Filmiholic : Meri duniya - bilkul filmi
India & Ireland, film & more
Through the amazing use of Cisco Telepresence technology, Bombay, London and NYC were joined across the wires and the airwaves for a press conference prior to the December 3 release of Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey.
First, the Bombay photographers had to do their thing:
Photo-op over, we were now all set to get down to the global, transcontinental Q & A:
Hats off to Ashutosh Gowariker and PVR Pictures, who have done the practically unthinkable: screened an upcoming release (Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey) for the local press in NY, and did it before the press conference with “The Talent” takes place….. amazing!
This is a promising step. Here’s hoping all others follow suit…….and soon.
Seriously. Usually the interviews here with any actors and directors will take place (90+ percent of the time) before anyone asking the questions has actually seen the film. Resulting in the press conference/roundtables/interviews becoming something akin to an amorous teenage boy trying to convince his uptight and chaste date to loosen up and at least let him have a peek at her brassiere.
The press repeatedly try to get their subjects to give concrete details about the film, while the coy actors/directors – not wanting to give too much away before the release – speak in voluminous, gauzy generalities and say ad nauseum “You’ll just have to see for yourself when you watch the film.”
Before, the fear was piracy if they allowed any copies all the way over here before the opening day. Now, the general consensus is, it’s due to a fear of any negative comments on FB and Twitter putting a premature spanner in the works.
But in some cases (KHJJS, Break Ke Baad, Raavan, Peepli Live, Dhobi Ghat) things are starting to change.
(In the US this practice is unheard of…. in fact, it’s usually the other way around… if you haven’t seen the film, they won’t let you anywhere near the talent… it’s a prerequisite to see the movie first.)
After gathering inputs from listeners far and wide, Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode of BBC Radio have compiled this bang-on code of conduct for cinema-goers. Hearing some of the experiences people shared over the past few weeks have been enlightening: one man’s child was thrown up on by the woman in the row behind them, another person had to endure the woman next to him getting up and exiting their row for five – yes, five – bathroom breaks, and on and on.
Can’t recommend Simon and Mark enough. They’re smart and funny and carry on like an old married couple most of the time as they discuss movies on their weekly show.
Sadly, even though Hindi films often make it to the UK Top Ten, those films are almost never discussed by the good doctors, owing to the fact that there’s practically never any advanced screening for the press.
Just a few days prior to the November 26 release of Break Ke Baad, Imran Khan sat down for a press conference at Reliance Big Pictures Manhattan offices, together with BKB’s Associate Producer, Vicky Bahri. Imran took great care to repeat each person’s name after they introduced themselves before asking their questions.
He was refreshingly frank about the roles he gets offered (as a baby-faced 27-year-old), his working relationship with his famous uncle (Aamir Khan) and his thoughts on possible Hollywood roles. For the amount of media attention he receives, he’s remarkably unaffected.
Q: How did you get on board for this film?
IK: I initially turned it down after I read the script. I was halfway through I Hate Luv Storys when Danish (the director) came back with a new script. This character has a lot in common with my character from Jaane Tu “¦ Ya Jaane Na, he’s a grown-up version.
Q: What draws you to do a film?
IK: Three things bring me to a film: the script, the director and a producer who’ll support the director, not interfere and also who won’t forget the project.
Q: What was it like working with Deepika?
IK: I didn’t really know her before, but since she’s become a close friend. She cares very deeply about her work. She always wants to do better in each film. It pushes you to try harder and it makes you look better on screen.
Q: (to Vicky Bahri): How is it co-producing with Kunal (Kohli)?
We all have directorial backgrounds and we look at film from that perspective, so we can help the director because we know where he’s coming from. And these guys worked really hard. We had a grinding schedule in Mauritius, with 4am/5am wake-up calls.
Q: Why are you here in NY and NJ to promote this film?
As part of the lead-up to the November 24 release of his new romcom, Break Ke Baad, twentysomething heartthrob Imran Khan will be making the rounds in the tri-state area this weekend. (yes, that’s right, we get the film before they do in India.)
For people who want to catch a glimpse of him in person can find him at the two BIG Cinemas chain theaters in New Jersey this Sunday, November 14th. He’ll be stopping at both the Columbia Park 12 theater in North Bergen and the Movie City 8 theater in Edison. You can read more about how to book tickets for the appearances here.
Later in the day, he’ll be moving on to Fords, NJ for a dinner engagement at Royal Alberts Hall.
And here’s the trailer for the movie:
Sendhil Ramamurthy, one of the stars of Shor
Star-studded opening of the 10th Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council film festival.
Tusshar Kapoor, star of Shor (and Diwali hit Golmaal 3)
The team from Shor ("Noise"), opening film of MIAAC
The non-desi photographers behind the velvet rope furiously scribbled the names the of the people gliding by them, while the rest of the pack gave them the lo-down on who was who. Tusshar Kapoor got out of his car one reporter said “He’s very big back in India” and upon his TV mogul sister Ekta’s appearance, someone else added “And she’s huge over there!”
Tusshar Kapoor with his sister Ekta, who produced Shor
Samrat Chakrabarti, who is clearly in the lead for the title of busiest NY-based actor was on the SAIFF red carpet less than two weeks ago, then over at the Rome Film Festival, and now back here. He has also appeared as Irrfan Khan’s son in the latest season of HBO’s In Treatment.
Samrat Chakrabarti, starring in Ajay Naidu's Ashes
Samrat is at MIAAC for his work in Ashes, the directorial debut of his Loins of Punjab Presents co-star Ajay Naidu. A frequent Twitterati, Samrat gave his phone to one of the photographers and asked them to snap his picture, for Tweeting purposes. Not only an actor, Samrat is also an accomplished musician and has done the score for the documentary Natvar Bhavsar: Poetics of Color, also appearing at this year’s MIAAC.
Mr. Naidu soon followed him on the red carpet, and after much greeting and embracing of friends, he worked his way down the line of photographers. Ajay can also be seen in this season of the HBO series Bored to Death.
Ajay Naidu, actor and now director, whose Ashes debuts Friday night
Sarita Choudhury, who caught everyone’s eye in Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala and Kama Sutra, saw her director arrive at the theater and rushed over to swoop her up in a big hug.
Actor Sarita Choudhury and her director Mira Nair
Actor, author (more here) and chef, Madhur Jaffrey tried to slip into the theater with all the other festival-goers, but was coaxed onto the red carpet.
Mira Nair, Madhur Jaffrey and Sarita Choudhury
If one were to look for six degrees of separation between Nandana Sen and Ajay Naidu, they wouldn’t have to go too far, as Ms. Sen played the muse Sugandha in Ketan Mehta’s Rang Rasiya the biopic of artist Raja Ravi Varma, to whom Mr. Naidu is related. (If Ms. Sen had turned around, you would see a thin gold chain encircling her waist.)
Nandana Sen
After a while, one photographer remarked “Now, if I can just get Padma Lakshmi, I could go home.” (She did eventually appear.)
