A day after MiD DAY expose on Women's Film Fest in Delhi, Brit filmmaker shares her horror story with MiDDAY

Skeletons keep tumbling out of the fifth edition of the India International Women's Film Festival (IIWFF). A day

Lipika Pelham alleges that she was harassed at the 5th India International Women's Film Festival in New Delhi

after MiD DAY broke the story that Bhaskar Deb, one of the organisers of the festival and the husband of Shyamali Banerjee, the festival director, harassed female filmmakers at the festival, a fresh charge has been levied by Lipika Pelham, a Brit director based in Israel.

Corroborating all the charges brought against Bhaskar by Oscar winner Jane Campion and Pakistani filmmaker Ayesha Arif Khan, Pelham told MiD DAY that she too was a victim of harassment at IIWFF.

"I came to know of the festival from my agent. He told me Jane Campion would also be there. I have always been a fan of Campion and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to meet her in person. I got to know that the wife of the Indian Vice-President would also attend the festival," Lipika said.

Lipika let the organisers know she would be attending the festival.
"I landed at Delhi airport at six in the morning on December 15, expecting to be received at the airport. There was no one. This was surprising as I had informed the organisers of my arrival time. I waited for two hours at the airport and then took a taxi to the hotel where I was supposed to stay. On the way, I sent a text message to Shyamali as I didn't want to wake her up that early in the morning. She never replied."

Lipika reached Hotel Ambience at Panchsheel and asked the receptionist to call the festival organisers. "Bhaskar took my call and asked me to get ready. He said a taxi will come to pick me up. It was then that I saw Jane Campion at the hotel."

When she introduced herself to Campion, Lipika got to know that the Oscar winner had faced the same ordeal. Jane told her there would be no opening ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan as announced, and that the festival was a sham. Jane's friends, who had come down from Jaipur for the ceremony, were appalled that it had been cancelled at such a short notice. "At 6 pm, Shyamali came with another guy to our hotel and invited us for a cocktail party."

It was at the party that Lipika witnessed the worst.
A very drunk Bhaskar allegedly came up to the female directors and made lewd gestures. "He got up from his seat, came towards me and tried to hug me and kiss me on the cheek. He also put his hand on a Turkish director's back. We somehow managed to move away. But he just wouldn't let us be and tried to persuade us to have a drink with him."

The Other Side

When MiD DAY broke the story on February 22, Bhaskar Deb had said all allegations against him were false and that he was being framed. His wife Shyamali Banerjee said she was with her husband throughout the festival and nothing of this sort happened. Read Next Story Pug off air, off the shelves› Trending Stories Latest Photos Latest Videos Latest Web Stories ADVERTISEMENT Mid-Day Fast ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT