At the inauguration of 23rd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) on Friday, actor and brand ambassador for Bengal, Shah Rukh Khan, attempted to speak Bengali and said that next time, he would be more fluent.

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"I have promised that I will keep on learning Bangla. My Bengali has to get better. This is my new attempt with eight lines. Please bear with me. Let me get this right because by next year I have to do it without reading it off a paper," he said, as he read out a small Bengali message. Khan added that he would probably wear a dhoti next year to resemble a Bangla babu.

Reacting to the comment, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was also in attendance, promised that in the next edition of the film festival, SRK would be given a dhoti and a kurta. Later, to critics of the film festival and Biswa Bangla brand, she added, "If Bengal becomes an international brand, what is the harm? One should not do politics in everything. 'Jhandar shonge matha thandao rakhte hoi' (It is necessary to keep a cool head along with carrying a flag). Our unity is in our diversity. Let them be those who are feeling jealous," she said.

Interestingly, at the time, her former party aide and deputy Mukul Roy, at a public meeting, had said that even as the state was reeling under the dengue crisis, Mamata was busy with film festivals.

The film festival will continue till November 17 and screen 143 films from 53 countries under 16 categories.

Political jabs

Her former party aide and deputy, Mukul Roy, had said on Friday at a rally that even as the state was reeling under the dengue crisis, Mamata was busy with film festivals.