FilmIndia Worldwide Berlin Special 2013 by Uma Da Cunha

FEBRUARY - APRIL 2013 VOLUME X ISSUE 1. ` 100

GOLDEN MANGO GOVINDA RAJU

63BERLIN RD

IN COMPETITION

GENERATION

K PLUS

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 7 to 17 FEB

2013

CONTENTS India at the 63rd International Film Festival of Berlin

India at the 42nd Rotterdam International Film Festival

India at Recent Fests

Bollywood: The Ranbir Kapoor effect

by Saibal Chatterjee

Festival Touchstone

Debut

Film Bazaar and other co-production Markets

Goutam Ghose’s Shoonyo Awnko Sudhir Mishra’s Inkaar Kamalweswar Mukherjee’s Meghe Dhaka Tara Rajeev Patil’s 72 miles Ek Pravas

Rajiv B Menon’s One Raised to the Power of Five Raghu Jeganathan’s 500 & 5 Manoj Kana’s Chayilyam Sandipan Roy’s Ekla Akash Shital Morjaria’s All I Want Is Everything

by Peter Bussian

Language Landscape

Big Pic

From Afar

Cinema Read

Bejoy Nambiar’s David Bidyut Chakravarty’s Dwaar-Voyage Out Devashish Makhija’s Oonga Anwar Rasheed’s Ustad Hotel Mukesh B Jadhav’s Kachru Maazha Baap Sanjeev Sivan’s Venal Odungathe

Vishal Bhardwaj’s Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam

Amit Gupta’s Jadoo Shomshuklla Das’ Sandcastle Raja Bundela’s Alex Hindustani Jeremy Frindel’s One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das Steve Hoover’s Blood Brother Purab Kohli’s Bibek Gauri Chadha’s Gawah Habiba Nosheen and Hilke Schellmann’s Outlawed in Pakistan

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From the editor The 63rd International Film Festival of Berlin held shortly after Rotterdam’s 42nd edition both set a high watermark for the quality of films that emerge worldwide at the start of the New Year. The two fortuitously cover a gamut of genres and styles, from art house, to the academic, to big-budget films and the red carpet parade. This issue of Film India Worldwide highlights the many roles that India plays at the 2013 Berlinale. Its Panorama selects Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che on today’s youth and their aspirations, presented by leading production house, UTV, and from the UK, Kim Longinotto’s stirring documentary Salma, set in South India. The International Forum of New Cinema showcases two exceptional documentaries, Sourav Sarangi’s CHAR… the No-Man’s Island and Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar’s Powerless. Deepa Dhanraj’s Kya Hua Is Sheher Ko? screened at the Forum in 1986 when it was made, returns this year in its digitalised version in Archives Live. Generation Kplus takes Govinda Raju’s student exercise Golden Mango in competition. Importantly, the Talent Campus selects five fresh cinematic talents from India to provide them with the highest forms of mentorship. Finally, the India Pavilion managed by NFDC provides a hub for India-centric aficionados. 2013 Rotterdam selects four outstanding films made over the past year along with two striking documentaries. And its Cinemart takes four promising Indian producers, selected at the NFDC Film Bazaar, for expert guidance on sales and marketing. This issue also covers a collection of new films from and about India, just ready or or nearing completion, besides new writing on Indian cinema. Critic Saibal Chatterjee comments on the trends in the Hindi marketplace and filmmaker Peter Bussian talks of his fruitful journey at Film Bazaar and other markets. The year rolls out its carpet for new Indian cinema and wishes it well for all of the exciting new year. Uma da Cunha The Editor invites new subscriptions. <uma.dacunha@gmail.com>

Printed and published by Uma da Cunha Printed at Parkar Communication, 210, 2nd Floor, Nahar Estate, Chakala, Andheri (E), next to P&G, Mumbai 400 099. Published at 10 Fairlawn, 128, Maharshi Karve Road, Mumbai 400 020. Registration No: MAHENG/2004/18773 Editor: Uma da Cunha 10 Fairlawn, 128, M Karve Road, Mumbai 400 020. Email: uma@filmindiaworldwide.com

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Contributing Writers Saibal Chatterjee Asst. Co-ordinators Asha Vohra, Loretta Pinto, Sharmila Anchan Cover & Page design Chidanand Hiremath. www.c-dan.com VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE OF THE AUTHORS. MATERIAL IN THIS PUBLICATION MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PUBLISHER.

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International Film Festival of Berlin February 7 to 17, 2013

India Stand at the European Film Market International Film Festival of Berlin On behalf of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Government of India), the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has organised the India Stand during the European Film Market (EFM) to be held over February 7 to 15, 2013, during the 63rd Berlinale, with the objective of promoting Indian Cinema. Location Contact

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India at the 63rd

105 Martin Gropius Bau, EFM +49 30 609027 455

Present at the India Stand Rajesh Das

Head, Distribution and Acquisition, NFDC

Vikramjit Roy

General Manager, Film Production, NFDC

Svetlana Naudiyal

Marketing Executive, International Sales & Promotion, NFDC

The India Guide - This handbook compiled by NFDC, available at the

India Pavilion, will contain information about international co-production treaties that India has signed, leading international film festivals held in India, guidelines on filming in India, and screenings of Indian films during the Berlinale. It also lists all the Indian personnel accredited to the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival and the European Film Market, stating their professional details and contacts.

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India at Berlinale's Panorama section The Panorama defines its mission as building bridges. Its programme presents new films by renowned directors, debut films and new discoveries. The selection provides insight on new directions in art house cinema, auteur films (movies with an individual signature). All films in Panorama celebrate their world or European premiere.

Kai Po Che (Brothers for Life) Abhishek Kapoor

2012, 130 mins, 35 mm, Hindi language Premiering at the Panorama section of the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, Kai Po Che was shot in Gujarat, India. The 130-minute film in Hindi is about three youngsters and their coming-of-age through a catastrophic epic journey that traces the steps of innocence, love, friendship, ambition and ultimately, redemption. Aspiring entrepreneur Govind, from a modest background, is overly ambitious. Cricketer Ishaan is a dreamer. Omi wants to strike out a new path away from that of his father, the local temple priest. Govind evolves a novel business plan of launching a sports shop and a cricket coaching service that will harness their combined talents. Fortune smiles on them, until HinduMuslim violence erupts all over Gujarat in February 2002. The film recalls one of the darkest chapters of India in an emotional story of friendship and betrayal, from the time of its foreboding to its painful aftermath. It is based on Chetan Bhagatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Three Mistakes of my Life, a novel that conveys perspectives through the lives and times of ordinary people caught in a historical vortex. The film is produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur for the UTV Motion Pictures banner. Anay Goswami is the cinematographer. The music is by Amit Trivedi. The cast is led by Sushant Singh Rajput, Raj Kumar Yadav, Amit Sadh and Amrita Puri. Writer/director Abhishek Kapoor started his film career as a lead actor in Uff Yeh Mohabbat (1996) and Aashiq Mastana (1997), and also did stints in film production and marketing with

Raj Kumar Yadav, Sushant Singh Rajput, Amit Sadh in 'Kai Po Che'

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UTV Motion Pictures, a dominant player in the Indian film industry, has been in the forefront of bringing Indian films to a global audience. The past decade in Indian cinema has seen UTV delivering some of the most iconic films including Swades, Rang De Basanti, Jodhaa Akbar, Dev D, The Namesake, No One Killed Jessica, Raajneeti, Udaan, Delhi Belly and more recently, Paan Singh Tomar, Rowdy Rathore and Barfi!. Today, the Studio releases films in more than 60 countries. It has a library of over 70 films which include Hindi, regional, animation and international productions, which have been showcased in over 55 festivals across 40 countries, winning almost 300 awards in less than eight years.

Salma

Kim Longinotto

2013, 90 mins, UK/India, Tamil language, documentary After her documentary Pink Saris hit the screens worldwide, master documentary filmmaker Kim Longinotto once again turns to India with her Salma, the story of a Muslim Indian woman who fought back against repressive traditions to find her own voice. This 90-minute film features in the Berlin International Film Festival's Panorama section. Earlier, it competed in the World Cinema Documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Longinotto has had two previous films at Sundance: the Jury prize-winning Rough Aunties (2008) and The Day I Will Never Forget (2002). Her latest film is about Salma, living in a South Indian village. She was 13 years old when her family locked her up for 25 years, forbidding her to study and forcing her into marriage. During that time, words were Salma’s salvation. She began covertly composing poems on scraps of paper and through an intricate system, was able to sneak them out of the house, eventually getting them into the hands of a publisher. Against the odds, Salma became the most famous female poet in South India: the first step to discovering her own freedom and challenging the traditions and code of conduct in her village. Salma’s extraordinary story is one of courage and resilience, and Longinotto follows her on an eye-opening trip back to her

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leading independent film companies. He made his directorial debut with Aryan (2006), followed by Rock On!! (2008). Both films won multiple awards when they released, including the prestigious National Award for “outstanding artistic contribution towards cinema".

