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Mira Nair filmed what she loved
Panjim (Goa), November 30 And the film, screened as the inaugural at the 35th International Film Festival of India here last night, has indeed panned out like a vision. This is one of those rare times when she is handling an out and out western theme. It introduces a new audience to the sharply etched character of the calculating Rebecca “Becky” Sharp. Interpreting a western theme in her own style was quite a challenge but she utilised her experience of the US, Africa and India to give it a universal mooring. After all, the basic nature, of being always anxious to get more than what one has, is not confined to the 19th century England in which the novel is set. Mira Nair says she normally produces her own films. But when she is hired by other producers, it is with the full knowledge about her sensibilities and the approach to cinema. This provides her full liberty to make the film her own way. The same holds true of whom to cast in it. Technically, it is the producers who look after the casting part but she is given full liberty in this regard. For instance, in “Vanity Fair”, there was total unanimity on every actor except Jonathan Rhys Meyers. “I have to be in love with an actor and his or her acting before casting him or her,” the Harvard-educated maker of such films as “Salaam Bombay” and “Monsoon Wedding” says. Incidentally, “Monsoon Wedding” is likely to make it to Broadway soon. The normal love stories these days cost about $80 million in Hollywood. To that extent, the $23 million budget of “Vanity Fair” was peanuts, particularly because it is a period film. But there has been no compromise on quality, Mira insists. Earlier, this film was screened at the Venice Film Festival. She refused “Harry Potter” for two reasons. One, because this would have entailed spending three years on one particular film. And two, because she is more into picturising love and passion rather than special effects. “Mansarovar” The Indian panorama section was inaugurated at the multiplex here today by Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Culture. The honour of being the opening fare went to Anup Kurian’s English film, “Manasarovar”. It is a lyrical love story of two youngsters representing two dimensions of modern India - the urban elite and the rural innocent. The legendary lake in the Himalayas represents truth and the eternal yearning for answers and clarity in one’s life. “Manasarovar” is the first feature film for all of its crew (1998 batchmates of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune) - Kerala-based writer-director Anup Kurian, cinematographer Vishwamangal Kitsu, editor Unni Vijayan and sound engineer Gissy Michael. Along with this film, a non-feature film, “Saanjh” by Jasmine Kaur was screened. Born in Jalandhar in 1978, Jasmine completed her graduation in political science from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, in 1999. She joined the FTTI, Pune, in February 2000, where she is currently a final year student. This is her diploma film set in a crowded chawl in the suburbs of Pune. The various strands of life in a closely packed accommodation where people from different backgrounds intermingle have been portrayed by the budding director with élan. Rope dance Subhash Ghai is known as the reigning showman of Bollywood because of the opulence of his films. He is set to exceed himself with “Kisna”, which is being picturised on an epic scale. There is a break from the tradition of heavyweight actors though. It stars Vivek Oberoi and newcomer Isha Sharvani, whose rope dance at the inaugural function last night vowed the audience no end. It went beyond anything that any Indian heroine has attempted so far. The way she climbed the rope and struck a Padmasana mudra defied gravity. Contrary to popular belief, she is not a ballet dancer but a martial arts exponent. Her mother, Daksha, has refined the malkhamb tradition to evolve this new style. The role was not tailored according to her skills. She was selected after a patient search which took Ghai to many dance schools. Celebrated writer Farrukh Dhondy who has done the screenplay for the film, says for the first few days he was completely at sea in Bollywood because the style of work here was in sharp contrast to what he is used to. But he is fast learning the ropes. Subhash Ghai reveals that his film has two music directors simply because A.R. Rahman did not have time to compose all the songs. Ismail Darbar graciously agreed to share the honours and so did Rahman. Javed Akhtar when asked whether he really writes his lyrics only when the deadline is on his head said actually he did so after the deadline was over. He tried to make light of the compliments that his poetry was always profound by saying that it was usually penned right in the company of the director and the music composer to suit the script and the narrative. |
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