The entertainment society of Goa (ESG), co-host of the 40th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), has held its central government partner Directorate of film festivals (DFF) responsible for not inviting legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan to grace the festival.

Bachchan has not been invited ever since IFFI shifted to Goa in 2003.

“We always feel that we need Amitabh Bachchan. It would be great to have him at the IFFI,” Rajendra Talak member of the red carpet committee, which oversees the logistical arrangement for the glamorous event at the IFFI told IANS Monday.

Talak however said that the ESG’s major chore as a state government entity was to take care of logistics and execution of the film festival arrangements, rather than conceptualising the event. “Even if we feel we need Amitabh, what can we do? It is only up to the DFF… We are not even allowed to recommend any names to them,” he said.

Talak refused to comment on whether Bachchan’s political affiliations had anything to do with the superstar not being formally invited to the IFFI.

During a press conference in October Amitabh Bachchan, who was in the company of Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, had expressed his wish to attend the IFFI in Goa. When asked by reporters why he had never been invited to the film festival, Bachchan had quipped: “You should ask those people who do the inviting.”