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Sameera Reddy seems to have found unexpected fame in West Bengal, what with one of the region’s most prominent directors Buddhadeb Dasgupta having taken a fancy to her. After Kaalpurush, she features in his quasi-satire on voyeurism Ami, Yasin Arr Amar Madhubala, which heads for the Toronto Film Festival in September.
   Sameera, who is on cloud nine, told IANS: ‘Imagine, a Reddy is a star in Ghosh-land. It was a challenge and I’m glad I proved equal to it. I’m going to Toronto on September 8. I guess this is a time of remarkable reckoning in my career.’
   ‘While Kaalpurush has just won the National Award for best film, Ami Yasin Arr Amar Madhubala, where I play Madhubala, is going to the Toronto Film Festival.’
   Ami, Yasin Arr Amar Madubala, which tackles the prickly subject of voyeurism and the invasion of private feminine space through the intrusive male gaze, will shown in the prestigious ‘Masters’ section at the Toronto fest.
   The actress, who has lately assumed the mantle of a social activist, is much gratified.
   ‘Dada (Dasgupta) is a master moviemaker. His confidence in me has given me great confidence as an actress. You know, we were having a press conference for Kaalpurush when he announced, ‘Sameera is doing my next film’. That’s how I got to know I was doing a second film with dada.
   ‘Everyone discouraged him from signing a glamorous Mumbai actress in a deglamourised role. Today, I’m seen as more Bengali than the Bengali actresses in Kolkata. After doing two films with me in Bengali he’s now planning a third one with me.’
   Kolkata is abuzz with stories of how Sameera has become Dasgupta’s muse.
   ‘If I am dada’s muse I’m too flattered to be embarrassed,’ she said. ‘I can never say no to him. I did his second film and will do a third and as many as he wants me to. I’m putty in his hands.’
   Sameera will be at the Toronto fest with not just Ami Yasin... but also Mira Nair’s short film on AIDS migration.
   ‘Two films at the same festival... I couldn’t ask for more.’
   As for being feted as a Bengali actress, Sameera shrugs, ‘Have you seen Chak De! India? Can we stop being praant (state)-fixated? Indian cinema is no longer about just Bollywood.’
   ‘I’m proud to be doing films in Hindi, Bengali Telugu and Tamil. And please bring on more languages.’

The 15th International Holy Quran Exhibition will open at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla on September 10, a few days before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
   In a press conference held here on Tuesday, the head of the exhibit’s policymaking council, Mohammad-Ali Khajehpiri, elaborated on the various sections and programs of the event.
   Khajehpiri said that the motto of this year’s exhibit is ‘Quranic Life, Islamic Solidarity’, adding that the event has had several changes compared to the previous years’ exhibits and will focus on increasing society’s understanding of the Quran.
   ‘The youth section of the previous exhibits has been omitted this year. The new decision is that all the sections of this year’s event must dedicate a part of their programs to the youth. The children’s section is also separated from the young adult’s section so more programs can be held,’ he added.
   ‘Several scientific sessions are also scheduled to be held in other cities with the collaboration of the research section of the Tehran exhibit. Research committees have been established in other cities to help screen live sessions from the Tehran exhibit broadcast by the satellite channels of IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting).
   ‘The bookselling section will also be separate from the exhibit. The books at the exhibition will only be on display not for sale, but in the bookselling section, religious and Quranic books will be sold at a 35 percent discount.’
   Khajehpiri explained that there will also be sections paying tribute to the servants of the Holy Quran in the provinces and introducing international servants of the Quran. The deputy secretary of the exhibit, Nasser Golduzha, told reporters at the press conference that 30 Quran exhibits are also scheduled to open in 30 cities during the month of Ramadan.
   He said that since the month-long exhibit coincides with the beginning of the new school year, the Ministry of Education has agreed to cooperate in arranging visits to the Quran exhibit for citizens of neighbouring provinces.
   An exhibition on the lives of the holy prophets is to be held in the side section of the event.
   The International Holy Quran Exhibition is held annually in Tehran during the holy month of Ramadan.