'Taking Woodstock' premiers in Goa

Academy award winner Ang Lee's flick Taking Woodstock, which is a tribute to the international music festival, had its India premier in Goa.

The music lovers and celebrities made their presence felt at INOX multiplex here yesterday to witness a premier of the movie which tracks down the roots of world's one of the biggest music extravaganza - The Woodstock Music Festival.

PVR Cinema, which has the Indian rights of this film, claimed that `this is the world's first ever full-length feature film based on The Woodstock Music Festival of 1969.'

Incidentally, Goa, the state on the western coast of India, which had hippies thronging here in 60s and 70s, was unsuccessfully tried to be promoted as the venue for the Woodstock festival.

"There were some attempts to make Goa a permanent venue but it fizzled out subsequently," confirmed a source.

For Woodstock fans, the movie based on a book, Taking Woodstock by Elliot Tiber brought back the memories of the festival.

"I attended the festival a decade ago on its 30th anniversary. It was a fabulous experience. There were 60 to 70 bands playing for it," Brian Tellis, chairman, Fountainhead events, who was present for the premier, said.

Inspired from the Woodstock, Tellis' team is working on a similar festival titled 'Open Sky', details of which he kept under wraps.

The Woodstock fan following that thronged the festival venue included celebrities like Luke Kenny, Uday Benegal, Ranjit Barot, Anuradha Pal and DJ Black Jack.

"Hippie culture is very much a part of Goa. The state is land of laidback attitude, which makes it a perfect venue for such kind of festivals. This is a free-spirited festival and goes well with Goa's atmosphere," said Uday Benegal.