Film Fest & the hospitality of Goans

Goa is the permanent venue for the International Film Festival of India and it attracts a lot of national and international film groups. IFFI helps to identify with the films of different cultures across the world and hence reduces the gap among the cultures of different countries.

More than the appreciation of the films screened, the participation in the 45th International Film Festival of India conducted in Panjim,

Goa helped me to realize the hospitality of Goan people. Every region of our country has different people and cultures. The diversity and heritage are the sources of our pride and unity. For most of the Indians, Goa is their foreign trip without much expense. Goa gives the average Indian, the freedom to celebrate with drinks and he can 

ecstatically be half naked in the beaches and can even kiss in public without the usual Indian staring from the passers-by. Panjim is a fun place to visit as there are so many different items to check out like Goan Feni, Goan special cuisines etc. In Goa, liquor bars are not restricted and you can find common restaurants and bars together as we see in the state of Sikkim, unlike the hypocrisy that prevails in other states. I visited several shops and restaurants in the area. Of them, I love Mhal Baro Bar & Restaurant the most. It is the common man’s restaurant situated in Timotio building at General Costa Alvarez Road, Campal, Panjim; which is close to Inox and Maqiunez Palace, the important screening venues.

The owner cum salesman of the Mhal Baro Bar is Mr. Vilas A. Naik. A first-rate basket ball player in the college days, he now owns a small restaurant and bar in a vibrant, busy area. It is a small shop affordable for common men and no double standards for tourists and locals. I wittily told him that it seems to be an official bar cum restaurant for IFFI delegates as almost all the clients are the delegates of the festival. Mr. Karthik, a young salesman of Opal restaurant near Kala Academy is also worth mentioning here. Nice persons are to be appreciated, I think.