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village. Serving as executive producers are the project’s commissioning editors from Channel 4, Hamish Mykura and Anna Miralis. Kim Longinotto’s career as a documentary director, producer and cinematographer began in the late ’70s, with her work tending toward sensitively handled controversial topics where women are at the forefront. Her films have screened at festivals around the world to great acclaim, from Cannes to IDFA, Hot Docs to Frameline.

India at the International Forum of New Cinema

Avant-garde, experimental works, essays, long-term observations, political reportage and yet-to-bediscovered cinematic landscapes: the International Forum of New Cinema (Forum in short), is the most daring section of the Berlinale. There are few formal limitations when it comes to the selection of films, resulting in even greater freedom. Documentaries and feature films are given equal consideration. The films in the Forum straddle the line between art and cinema.

Char ... the No-Man's Island Sourav Sarangi

2012, India, 97 mins, 16:9, HD, Bengali language, documentary Young Rubel wants to join school in India but reality forces him to smuggle rice every day by crossing the river Ganga, the international border between India and Bangladesh. The same river had swallowed his home when he was just four. Years later Rubel’s family and the other homeless settled in Char island formed within the large river and controlled by the border police. Even though 10-year old Sofi’s father was shot smuggling cows at night, the boy has no choice but to make money the same way while his mother fears every distant gun shot. The families are scattered today but the kids meet while crossing borders and help each other on a lost track of their childhood. A distant dam (barrage) built by India to control the mighty river did not help Rubel, Sofi and their families. In fact, it made them homeless, refugees on their own land by accelerating the river erosion. And yet, Rubel says, “Char may disappear but we won’t." Sourav Sarangi is the film’s producer, director, scriptwriter and editor, with Stefano

Rubel Mandal in 'Char ... the No-Man's Island'

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Sponsored and granted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ), the award will be bestowed on the winner on Berlinale's closing day. This award denotes that by awarding this prize, BMZ wants to honour a film which engages in the current discourse on specific aspects of the relationship between North and South, through its evocative aesthetic, emotional or narrative virtues. In addition to a cash prize of 5.000 EUR, the award includes a feature tour of the winning film in up to 25 selected German cinemas, preferably accompanied by the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director at the start. The theatrical distribution will be handled by Arsenal-Institute for Film and Video Art. Tealdi, Signe Byrge SĂ¸rensen, Jon Jerstad as co-producers. The DOPs are Sourav Sarangi, Rabindranath Das and Minarul Mondal. Char first screened at the 2012 Busan International Film Festival. The film is looking at world sales. Kolkata-based Saurav Sarangi graduated from the Presidency College, Kolkata, and joined the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, specializing in editing. His debut work, the documentary Tusu Katha (1996), on a festival in the tribal areas of West Bengal and Jharkhand, won international accolades, and since then he has been editing, writing, directing and producing in both fiction and non-fiction genres. His international co-production documentary, Bilal (2008), based on a three-year-old child growing up with blind parents in Kolkata, travelled to over 50 international festivals winning 18 top awards. Bilal has been running commercially in major cities of Japan since October 2012 and is scheduled to continue till April 2013, which is unprecedented for an Indian documentary.

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Char... the No Man's Island nominated for the 'CINEMA fairbindet' Award

Powerless

Fahad Mustafa and Deepti Kakkar

2012, India-Austria, 75 mins, HDCAM, Hindi/Urdu/English languages, documentary

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In Kanpur, a city of 3 million, where daily power cuts last up to 15 hours, electrician Loha is a maverick robin-hood figure who steals electricity and charges the rich to provide free connections in impoverished neighbourhoods. His illegal connections from one neighborhood to another sustain homes, factories and businesses. Ritu, the new and first female chief of Kanpur Electricity Supply Company (where theft contributes up to 30% revenue losses) forms a task force to stem this miscreancy and wipe out illegal electricity connections. While she meets with a measure of success, the unrelenting summer exacerbates the power deficit to crisis proportions, resulting in protest demonstrations and even violence. Powerless puts a lens on an unexplored narrative of one of the world’s fastest developing economies. A picture emerges of a modern dystopia encompassing urban decay and desperation in the lack of electricity. Kanpur reflects the glaring energy poverty in India, where a third of the population is bereft of this basic need. The film was among the 58 films selected for the IDFA Forum 2012 and one of the four projects selected for the 2012 Sundance Institute Composers + Documentary Lab. The film is produced by Globalistan Films and co-produced by ITVS International. The film's title for its India release is Katiyabaaz. Kanpur-born Fahad Mustafa was raised in Dammam, New Delhi, Vienna and Edmonton. An Erasmus Mundus Global Studies scholar, he has worked with the offices of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture. His earlier student work as director was FC Chechnya (Austria,2010). Delhi-born co-director Deepti Kakkar has been engaged in issues of social development and sustainable livelihood for the last 10 years. She earlier directed a film on micro-finance in India, and worked on story development and as production manager on FC Chechnya. She lives in Ghaziabad, India.

Arsenal’s Living Archive Archive Work as a Contemporary Artistic and Curatorial Practice

Kya Hua Is Sheher Ko? (1986) (What has happened to this City?)

Deepa Dhanraj (Director), Navroz Contractor (Camera) This documentary film made by Deepa Dhanraj and Navroze Contractor premiered in 1986 (the year it was made) at Berlinale’s International Forum of New Cinema. The film depicts the rise of Hindu fascism in Hyderabad and the riots there in 1985. The film's only working positive print ‘survived' in the Arsenal Archive. As a participant of the Arsenal project “Living Archive – Archive Work as a Contemporary Artistic and Curatorial Practice”, Nicole Wolf (theorist and curator) is working in collaboration with Deepa Dhanraj on making the film more widely accessible again. Living Archive was initiated in June 2011 to open the Arsenal film collection, now archiving over 8,000 titles and reflecting half a century of non-mainstream international film art, with the objective that an archive can only be significant if it refers to the

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Deepa Dhanraj is an English Literature graduate from Madras University (1973) and a Journalism graduate from Osmania University (1975). In 1980 she founded the film collective, ‘Yugantar'. She started making documentaries in 1981 and came into prominence with her 1991 film, Something Like A War. Her impressive body of work as a filmmaker connects mainly with women’s struggles. In 1988, she taught video at an intensive FAO workshop for Women Activists from South East Asia. In 1990, she was a panelist in ‘Cine Mama', a 70-minute television discussion with women directors from Peru, Lebanon, Philippines and India organised by Channel 4, BBC. She has also made instructional videos for various schools and women’s groups and written extensively on gender and development.

In Competition

Generation Kplus This is the children and youth film section at Berlinale. A total of 60 short and full-length films from 36 countries have been selected for the Generation Kplus and Generation 14plus competitions

Sonyacha Aamba (Golden Mango) Govinda Raju

2012, 10 mins, 35 mm, ARRI 535, Marathi language

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practices of the present.

Selected to screen in the Generation KPlus section of 2013 Berlinale, this is third-year student Govinda Raju’s second-year submission in film dialogue at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. It was shot entirely on the sets in a studio over a period of three days. The film is an evocative study of a young boy’s driving urge to eat a mango, which his hassled mother says she cannot afford to buy. His gentle grandma attempts to sooth the agitated boy by telling him a bedtime story revolving around a golden mango. The boy falls asleep halfway and then enters the story in his dream to finally relish the mango he longs for. The film looks at the polarized way in which adults and a child view a mango and

Sujata Patil as the mother and Sartak Kelkar as her son in 'Golden Mango'

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so makes a statement. The cast comprises Sartak Kelkar, Sanket, Sunil Godbole, Sujata Patil and Amruth Satbai. The DOP is Shashwat Saxena, editing by Amit Malhotra and the sound design, Bhanu Dhande. Ramcharan Tej Labani is the art director. The assistant directors are Nachiket Waiker and Trupti Chavan. Govinda Raju comes from a small town in Andhra Pradesh in South India and schooled at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyala, Kagaz Nagar. His interest from childhood in drawing and painting took him to JNTU College of Fine Arts, Hyderabad. He then joined tarantula.net as a graphic designer. Attending film festivals led to his preoccupation with cinema and his decision to study film. Govinda Raju’s earlier two films are My Dream Comes True (12 mins/DV/Hindi) and Pause (2 mins/35mm/Marathi). Festivals in 2012: Golden Mango was in competition at the Student Film and Video Festival of Beijing Film Academy in China, the International Film Festival of Pune (FTII section), the Pune Shorts Film Festival and the International Short & Independent Film Festival, Dhaka.

11th Berlinale Talent Campus February 9 to 14, 2013

Every February, the Berlinale Talent Campus brings 300 selected talents (writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, actors, editors, distributors, production designers, composers, sound designers and young film journalists) together with professionals from the international film industry. This vital platform has developed into one of the most exciting initiatives at the Berlinale and has led to many success stories of films made by Campus alumni.

