Toronto says Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna

The film will be screened in the Toronto fest even before its release.

Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK, Never Say Goodbye) has been selected for a gala presentation at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, even ahead of its theatrical release in India.

The other films selected are Kabir Khan's Kabul Express, Chitra Palekar's Maati Maay (A Gravekeeper's Tale), Rajnesh Domalpalli's Vanaja and Haobam Paban Kumar's documentary AFSPA (A Cry In The Dark). The festival, a major gateway to the North American market, runs from September 7 to 16, 2006.

Says Johar, "I am very thrilled that KANK has been selected for Toronto - it's a big honour to have a gala red carpet presentation. Cameron Bailey, their Indian programmer, told me, 'Your film is full of laughter and tears. We laughed and cried at the preview and took the film back home in our hearts'."

"India is a nation of different cultures and languages, which makes its cinema diverse, dynamic and exciting," says Noah Cowan, Toronto Festival co-director. "I will be there with Shah Rukh and Rani, and I'm trying very hard to get Amitabh and Abhishek as well. Preity will be shooting, though," says Johar.

Johar directs a well-crafted film that should have the audience rooting for the unfaithful pair to be happy together in the end. Kabul Express, starring John Abraham, is a drama set in war-torn, post-9/11 Afghanistan. Maati Maay, starring Nandita Das and Atul Kulkarni, is based on Mahasweta Devi's Daayen (Witch). AFSPA is a documentary about the abuse of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur.