to Bombay got him in touch with the celebrated actor Ashok Kumar and thus his first film Inspector and then Howrah Bridge came to life.

Samanta’s award winning film Amar Prem was screened at the inaugural function. Five of his best know films Howrah Bridge, Kati Patang, Amanush, Kashmir Ki Kali and Anurag are being screened over the two-day retrospective on 11-12 July.