India's Five at the 2013 Talent Campus Anusha Nandakumar - independent filmmaker Aamir Bashir – filmmaker/actor Ankur Pathak - film journalist Nitin Goel - actor Paramita Nath – director/producer

Anusha was the only Indian amongst 12 students selected in 2009 to make a film at the Paris La Femis institute. Earlier, she visited France on a cultural exchange programme through Les Amis de France and interned at Thomas Balmes Production House in Paris. She was a recipient of the French Embassy Scholarship in July – August, 2008.

Anusha Nandakumar

Independent filmmaker based in Mumbai I am from Pune and did my Bachelors in philosophy from Fergusson College. I graduated from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata, (specialising in direction and screenplay writing). I am now based in Mumbai. My interest in films was inculcated from childhood because my Chennai-based grandfather, G Ramakrishnan, was a filmmaker. I have memories of me and my cousins sitting with him at night while he recounted experiences of his shoot. And there was a forbidden room with film cans and photographs we found ways to sneak into. My years at SRFTI were a great learning incentive and my student projects made it to festivals. My 26-minute documentary, The Boxing Ladies, won India’s National Award in 2011. It is on three teenage sisters of a Muslim family housed in a slum who are national level

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I am currently working on a feature length documentary titled Searching for Janitou with the Algerian director, Amine Hattou. It marks the first Indo-Algerian co-production. We both will present the film at the Talent Campus. It has already been part of the Greenhouse pitching lab and has been invited to the Hot Docs market and the Sheffield Documentary Festival.

Aamir Bashir

Filmmaker/actor based in Mumbai I applied to the Berlin Talent Campus online after my friend and colleague, Shanker Raman (who himself was a participant at the Campus in 2010), suggested it to me. I am a fledgling filmmaker with only one feature film, Harud (Autumn), to my credit. I see the Campus as an opportunity to further my film education. Since I never went to a film school and do not have any formal training in filmmaking, I thought it would be a good idea to go there and get some inspiration (an oft abused word in 'Bollywood'), exchange ideas with young filmmakers from around the world, and share my own experience as an independent filmmaker. I am currently developing the story and screenplay of my next film, Winter, which, however, will not be a part of the Script Station at the Campus.

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boxers. I have just finished directing a 52-minute documentary, Beyond the Veil, for the Public Service Broadcasting Trust. It is based on a Muslim mother and daughter of the same slum colony who prove their entrepreneurial strength and courage against adversity and opposition.

I started reporting on the Hindi film industry as a first year student. After an internship with Global Movie magazine, I was their correspondent for a year. On joining my Mass Media course, I freelanced for Rediff dot com and Hindustan Times’ entertainment portal Desimartini dot com. I interned at CNN IBN under the guidance of one of my idols, Rajeev Masand. I had a small stint with People magazine. I recently started contributing for Wall Street Journal’s India blog, ‘India Real Time'. Last year, I covered the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland.

Kashmir-born Aamir Bashir is a professional actor based in Mumbai. His commitment to acting has seen him excel in many independent films like Split Wide Open (1999), Clever and Lonely (2002), The Great Indian Butterfly (2007) and the award-winning Frozen (2007). He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2009 Screen Awards for his role in the film, A Wednesday (2008). He developed the story and screenplay of Harud over four years and it is his first venture as a writer, director and producer. His next project, Winter, is also set in Kashmir.

Ankur Pathak

Film journalist based in Mumbai I am a final year student pursuing my Bachelors in Mass Media from Mumbai’s Jai Hind College, with specialization in journalism, a field I’m passionate about. Applying to the Talent Campus required answering basic but pertinent questions and submitting three writing samples. I attached reviews of three drastically different but important films: Tate Taylor's The Help (2011), Olivier Nakache's The Untouchables (2011) and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises (2012). There seemed

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little hope with the Talent Campus eliciting 4,400 applications from 137 countries. I was overwhelmed when I got a call to say that I was in! The Talent Campus is perhaps the best platform for aspiring film critics, as it will undoubtedly hone my skills as a reviewer and will lend me a globally-mentored approach into the fascinating world of film. The other seven participants are from countries as different as Indonesia and Peru, making for a motley bunch of cinephiles. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hoping to have an unforgettable Berlinale 2013.

Nitin Goel

Actor based in New Delhi Belonging to a middle-class family, I have been raised in an orthodox yet free environment with a lot of conditioning, which is a strengthening force but one that needs to be challenged. My years at a leading school left me questioning life, people, society and human behaviour. The search is still on and will never end. I feel my interest in acting developed out of loneliness and wanting to know how people live and how they are different or similar to me. Starting with amateur theatre, I did a two-year parttime course in theatre studies, then worked in professional theatre, and in 2006, I took the two-year acting course at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. I have been associated with a musical stage show in Delhi called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Zangoora' (Kingdom Of Dreams), which helps me work on my skills as an actor and keep up my riyaaz (practice). During this tenure, I got a chance to work with Amit Dutta in his film, Sonchidi, which has been acclaimed at various international festivals. I feel that training in acting is a myth. One cannot understand life completely, and it is so with acting as well. The older we get, the more capable we become to handle life. I feel that is exactly the case with acting. My major works in cinema as an actor are A Man's Woman and Other Stories (2009), Nainsukh (2010) and Sonchidi (2011). At the Talent Campus, I would like to discuss, understand, share and grow with my fellow mates and seek answers. How do different actors approach their roles? Should/does film style or film genre govern the acting style in the film? Should/does acting style change, depending upon the cinematography, editing or sound of the film? I want to know what actors do when they are not working on a project, how they use this free time. How do film markets work in different parts of the world and how do they differentiate between an art film and a commercial film?

I must give my classmate Pushpendra Singh credit for motivating me to apply for the Talent Campus. And I must also admit that the works I've done and the understanding I received by working with the film director, Amit Dutta, has surely helped in my selection to the Campus.

Paramita Nath

Director/producer based in Toronto I was born and raised in Shillong (Meghalaya), where, at school, I was introduced to Western classical music. In 1996, I moved to Canada to study music (piano performance), which led to my exploring different art forms, including visual arts (I also paint), choreography and, eventually, my vocation in filmmaking. My debut short film, Found (2009), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, won several awards, and travelled to over 30 festivals worldwide. My second short film, Durga a visual poem contrasting goddess worship and violence against women in India, premiered at the 2012 Hot Docs Film Festival. I have also worked with emerging forms of digital media and story-telling

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Poems Against Bullets (working title) is set against the backdrop of the UN negotiations towards International Arms Trade Treaty. This documentary project will provide multiple points of entry into the complex globalized network of the international arms trade and take an intimate look at its human consequence. Using a non-linear approach to story-telling, it will provide a framework that allows space for contradictory viewpoints, and also attempt to illustrate how decisions made at this diplomatic political level touch the lives of ordinary people in the real world. I feel very fortunate to be taking part in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Talent Campus. I also applied to the Doc Station hands-on program as I am developing my first feature length documentary with the working title, Poems Against Bullets. It looks at the global arms trade, which is a difficult and complex subject. I submitted excerpts of my previous work, a work-in-progress trailer for my current documentary project, and am one of 10 filmmakers participating in the Doc Station, in addition to the general Talent Campus. As I do not have any film-school training, I really seek opportunities like this to challenge myself and grow as a filmmaker.

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in the form of interactive documentaries for the web. I am the interactive producer for 17,000 Islands, which will launch later this year, in collaboration with a Norwegian and an Indonesian filmmaker. A sneak preview of the project will be presented at the Rotterdam Film Festival.

Spot News! Two new projects to highlight at the European Film Market The Hindi feature film Ishq Actually (The Colours of Love), the first feature film directed by Anish Khanna, will hold its World Premiere at the European Film Market at a special screening. The European Film Market takes place in tandem with the Berlin Film Festival. The film stars Rajeev Khandelwal, Rayo Bakhirta, Neha Ahuja, Ann Mitchai, Neha Gehlot and Siddharth Van. Lead actor Rajeev Khandelwal had a successful year in 2012 with the film Shaitan, which garnered several awards in India. Ishq Actually is an Aris Pioneer Enterprises Company Ltd presentation and a Blue Throat Entertainment Production. Umrika - In development, written and to be directed by Prashant Nair Film Base Berlin, co-producers of Farhan Akhtarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Don 2 (2011), bring the screenplay Umrika to the European Film Market. It heralds the first IndiaFrance-Germany co-production. The writer/director is Prashant Nair. The script was developed at the Sundance Lab in 2012. Umrika is produced by Mathias Schwerbrock, co-producer of Don 2 and line producer of the Wikileaks film, The Fifth Estate.

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INDIA AT ROT TERDAM

(Bright Future section) 2012, 110 mins, 35 mm, Hindi language

Rotterdam International Film Festival

January 23 to February 3, 2013

Set in the late 1980s, Miss Lovely follows two brothers, Vicky and Sonu, partners in crime in the dregs of Bollywood. They produce C grade movies. Vicky leaves the donkey work to the more dim-witted younger Sonu, who on a train journey, encounters Pinky, a struggling actress, and decides to befriend her. This causes a rift between the two brothers leading to a tragic denouement.

