4-month-long Festival of France to begin in January

Nov 29, 2012 - Thufail PT |

Age Correspondent

The second edition of the Festival of France in India is all set to illuminate various cities in the country with a four month-long cultural extravaganza. Ambassador of France to India Francois Richier on Wednesday formally announced the festival, “Bonjour India 2013,” which starts from January and ends in April.

Among various other highlights, the festival will also bring “flying angels” to India, who were recently seen at the Olympics, to enthral the public with aerial acrobatic dance transforming the open skies into circus tents. Bonjour India, which the ambassador described as the “celebration of friendship” between France and India, will host over a hundred outstanding cultural events in 15 cities in the country such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chandernagor, Chandi-garh, Chennai, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Puducherry, Pune and Thiruvanantha-puram.
The cultural exchange between India and France had begun in 1985 with an enchanting Indian mela replete with dance, music, food and elephant walk in front of the Eiffel tower in Paris. France responded to it with an equal pace in 1989 and organised a French fest in Mumbai lighting up the Marine Drive with spectacular fireworks. Even though two decades went in silence thereafter, Bonjour India hit the Indian cities again in December 2009.
“The 2013 edition of Bonjour India wants to reach out to every Indian. We are organising it in as many as 15 cities in India and the performances will be free of charge for the audience,” said Mr Richier.
The festival will have the whole artistic dimensions including art, literature, cinema, education, sports, architecture, fashion, photography and performing arts. Besides, the French cuisine will be a glorious addition this time. It will have Indian artists performing with their French counterparts. Leading Indian artist Subodh Gupta will perform a contemporary ballet in collaboration with the Russian Bolshoi theatre. Actor Nandita Das will play the lead role in the Indo-French play India Song. The festival is organised by the embassy of France in India and the Institut Français en Inde, in association with the Alliance Française India network and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

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