Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who is in West Bengal to attend the 29th edition of the Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), on Tuesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had a house that was smaller than his apartment. “Her house is smaller than mine,” he said while speaking at the KIFF 2023.
“And I am jealous of that fact. How can somebody in this position, have a house smaller than mine? Now, I don’t wish for a smaller house. But she is giving me a big complex,” the actor said while gesturing towards the chief minister who was also present on the dais. “It only shows how simple people are and we don’t need that much.”
Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the 29th edition of the KIFF on Tuesday. She addressed the inaugural session, which featured prominent figures such as Salman Khan, actors Anil Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, and West Bengal’s newly appointed brand ambassador Sourav Ganguly.
In March this year, Casting director Mukesh Chhabra, during a podcast, said Salman Khan lives in a 1-BHK apartment in his Galaxy apartment and doesn’t fancy any luxury. “Very few people know that where he lives, it’s actually a 1BHK apartment. It has one sofa, a dining table, a small area where he talks to people, a small gym, and a room,” Chhabra said during the podcast, The Ranveer Show.
“That is Salman Khan, the biggest star of this country. He leads an extremely simple life. He doesn’t fancy brands or is into buying expensive things. He will eat everything, he lives a normal life. It is not his artistic process, he is just like this. I have been interacting with him for 15 years now, I haven’t seen him change.”
Mamata Banerjee, who has been serving as the chief minister since May 2011, is also known for simple living. She is often seen in her traditional saree and blue-white Hawaiian slippers.
In August last year, Banerjee advised every minister in her Cabinet to lead a “simple life”. She also directed all her ministers to stop using pilot cars with red beacons anywhere in the state, except on highways. Earlier this year, the chief minister, who was on a 12-day visit to Spain and UAE, was seen jogging in a saree and slippers in Madrid.
The KIFF, scheduled from December 5 to 12, will showcase a total of 219 movies from 39 countries. Spain will be the festival’s focus country and the festival will feature six contemporary works from the Spanish cinema.