K K Muhammed’s I D

Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus

(Bright Future section) 2012, 85 mins, 35 mm, Hindi language

(Bright Future section) 2012, 139 mins, DCP, Hindi language

Charu, in search of a job, shares an elegant apartment with her two friends. On a day that she is on her own, a labourer knocks on the door saying that he has come to paint the walls of the apartment. A little later, she finds him unconscious on the floor. Scared and anxious, she frantically tries to get help. She hurriedly takes him by taxi to the hospital where he is declared dead. Now it is her task to find out who he is and who is his nearest of kin. The journey in search for his identity takes her to the under-belly of the city.

Ship of Theseus is an intriguing, transcendent film, a debut work at that, which is emotionally charged and poses questions of the mind... If the parts of a ship are replaced, bit-by-bit, is it still the same ship? The debut film follows three life journeys, that of an experimental photographer, an erudite monk and a young stockbroker, posing and exploring questions of identity, justice, beauty, meaning and death.

Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai

Amit Dutta’s Museum of Imagination

(Spectrum section) 2012, 110 mins, 35mm/DCP, Hindi language

2012, 20 mins, Betacam Digi, Hindi/English languages The title Shanghai is a sardonic synonym for smalltown Bharat Nagar, laying claim to attaining what Shanghai in China stands for. This is where respected Left Wing activist, Dr Ali Ahmedi, arrives to address a rally against a business park project that will displace hundreds of families against their wish. At the rally, he is hit headlong by a speeding van and dies. Various characters then work on proving that this was no accident.

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INDIA AT ROT TERDAM

India at the 42nd

Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely

(Tiger Awards Competition for Short Films)

This film is an extraordinary, intriguing and unconventional portrait of the art historian and professor, B N Goswamy. In 2011 and 2012, director Amit Dutta recorded a series of conversations with Professor Goswamy, tracing his entire oeuvre. Dutta structured his film around a number of these, weaving a web of ideas and images that substantiate the interviewee's mental landscape.

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INDIA AT ROT TERDAM

Cinemart organizes its Producers Rotterdam Lab in close co-operation with various partner organizations involved with the training of young producers and funding bodies. At the NFDC Film Bazaar held in Goa in November 2012, concurrent to the International Film Festival of India, Cinemart alongside its partner in India, the National Film Development Corporation of India, nominated four projects out of a total 78. The producers selected are given a grant provided by NFDC to travel to Rotterdam and participate in the Cinemart Producers Lab, which aims to develop the skills of participants operating in an international film festival and market. The Lab is also a means to foster the international network of these producers.

Vivek Kajaria

Co-producer Vivek Kajaria completed his MBA and then M Sc in computer science and applications from Warwick University, UK. He later joined his family business of construction to hone his entrepreneurial skills. He now owns an offshore I T company. He then founded Holy Basil Productions as an affirmation of his long-time desire to be part of the media firmament. The company has successfully executed TV ads, AVs and documentaries for reputed clients. The company now ventures into making strong, meaningful films. It makes a powerful start and statement with the feature film, Fandry.

The following producers attended the 2013 Cinemart Producers Lab Aditi Anand of Little Red Car Films Vivek Gomber of Zoo Entertainment Pvt Ltd Nilesh Navalakha and Vivek Kajaria of Navalakha Arts and Holy Basil Combine

Aditi Anand

Delhi-bred Aditi Anand studied history in Miranda House (Delhi University) and then film production in Film and Television at Mumbai’s Whistling Woods International. Her film career started with Mike Pandey, the wildlife filmmaker and three-time Green Oscar winner. She then assisted Nandita Das on her directorial debut feature film, Firaaq. Subsequently, she worked with Walkwater Media and UTV Motion Pictures. She started her own production house, Little Red Car Films in 2011. Aditi will be presenting three projects currently in development at Rotterdam. She says, “It is essential to have a reflexive understanding of the statutory, administrative, creative and financial requirements in an international co-production. My hope and expectation is that programmes such as the Prime Exchange during the NFDC Film Bazaar and the Cinemart Producers Lab will set the platforms, standards and parameters for young producers like myself to learn from and follow.”

Vivek Gomber

Mumbai-based Vivek Gomber is the founder of Zoo Entertainment Pvt Ltd, an independent film production company dedicated to producing non-mainstream, artistic endeavours in India. An Indian-born Singaporean and a graduate from Emerson College, Boston with a BFA in Acting, he has been working as a stage actor in Mumbai and abroad since 2004. He recently finished filming for Mother Teresa’s biopic, The Letters. Gomber’s first feature film as producer, Court, written by Chaitanya Tamhane, is scheduled to be completed in 2013. Gomber says, “As a first time producer, the Lab’s five days will offer a crash course that will help me in ways which I can’t even imagine. When we applied to NFDC for their co-production market, we met Ms Jacobine Van Der Vloed (CineMart). On the final day of the Bazaar, we were informed of our invitation for the Producers Lab. Especially as we are in the midst of our pre-production, the timing could not have been better.”

Nilesh Navalakha

Pune-based Nilesh Navalakha, with a business background in building and construction, started producing Marathi films in 2008, his first being Dandgi Muley (2011), a children’s film directed by Yogesh Soman, an awardnominee at the Bangladesh International Film Festival. Later that year he made Shaala (School), which won the National Award (Best Marathi Film), Maharashtra State Award (Best Film), besides 40 national and international awards. He recently released his third film, Ajinkya. His fourth, Fandry, in post-production, is the project he is taking to Cinemart. Nilesh says, “My company, Navalakha Arts and Holy Basil Combine, participated in the 2012 NFDC Film Bazaar’s Viewing Room with our upcoming Marathi film Fandry.

We were then interviewed by a representative of the Rotterdam Film Festival and selected. We will present Fandry at Cinemart as well as another Marathi film, Anumati. Both films will be screened at Cinemart. We feel that they both have international potential and we are looking for world sales. I am looking for guidelines on how to use film equipment to curtail the amount of man power needed and thereby lower production costs.”

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Fandry (Pig)

Nagraj Manjule Noted writer Nagraj Manjule’s poems have been highly lauded. His short film, based on his own short story Pistulya (2010), bagged the National Award. He now presents Fandry, his debut feature film in Marathi. The title conveys the derogatory term in Marathi pertaining to the lowest of the low, a pig. In orthodox India, low caste Jabya, a young Dalit boy, takes a liking to Shalu (she is of a higher caste). His inferiority complex is linked to his low status and looks. He abhors his traditional source of livelihood, the trapping and killing of pigs, an animal strictly taboo for the higher caste - even a chance touch means defilement. The boy is obsessed with the myth that a girl is mesmerized by the person who sprinkles the ashes of a black sparrow on her. He feels this could be a way to win Shalu. Circumstances force Jabya into a prolonged and deeply humiliating pig encounter, which develops into a charged village sport, with the girl he longs for as a spectator. He is now the real target, more than the pig he is chasing. He retaliates in the only way he can. His act can be seen as that of a heroic martyr. For most, he is a casual street victim. With story, screenplay, dialogues and direction by Nagraj, the DOP is Vikram Amladi, editor Chandan Arora, music by Aloknanda Dasgupta and sound director is Nimish Chheda. The impressive cast includes the impeccable Kishor Kadam, Suraj Pawar and Ashvarya Shinde. Director Manjule was raised in Sholapur, Maharashtra where he witnessed how deprived the under-privileged were of any kind of education. Fandry is produced by Nilesh Navalakha of Navalakha Arts, Media & Entertainment (producer of the award-winning Marathi film, Shaala) with Vivek Kajaria of Holy Basil Productions.

