Memorial for Ajit Rai Kumar - a cinephile friend and a great film critic

His unexpected death yesterday morning in a London residence is devastating and took us, all his friends by surprise. These lines are supposed to help to understand that a close friend is no longer with us!

 

My friend Ajit Rai Kumar, who I hosted for many years in Cannes, I introduced him to the GFF and together we attended many film festivals like the one in El Gouna, Cannes or Cairo, is no longer with us. He suffered lately of a week heart but unable to pay a peacemaker surgery during his London residency while he was writing the second book about " The Hindujas and Bollywood. "I will do it when I'm back in India" he said to a friend. One of his biggest dreams was to attend the Venice Film Festival one day. This wish will not be fulfilled. Ajit was found dead in his room yesterday morning, his flight to India was scheduled for the afternoon. The last time I saw him it was at the lunch of Marianne Borgo at her house in Cannes, just after the Cannes FF. Ajit had great friends. He was also the one who introduced me to Marianne. Or to Oslo based actor and festival director Nasrullah Qureshi, or to Hinduja.

 

He lately worked at a continuation of this book

 

 

His dedication to me in the book

 

Mentioning me in the book

 

Ajit had a vaste knowledge about cinematography and the film business. But it was difficult to find out his opinion, he didn't like to discuss a film with colleagues and mostly kept the details for himself. He wanted people to read his articles. And he was famous for publishing tons of articles about film festivals, his biggest passion, and mine too. For El Gouna International Film Festival he wrote 75 articles! One time I remember he wrote 100 articles tor Festival de Cannes and he received the highest accreditation, the white badge. I never saw this legendary white badge, but he always received in Cannes the privileged pink one with the dots, the highest accreditation for media and not only!

 

And he liked to party, and a good spirit! At night he was then writing, his eyes not good. He used a magnifying glass for it. At screenings you would find him in the first raw. We always left house early mornings for Festival de Cannes for the very first screening at 8:30 am screening of the day, sometimes even at 8 am.

 

After a screening in Cannes 

 

Ajit was sending me from time to time this caleidoscop of images in order to remind me our friendship.

 

 

 

His favorite motives were El Gouna and Cannes!

 

 

He knew many celebreties, many important people. When I was in New Delhi for the posh wedding of our friend's son he took me and my friend Olga to the writers club for dinner and show. We did not stay the entire evening, one party followed the other. He took us with a tuktuk car to a far away located party,.The journey was long till we finally reached destination. None of us knew the host, a rich man selling helicopers, and even with getting lost we were the first guest at this remoted estate. Our friend who invited us did not reach the party by this time but the host was kind and let us join his party, especially having guests from abroad to his birthday party. He later even introduced us to his esteemed special guests, the German representants of the manufacturer of the helicopers. 

 

We had a lot of fun that evening and Ajit liked to party, and a good spirit! In vino veritas! Hoch die Tassen! Auf Ajit!

 

With Italian/Romanian writer/producer/actress Ieva and Ajit  at the GFF in El Gouna

 

May you rest in peace and protect us from above dear friend, 

 

Alice Kanterian