The IFFK Wave.

Disclaimer : No intellectuals were harmed in the making of this write-up.

Booking for IFFK has become a herculian task now. Fight against fascism, fight for identity politics and never ending class struggle are much easier than this. Allotted student registrations filled up within half a day and delegate registrations in hours. Hail technology for online registration, otherwise we would have lost some of our young intellectuals in counter booking stampede. Akshaya centers were instructed to assist the registration but unfortunately, the passes ran out even before the the centers opened in the morning.

Usually IT professionals working in Chennai, Banglore and bagpackers struggle to get tatkal railway tickets. They wait like a vezhaambal for 11 am and try for a tatkal which finishes in minutes. Sometimes they pester their friends also, to try from another device, to increase the probability of getting the ticket booked. All theories of permutation are applied, still some attempts end in tragedy. Superstitions like using debit card instead of net banking will make it faster, using IRCTC app instead of site will work, etc exist.

Similar to this, film fanatics ( hu...hu… )booked their IFFK passes. But in the race against time, many lost their lives. Relatively jobless ones attacked the site early morning itself and grabbed the red tag with stylish photos (only when uploaded, when printed its barely better than Aadhaar). Those had other rubbish priorities, failed miserably.

The ones who got the entry followed the next mandatory customs. They proudly proclaimed their victory in Facebook with screenshots. Meanwhile failed ones wept inside and took an oath, “we will never log on to Facebook during IFFK days”. Because they simply cannot bear the red tag profile pictures and stills from the capital. Some others took it as a challenge and decided to roam around Kairali, Sree and Tagore, because IFFK is not about watching films (Precisely the point!).

Let us go through some comments ( Don’t expect comments about jury, films to be screened, genres etc. IFFK is not about watching films! )

• A regular intellectual who got the pass.

“ I put an alarm and got up early, thats how I got it. Its the victory of my dedication. I already put the screenshot in FB, I don’t care about comments of jealous people. I have to select jubbas and bandanas, no time to waste “.

• A regular who failed.

“ A real film fanatic does not need a pass. Our canvas is much bigger.

But why these thendikal uploading screenshots of registration in FB ? ”

• Trainee intellectual who managed to get the pass.

“ This is my first IFFK and I am so excited to change my DP”.

• Trainee who failed.

“ I have no words to explain my grief, I will work harder and get in next time ”

• Part time intellectual who got pass.

“ IFFK is not the private property of regular intellectuals. We will break such beliefs.”

• Part timer who failed.

“ Proxy vilikkan patto ?? “

• Sangaputhran

“ IFFK, athenna chathanam ?? ”

• Sudappi

“ Kithabil paranjikilla”

Suggestion : Chalachithra Academy should consider tatkal bookings from next year onwards !

All said and done, See you at Tagore !