INDIA AT ROT TERDAM

Cinemart Producers Lab

Also screening in Rotterdam Sambhavi Kaul's 21 Chitrakoot Shivendra Singh Dungarpur's Celluloid Man

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INDIA AT RECENT FESTS

INDIA AT

RECENT FESTS Awards and Hurrahs

9th Glasgow Film Festival February 14 to 24, 2013

 Competition - Abhijit Mazumdar’s Vanishing Point Still: 'Life of Pi'

35th International Short Film Festival & Market Clermont-Ferrand February 1 to 9, 2013

 International Jury - Umesh Kulkarni Presenting five of his short films: Darshan, Girni, Three of Us, Gaarud and Vilay  ‘Namaste India' with 41 shorts

28th Santa Barbara International Film Festival January 24 to February 3, 2013

 Competition/Feature - Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur  Pan Asia - Manjeet Singh’s Mumbai Cha Raja  Pan Asia - Suman Ghosh’s Shyamal Uncle Turns Off the Lights  Documentary Competition - Steve Hoover’s Blood Brother  Cinesonic/Feature Documentary Jeremy Frindel’s One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das

Sundance Film Festival January 17 to 27, 2013

 Steve Hoover’s Blood Brother Grand Jury Prize, Documentary section and Audience Award  Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs of Wasseypur  Dylan Mohan Gray’s Fire in the Blood  World Documentary Competition Kim Longinotto's Salma (India-UK)

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P K Nair

January 10 to 17, 2013

 Best Marathi Feature - Mahesh Manjrekar's Kaksparsh  Special Jury Award - lead actor Sachin Khedekar in Kaksparsh  Best Marathi Film Director - Gajendra Ahire (for Anumati)  Best Marathi Film Actor - Jitendra Joshi (for Tukaram)  Best Screenplay - Sumitra Bhave (for Samhita)  Best Cinematographer - Rajan Kothari for Tukaram  Audience Award in Marathi Competition - Anumati (India) directed by Gajendra Ahire  Award for Final Year Student of FTII (Direction) PIFF Special Award - Shri Swapnil Ninawane Animation Awards:  Best Film (India) - Kachho Gadulo from DSK Supinfocom, Pune (Student Team - Shivangi Ranawat, Janmeet Singh, Pranay Patwardhan, Saptesh Chauba) Whistling Woods International Student Competition  Sony Promising Indian Student Cinematographer Award to the cinematographer for Rizwaan  Sennheiser Promising Indian Student Audiographer Award to the audiographer of Naad

INDIA AT RECENT FESTS

11th Pune International Film Festival

24th Palm Springs International Film Festival January 3 to 14, 2013

 Gauri Shinde’s English Vinglish (runner-up for the Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature)  Nitin Kakkar’s Filmistaan  Manjeet Singh’s Mumbai Cha Raja  Musa Syeed’s Valley of Saints  Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children  Subarna Thapa’s Soongava: Dance of the Orchids  Noelle Deschamps’ Dreamers (documentary)  Dheeraj Akolkar’s Liv & Ingmar (documentary)  Wendy J N Lee’s Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey (documentary)

5th Bengaluru International Film Festival December 20 to 27, 2012

 Indian Films Competition - Best Film Jahnu Barua's Baandhon  Kannada Film Competiion - Best Kannada Film Girish Kasaravalli's Kurmavatara

10th Chennai International Film Festival December 13 to 20, 2012

Chief Guest, film icon Amitabh Bachchan, who gave away the prizes  First Prize Tamil competition -

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INDIA AT RECENT FESTS

Balaji Shaktivel’s Vazhakku Enn 18/9  Second Prize - M Anbazhagan’s Sattai  Special jury award for individual excellence Karthik Subburaj, director of Pizza The Hindu / CIFF Documentary Contest  First Prize - Lokesh's Dhobi Khana  Second Prize - Vydianathan Ramaswamy's Chennai Ghana  Third Prize - Arikarasudhan's World Cinema  Film Buff Award - Pradeep Kumar

9th Dubai International Film Festival December 9 to 16, 2012

 Best Film - Nishtha Jain, Torstein Grude, Signe Bryge Sorenson's Gulabi Gang (India, Norway, Denmark)  Best Actress - Aida El-Kashef (Ship Of Theseus)  Special Jury Prize Nicholas Bruckman (Valley Of Saints)

International Film Festival of Kerala December 7 to 14, 2012

 Silver Crow Pheasant Award for Best Debut Nitin Kakkar's Filmistaan  Silver Crow Pheasant Award for Best Feature (Audience Prize) Joy Mathew's Shutter  FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film K Gopinath's Ithra Mathram  NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film - ID (K D Kamal)  NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film Arun Kumar's Ee Adutha Kalathu  Hassan Kutty Award for Best Debut Indian Film Manoj Kana's Chayilyam

12th River to River Florence Indian Film Festival December 7 to 13, 2012

 Two awards, Best Feature and Piaggio Foundation Award Bedabrata Pai’s Chittagong  Best Documentary - Miriam Chandy Menacherry’s The Rat Race  Best Short - Vikram Dasgupta’s Calcutta Taxi  Pegaso Award to Anurag Kashyap, director of the opening film, Gangs of Wasseypur  Mega-star Amitabh Bachchan, honoured and presented with the keys of the City of Firenze with a retrospective of his three films, Sholay, (1975), Deewaar (1975) and Black (2005).

Still: 'Gandu'

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Bollywood:

The Ranbir Kapoor effect by Saibal Chatterjee It is widely accepted that the Mumbai movie industry is in the throes of revolutionary changes. It has been in this welcome state for several years now, thanks to the efforts of a breed of adventurous filmmakers who, while working largely within the parameters of popular Hindi cinema, have consistently defied established convention and pushed the boundaries of the business. On the evidence available in the first few weeks of 2013, the trend is likely to continue through the year that lies ahead. Film goers in India have already seen two films that have dared to flow against the tide of big-grossing, star-driven vehicles. These two films are significant not just for the way they have been conceived and mounted, but also for the nature and substance of the themes that they deal with. Music composer-filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj’s political satire Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola takes up the fractious question of land acquisition for development projects in the face of protests by displaced farmers in different parts of the country. He skillfully weaves it into a film that is at once inspired by the spirit of Bertolt Brecht, the traditions of Indian folk and street theatre, and some of the dominant principles of Hindi cinema. A commercially-oriented Mumbai film with an ‘agitprop’ underpinning is indeed a rarity. It is rarer still for such a film to be produced under a mainstream banner and released in the multiplexes in the manner of a regular big-budget film.

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Ranbir Kapoor in Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Rockstar'

Sudhir Mishra’s Inkaar, too, goes where conventional Hindi cinema has never gone before. Set in a Mumbai advertising agency, the film is, on one level, about sexual harassment in the workplace and, on another, about the struggle of an ambitious small-town girl determined to make it big in a highly competitive office environment in which neither her mentor nor her colleagues are ready to yield an inch. Working without A-list box-office stars – the two pivotal roles in Inkaar are essayed by Arjun Rampal and Chitrangda Singh – and a theme that is untested would have been regarded as a complete no-no, a huge commercial risk, only a few years ago. The scenario has obviously undergone a transformation of late, which allows films like Matru Ki Bijlee … and Inkaar more than their place in the sun. The cast of Matru Ki Bijlee … is led by character actor Pankaj Kapur, one of the finest screen performers in Mumbai today but not somebody who, in conservative wisdom, would be counted upon to pull the crowds in. Bhardwaj is of course anything but traditional when it comes to choice of either subjects or actors. In Matru Ki Bijlee … he has cast “chocolate boy” Imran Khan completely against type as a craggy village rebel who has been educated in a left-leaning university, where he has developed sympathies for the cause of the disempowered. The adventure may not have succeeded in its entirety for the director or the actor, but the very fact that it has been attempted is noteworthy. An increasing number of Hindi films are now playing down the power of stardom and pushing for the story and the treatment of the theme to be regarded as the primary propellants of a cinematic venture. Among such projects is Abhishek Kapoor’s Kai Po Che, which is due to have its world premiere at the 63rd Berlin Film Festival. The cricket-themed film features Raj Kumar Yadav, Sushant Singh Rajput and Amit Sadh as its three principal actors. Director Kapoor, whose previous film, Rock On!! (2008) also had an unusual cast of actors (Farhan Akhtar,

Amrita Puri in Abhishek Kapoor’s 'Kai Po Che'

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Chitrangda Singh in Sudhir Mishra's 'Inkaar'

Arjun Rampal, Prachi Desai, Luke Kenny, Shahana Goswami), had to settle for lesser-known names drawn from the television firmament because no mainstream Bollywood star was willing to be part of a film like Kai Po Che, adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s best-selling novel, The 3 Mistakes of My Life.

In this context, the importance of Ranbir Kapoor is immense. He is one mainstream Bollywood actor who thrives on challenges and plunges headlong into characters that are not dependant on starry mannerisms for effect. In 2011, Ranbir was part of Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar!!; in 2012, he played the male lead in Anurag Basu’s Barfi!. In the former, he is a self-destructive, temperamental pop vocalist. In the latter, he plays a deaf-mute prankster who falls in love with an autistic girl. Ranbir Kapoor is just the kind of star-actor that the Mumbai movie industry needs much more of to complete the revolution it seeks. He is somebody who weighs a film’s worth purely on the basis of what it has to offer in terms of its screenplay and characterizations rather than on the footage it devotes to the lead actor. He takes risks and comes out of them not just unscathed but also appreciably strengthened. If he can sustain the momentum and the will, Ranbir has the potential to be a major agent of change in an industry where, for many key players, old habits still die hard and box-office profits continue to be the only goal that is worthwhile. On his future would ride the future of a major part of the Mumbai movie industry. (The author is a New Delhi-based film critic)

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FESTIVAL TOUCHSTONE

FESTIVAL

TOUCHSTONE

India’s masters and emerging filmmakers find their place at world festivals

Shoonyo Awnko (The Zero Act) Goutam Ghose

Goutam Ghose presents his eagerly awaited latest work. It follows hard on the success of his previous film, Moner Manush (2010). On a flight, while reading Hemingway’s The Old Man and The Sea, the last sentence on the last page, ‘a man can be destroyed but not defeated’ triggered his mind and formed the basis of his new film. Within three months, he wrote the script. The intriguing title, Shoonyo Awnko, conveys the countdown starting from ten, with the climactic impact when the narrative touches zero. The film looks at the opposite worlds of Soumitra Chatterjee in 'Shoonyo Awnko' two Indias, one that is modern, flourishing and forwardlooking, and the other that is held back by poverty, helplessness and deprivation. Within this divide, six characters recall past memories of their routine compulsions being over-shadowed by their aspirations, even while they are in the midst of insurgency, infiltration and proxy wars. The two worlds co-exist in tandem. The film is presented by Gautam Kundu for Rose Valley Films Ltd. Reputed actor Soumitro Chatterjee heads a cast comprising Priyanshu Chatterjee, Konkana Sen Sharma and Priyanka Bose. The original story is by Samares Mazumdar and Goutam Ghose. Ghose has written the script, scored the music and handled the camera for this film. It is edited by Shuvro Roy.

Priyanshu Chatterjee and Priyanka Bose in 'Shoonyo Awnko'

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Sudhir Mishra Known for his hard-hitting films on social imbalance and the demands of contemporary life, Sudhir Mishra now presents his 130-minute Hindi film, Inkaar. It deals with sexual politics at the workplace. Ad man Rahul’s creative acumen and skills have done well for him in his fast-moving career. He hires a young ambitious writer, Maya, and becomes her mentor. They are drawn into a close relationship. When Maya’s triumphs at work are seen as concessions to her relationship with Rahul, she resigns. Years later she returns, now a top professional on par with Rahul. Their torrid past and sizzling rivalry escalate into a power game, culminating in Maya filing a sexual harassment complaint against Rahul. The one who wins this case gets to head the company. A non-linear narrative triggers the film as a thriller. The cast is led by Arjun Rampal and Chitrangda Singh alongside Deepti Naval, Vipin Sharma and Sujata Segal. The film is produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures in the RED format/print on 35mm/DCP. The screenplay is co-written by Manoj Tyagi and Sudhir Mishra. The DOP is Sachin Krishn. Shantanu Moitra scores the music. Sudhir Mishra started as assistant director/scriptwriter on Kundan Shah's comedy classic, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983) and then worked with Saeed Akhtar Mirza in Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! (1984) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra in Khamosh (1985). His very first film, Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin (1987), won him the National Film Award for Best First Film of a Director (two more came his way, Dharavi, 1992, Best Feature Film in Hindi, and Main Zinda Hoon, 1988, Best Film on Social issues). Sudhir Mishra’s body of work has placed him among the top ranking directors of the country, with the enviable proviso that he bridges mainstream with independent filmmaking. Inkaar released commercially in mid-January 2013 to an eager public. Arjun Rampal as Rahul and

FESTIVAL TOUCHSTONE

wnko'

Inkaar (Refusal)

Chitrangda Singh as Maya in 'Inkaar'

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FESTIVAL TOUCHSTONE

Saswata Chatterjee as Nilkantha and Anannya Chatterjee as his wife Durga in ‘Meghe Dhaka Tara'

Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud-Capped Star) Kamalweswar Mukherjee

The latest venture of director Kamalweswar Mukherjee is more than a biopic of the legendary filmmaker, Ritwik Ghatak. The film is in Bengali, and bears the exact name of the classic film directed by the revered filmmaker in the year 1969. The new Meghe Dhaka Tara goes beyond the original film it revolves around the life of the filmmaker who directed that classic. The central character here is Nilkantha Bagchi and the role is enacted by Saswata Chatterjee. Shot in West Bengal, mainly in Kolkata and Purulia, the film is set in the year 1969. Its protagonist is the non-conformist filmmaker, Ritwik Ghatak, now confined to the mental asylum where he was admitted for alcohol detoxification. The film dwells on the time that Ghatak spent in this place. The film’s cast includes award-winning actress Anannya Chatterjee alongside Abir Chatterjee. Director Mukherjee, by profession a medical practitioner, is a playwright and director of the theatre groups, Shailushik and Fourth Wall. He is also an acclaimed screenwriter, notably for the film Natobar Notout (2010), directed by Amit Sen. Mukherjee’s first film Uro Chithi: The Unbearable Heaviness of Soul (2011) was well received. His second film, Meghe Dhaka Tara is produced by the Kolkata-based Shree Venkatesh Films Pvt Ltd.

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Rajeev Patil

Grazing Goat Pictures Pvt Ltd, launched in December 2011, is a joint venture powered by Mumbai’s A-list star, Akshay Kumar, and Ms Ashvini Yardi, former programming head of the television channel, ‘Colors'. The company aims to focus on quality, creative and content-oriented films, in both features and shorts. Their successful first Hindi production, OMG- Oh My God (2012) is now followed by the Marathi film, 72 Miles Ek Pravas. The 95-minute film centres on the true story of a troubled 13-yearold boy, Ashok, who runs away from his harsh boarding-school in Maharashtra, heading towards his home and family. Through his eyes we see the India just two decades past its freedom from British rule, still struggling with prevalent strict systems of class, illiteracy, gender bias and poverty. The film explores Ashok’s coming-of-age road journey of 72 miles, from Satara district to Kolhapur. Robbed and beaten, the boy is befriended by the kindly, spit-fire woman, Raddhakka, also making her arduous way home. She comes from the lowly backward class community of the Dalits. Beset as she is with her three unruly older children, Rannu, Baiji and Bhimi, and a dying baby, she takes Ashok into her care. Ashok is awed by Raddhakka’s indomitable and assertive attitude despite a miserable life. Her simplistic wisdom affects him deeply. For him, Raddhakka, is Mother Courage personified whose spirit will remain with him. The film’s DOP is Sanjay Jadhav, music director Amit Raj, and the cast comprises Smita Tambe, Chinmay Sant, Chinmay Kambli, Shravani Salaskar, Isha Mane. Director Rajeev Patil is a mechanical engineer whose deep interest in theatre led him into filmmaking. His first film Jogwa (Awakening, 2009) won a whopping six National Awards. He is now developing six projects as writer/director.

FESTIVAL TOUCHSTONE

72 miles Ek Pravas (72 miles A Journey)

Shravani Solaskar (Baiji), Isha Mane (Bhimi), Smita Tambe (centre) as Raddhakka, Chinmay Sant (Ashok) and Chinmay Kambli (Rannu) in ‘72 miles Ek Pravas'

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DEBUT

The known and the new bid for world hurrahs

One Raised to the Power of Five Rajiv B Menon

Mumbai-based Rajiv B Menon’s debut work presents five different short films that merge together to convey the progressive stages of a woman’s life. The first episode is on the loss of innocence. It then moves into the concept of love and lust. The third episode explores the complexity of relationships. The fourth dwells on the chicanery of social conditioning. The last episode ends with a search for perfect love. The visual style of each segment is different and pertinent to what each one seeks to convey. Juxtaposing five genres in 88 minutes, each episode stands by itself, but taken sequentially, they trace life’s journey from the forest to the concrete jungle. Director Menon has written, directed and produced the film. The cinematography is by Jai Singh and Gautami Vegiraju. Ved Nair scores the music and serves also as the sound designer. The cast comprises V R Laxmi, Mann S Sirohi, Gayatri Patel, Shahwar Ali, Kiren Jogi, Rashaana Shah, Himanshu Malik, Shrivas Nydu and Ankur Phani. Director Rajiv B Menon has worked extensively on the creative and production sides of filmmaking. He was the project co-ordinater and narration script on the documentary, Riding Solo to the Top of the World (2005), and creative producer on One Crazy Ride (2008), both directed by Gaurav A Jani. He then worked as associate director on Shivam Nair’s feature film, Ahista Ahista (2006). He makes his debut as director with One Raised to the Power of Five. Rashaana Shah in 'One Raised to the Power of Five'

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Raghu Jeganathan Raghu Jeganathan’s impressive first film premiered at the 2012 International Film Festival of Kerala. Based on his own script, 500 & 5, in the Tamil language, it presents an ensemble of five short stories. They are linked with a common running motif - a 500 rupee note that travels through five different characters. Adiyaalukku Podiyaal (The Goon's Stooge), follows a superstitious lackey who wants to become a gang leader. Mr Adi is on a top-rated film director Adi, desperate to win back his wife but the silence between them is too large to fill despite their own feelings. Number Sollunga (Number Please), is on Sundari, a straighttalking young woman who works in a phone recharge shop and what she wants is to safeguard the souvenir her lover gave her. Jenny’s Shadow is on a girl whose tight-rope walk between psychedelic reality and nightmarish fantasy lands her in a self-destructive vortex. Agni Kunjondru Kandaen (I found a spark of fire), is on a nameless, avant-garde revolutionary who ignites a moneyless rebellion to raze down the capitalistic juggernaut. With cinematography by Mohandass Radhakrishnan, the film’s music is by Sivapragasam. The cast comprises Deepak Sundarajan, Sivashankar Srinivasan, Living Smile Vidya, Chinnu Kuruvilla and TM Karthik Srinivasan. Raghu Jeganathan writes, directs and creates stories for the screen because of his cathartic need to offset an indifferent world. His shorts and documentaries have screened at various film festivals (Los Angeles, New York, Germany and India). His earlier script, Aravan, was among the top ten finalists at the 2010 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles Film Fund development grant program.

DEBUT

500 & 5

Karthik Srinivasan as the nameless revolutionary in the fifth episode of '500 & 5'

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DEBUT

Anumol K in the lead role of Gouri in 'Chayilyam'

Chayilyam (Hues of Red) Manoj Kana

Manoj Kana’s debut feature took almost five years to raise money through crowd funding elicited from individual contributions. The film has no producer. The completed film has been received so enthusiastically that it has travelled to a clutch of India’s international film festivals held towards the end of 2012 (Kerala, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru and Delhi). Set in North Malabar, Kerala, the film draws from the orgasmic energy of Theyyam, the dance ritual in which “gods/goddesses and the valiant dead come to life” in vibrant forms. It follows a female Theyyam artiste who finds herself sidelined owing to the prevalent unbending rigid tradition. The central character is Gouri, who attains the status of a Goddess. A widow recovering from her husband’s death, Gouri is pulled in different directions by vested interests around her. The locals worship her as a deity while her father-in-law wants to give her a normal life. She is able to fend for herself by breaking away from her social obligations and the rigid traditions that bind her. With cinematography by K G Jayan, the music is by Chandran Veyattummal, and the cast comprises M R Gopakumar, Anumol K, Jijoy P R and Prevish. Director Manoj Kana is a veteran Malayalam theatre artiste. He has directed and staged 15 stage plays and 30 street plays, among which Piranha (2007) and Uratti (2005) won Kerala State awards.

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Sandipan Roy

Ekla Akash is a story of love, despair and infidelity. It deals with the troubled marriage of a young couple, Arijit and Nisha, whose being together seems to be doomed although they have a child. The reason in the main is Arijitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infidelity as he is having an affair with his colleague, Tanuka. Arijit also has doubts regarding Nishaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special relationship with her mentor S R, who is a film director and wants to mould her into becoming a film star. Eventually he does make her a star, which aggravates the situation further. Husband and wife both realize their mistakes and try to mend their marriage. The film has the accomplished director Goutam Ghose playing the role of Satyabrato Roy. Others featured in the film are Parambrato Chatterjee as Arijit and Parno Mitra as Nisha, alongside Debleena Dutta, Rudranil Ghosh and Lolita Chattopadhyay. Shibashis Bandopadhyay has written the screenplay and dialogues. Its cinematography is by Manoj Kumar Mishra. The music is scored by Jeet Ganguly and the editing is by Argha Kamal Mitra. The 138-minute film in Bengali is produced by the Mangalam Group, and marketed and distributed by Shree Venkatesh Films Pvt Ltd. Director Sandipan Roy works for a Bengali news channel. His driving ambition has been to make a film, which he has achieved with this maiden venture. He is now working on his second feature film.

DEBUT

Ekla Akash (The Lone Sky)

Parno Mitra as Nisha and Goutam Ghose as Satyabrato Roy

Debleena Dutta as Tanuka and Parambrato Chatterjee as Arijit

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DEBUT

All I Want Is Everything Shital Morjaria

To see women as close friends in a film and portraying them as having a good time, without a love angle, song or a villain, is a rare feature in Indian cinema, which is the intention in All I Want Is Everything. In the cosmopolitan city of Hyderabad, South India, three girls, Nidhi, Vaijanti and Trisha, join a film appreciation course. The film is based on their journey of friendship where the girls bond and find the strength through each other to deal with problems in their individual lives. This 62-minute film in English is shot on HD in the DTS sound format. Written and directed by Shital Morjaria, the film stars upcoming screenwriter/director Sampada Harkara, an alumnus of the Puttnam School of Film, (Singapore), singer and upcoming actor working with Google, Sagari Venkata, and a young rap singer, Iantha Mitchell. Debut director Shital Morjaria works as the executive producer for the news channel TV9. Her show ‘Naveena' based on women’s issues won the Goenka top journalism award. Producer Jhansi Laxmi is well-known in Andhra Pradesh’s broadcasting and movie industry. Co-producer Dr Rekha Pappu teaches at Mumbai’s Tata Institute of Social Sciences. This film has screened at the South Asian Film Festival, Goa (SAFF October, 2012), Third Eye Film Festival, Mumbai (December 2012) and Vibgyor Film Festival, Kerala (February 2013).

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Film Bazaar and other co-production Markets An essential link in Afghan feature by Peter Bussian New York-based photographer-filmmaker on the process of fund-rasing for his projected feature film, Scarlet Poppy

I am grateful for the support of NFDC - it has been key to us reaching close to our goal. In addition to Film Bazaar, NFDC sponsored the film at the India Pavilion in Cannes. It was also NFDC's official project to Independent Filmmaker Project's No Borders in New York. Scarlet Poppy went to my home town, New York, as an Indian project. No Borders in turn sponsored my film at Dubai IFF as their official project, which is where I may have finally found my funding. In any case, NFDC was a vital link in the chain of getting this film made. The project was presented at Asian Project Market in Busan, Korea. Making a feature film must be one of the most difficult endeavours on earth, especially in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy. The given is that you must have a unique and compelling story to tell - and an A-level script. I started up this steep slope five years ago, when I began writing the screenplay based on an idea I had years earlier. The Story of Scarlet Poppy, a cross-cultural tragic love story set in Afghanistan, was very personal and organic for me. Working in a remote Afghan village as a photographer, I spent several years thinking about this idea, and then wrote the script. The film follows a divorced, homeless American contractor, whose years in Afghanistan leave him jaded by the violence, hypocrisy and futility he witnesses. He meets an Afghan widow, a doctor and the mother of two, who has found herself caught in a crippling and repressive Taliban-controlled culture. Their encounter at a check point is one they are compelled to take forward. With the support of many, especially Golden Globe-winning Afghan director, Siddiq Barmak, with whom I had worked, I submitted my script and was fortunate to be accepted into a series of high profile co-production markets. These markets have become an essential link toward getting the film financed and made. Without them, I am not sure the project would have ever found its wings. Although not totally funded and green-lit yet, I am confident we will be soon. Along the co-production market trail, I have made solid contacts with sales agents, producers and other filmmakers who are proving to be important in the short-term as we look for the rest of our funds, but also after the film is made, when we look for festivals and distribution. All these festivals will feature prominently when we decide where to premiere and highlight the film. Being a South Asian story, it is as such, within the mandate of NFDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support. I am particularly grateful, given that it is a nonIndian story, by a non-Indian director.

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Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many cinemas take pride in regional languages and locales

David

Bejoy Nambiar

Language two versions, Hindi and Tamil Shot in two versions, Hindi and Tamil, David is a gangster-comedy. The Hindi version revolves around the lives of three Davids, in three different parts of the world, and in three different eras. 1975 London: 30-year-old David works for Iqbal Ghani, a feared mafia don who controls the entire Asian community. David is poised to take over from him until a revelation changes his life. 1999 Mumbai: easy-going 19-year-old David is a musician born into a family of devout Christians. His peaceful existence is shattered when his family gets dragged into a political quagmire. 2010 Goa: 40-year-old David, a fisherman living in Betul village in Goa, loves the deaf-mute Roma, but in ten days she is getting engaged to his best friend, Peter. All three Davids are set to take life-changing steps. The film is produced by Reliance Entertainment (Bejoy Nambiar, Sharada Trilok, Vikram Vinay Sinha, Priti Sinha Vinay Virmani

Neil Nitin Mukesh

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Vikram

Dwaar-Voyage Out Bidyut Chakravarty Language Assamese

Dwaar charts the psychological breakdown of young academic and writer Dwijen, whose tryst with the social unrest and student movement of his home state, Assam, leaves an indelible scar on his personal and professional life. His convictions face a failing communist ideology and a world corrupted by compromise, which leads to an inward struggle. While writing his romantic novel, Dwijen ironically loses his closeness and intimacy with his dear wife, Manosi. Given to neurotic hallucinations and severe depression, Dwijen alienates himself from his personal responsibilities. His childhood sweetheart, a symbol of his own youth and past, increasingly haunts him as he journeys back in time. The film uses a flashback mode to crisscross Dwijen’s anxiety and crisis. Produced by Sanjive Narain and Bidyut Chakravarty, the film is presented by B C Production. Bidyut Chakravarty has directed and written

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and Ram Mirchandani). The script is by Bijoy Nambiar and Natasha Sahgal, cinematography by Ratnavelu, P S Vinod and Sanu John Varughese, and editing by Sreekar Prasad. The music is scored by Prashant Pillai, Mikey Mccleary, Anirudh, Remo, Maati Baani, Modern Mafia, Light Years Explode and Bramfatura. The Hindi version’s star cast is led by Neil Nitin Mukesh, Vikram and Vinay Virmani. The Tamil version has two Davids in its story, that of David in Mumbai in 1999 and in Goa in 2010. Its cast is led by Vikram and Jiiva. The two versions share the same remaining cast viz Tabu, Isha Sharvani, Lara Dutta, Nasser, John Vijay, Nishan Nanaiah, Saurabh Shukla and Rohini Hattangady. Director, producer, screenwriter Nambiar is known for his critically acclaimed short films, Rahu (2007) and Reflections (2005). He marked his Bollywood debut with the well-received Hindi film, Shaitan (2011).

Zerifa Wahid as Manosi in 'Dwaar-Voyage Out'

the script based on Apurba Sharma’s short story. Suman Dowerah is the cinematographer. The music director is Sher Choudhary. The cast comprises Kopil Bora, Zerifa Wahid, Tanvi Sharma, Mintu Baruah, Bulganin Baruah and Srijani Bhaswa Mahanta with guest appearances by Avinash Sharma, Nayan Prasad and Asha Bordoloi. Director Bidyut Chakravarty started his career as a child actor in theatre as well as on screen. He was also a name on All India Radio. Later, he worked both as an assistant director and actor. His first independent directorial venture was the telefilm, Kukur Nesia Manuah (The Wolfman). His debut, Raag Bairag (1996), as a feature film director won the National Award for Best Direction. His other films include Nisidha Nadi (2000) and Gun Gun Gane Gane (2002). Bidyut Chakravarty has co-scripted leading Assamese feature films such as Dr Ronen Sarma's Ahir Bhairab (2009), Sanjeev Hazarika's Haladhar (1992) and Surjya Tejor's Anya Naam (1991).

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Oonga

Devashish Makhija

Language Oriya and Hindi A small Adivasi tribal hamlet in South Orissa is threatened by civil strife and vested commercial interests. A brutal police force and army heckle the locals suspecting their alliance with underground militant rebels. This is home to the head-strong eight-year-old Oonga, who brushes aside discipline. He is angered when he misses his village school trip to the faraway Lohabad city to watch the play, the sacred epic, Ramayana. Irked at being the lone absentee, he runs away on a perilous journey to the large and chaotic city. Bewitched by the play, he emerges feeling he is the Lord Rama in the play, and even covers himself in blue paint that exemplifies the god. Exhilarated by his all-powerful persona, he makes his triumphant way back, unaware that his home and land have been razed to the ground. But Oonga, inspired by Lord Rama, retaliates and brings about a change. The impressive cast comprises Nandita Das, Seema Biswas, Alyy Khan, Salim Kumar, Vipin Sharma, Anand Tiwari, Priyanka Bose with child actor Raju Singh giving a masterful performance. Director Makhija travelled across areas where highways, dams and mining factories are replacing agricultural land, displacing locals and causing farmer suicides. The film is produced by Harish Amin and Mehvash Husain. Jehangir Chowdhury is the DOP, Krsna scores the music and the sound is by Kaamod Kharade. The film’s production company, Speaking Tree Pictures, believes in supporting new talent and has backed films such as Claire McCarthy’s The Waiting City (2009), Andy De Emmony's West is West (2010), the Oscar-nominated short, Kavi (2010) directed by Gregg Helvey and actor Lucy Liu’s Meena (2012). Makhija's film journey began with Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday wearing many hats: researcher, writer and assistant director. He then worked as chief associate director on Shaad Ali’s Bunty aur Babli (2005). His experimental short, poetry is in the silences, was the closing film at the 2007 Hannover Film Festival. He has written children's books for Tulika and been a featured writer in the collection of short stories, Mumbai Noir and Eid Stories. Vipin Sharma, Anand Tiwari and Nandita Das in 'Oonga'

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Meghna, Mythili, Dulquer, Siga Rose and Lena in 'Ustad Hotel'

Ustad Hotel

Anwar Rasheed

Language Malayalam This lively, comedic film touches breezily on important social issues of today, mainly paternal dictates on career choices, arranged marriages and living life through personal values rather than worldly gain. The film focuses on generation gaps and the way to bridge them. Wise old Kareem has been managing his sea-facing, old world Ustad Hotel for 35 years, for which he is ostracized by his wealthy corporate-led son. His young grandson Feyzee inherits his flair for cooking, which is rebutted by his irate father. Feyzee tricks his father into taking a chef’s course in Switzerland and on his return, the father disowns him. Feyzee joins hands with his grandfather and a strong bond develops between the two. Feyzee learns all the old man’s secret recipes which are the rage of the city. But five-star hotels covet the land where the hotel stands and use every ruse to wipe it out. Feyzee comes to the rescue. A charming romantic angle is on the ‘arranged’ bride who earlier rejects him for being a mere cook, later turns out to be a social rebel and his soul-mate. Produced by Listin Stephen for Magic Frames, Ustad Hotel is distributed by Central Pictures. The screenplay is by Anjali Menon. The two main actors are the late Thilakan (the older man) and Dulquer Salmaan (leading star Mamooty’s son) alongside Nithya Menon, Siddique and Lena. The DOP is S Lokanathan, the music is by Gopi Sunder and editing by Praveen Prabhakar. Director Anwar Rasheed is best known for his debut film, Rajamanikyam (2005). His filmography includes Chotta Mumbai (2007), Annan Thambi (2008) and Kerala Café (2009).

Kachru Maazha Baap (My Father's Name is Garbage) Mukesh B Jadhav Language Marathi

Told in flashback by his daughter, we see the life of her father, Kachru. In 1920s India, a low caste village woman dies giving birth to a son, who is named Kachru (garbage) and raised lovingly by his father and sisters. The boy wants to study but his untouchable caste forbids his entering the village classroom. His father urges the boy to start working. His sisters marry and live elsewhere. Then, his

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Abhay Rane as Kachru's father in 'Kachru Maazha Baap'

ailing father hurriedly marries Kachru to a small girl (they will live together on her attaining puberty). Kachru's father dies. Unable to afford funeral rites, Kachru and his sister scatter their father’s ashes in the hut. Kachru is sent to live with a relative who ill-treats him. His sister finally gets him to Bombay. Kachru works as a child labourer until he is grown and his wife joins him. It is 1947, the time of India’s independence. Questioning life’s disparities leads Kachru to discover the ideals of social activist Dr Ambedkar, that imbue him with values of education and independence. Despite all adversities, Kachru educates his six sons and sole daughter. Old Kachru heads back to his village and finally conducts his father’s funeral rites. The film script is co-written by Mukesh B Jadhav and Archana Deshmukh. This 130-minute film is produced by Mukesh Jadhav, Shailendra Joy Salve and Natalie Millar for Motion Media Arts Pvt Ltd. The cinematography is by Rajesh Joshi and Bharat Parthasarthy. The music is scored by Anand Sharma. The cast includes Arun Nalavade, Aasaavari Joshi and Abhay Rane. Starting his career in 1989 as an actor, Jadhav turned to making films by working with established director Kundan Shah. With over 20 years of experience, he has won prestigious awards. His repertoire includes actor training, events, documentaries and TV ad films.

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Sanjeev Sivan

Language Malayalam This Malayalam feature film of 120 minutes, with National award-winning actors Salim Kumar and Seema Biswas, is about an elderly couple from Ernakulum, Kerala, whose son dies at the age of 24. There is a feeling of hopelessness as they remember the time spent with him. Arguably, for the first time in human history, this couple makes a demand for their dead sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s semen. Their joy knows no bounds when they get to know of the preserved semen sample. After winning the legal battle, they go about searching for a surrogate mother and find a Muslim woman in Gujarat. The story, with multiple layers, unfolds like a budding flower, one with the essence of humanity and life. When it all ends, and they reach their target, the viewers are left with the fragrance of that flower, an aroma of hope, faith and perseverance. The film shares one thought. That life has limitless possibilities, and those who decide to challenge its injustice, often realize its potential. What is needed is resilience and a dogged determination. The director says that he read this news item of the old couple in The New Indian Express. He then tracked down the parents, the doctors and the lawyer who were involved and honed their story into a documentary, Afterlife (or In Search of their Son). Seeing the scope in their story, he decided to make it into a feature film. The film in 35mm/DTS sound is produced by Jagadish Chandran and written by Ta Razak. The DOP is M J Radhakrishnan, the music is by Vidyadharan Master and editing by Ranjan Abraham. Sivan's earlier films include Aparichithan (2004) and Actum Baby, a short film on Indo-Aryans. He has completed 34 short films.

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Venal Odungathe (Endless Summer)

Seema Biswas and Salim Kumar as the elderly couple in 'Venal Odungathe'

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BIG PIC

Big Pic Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (Matru and Bijlee and Mandola) Vishal Bhardwaj

Indian film director, writer, screenwriter, producer, music composer and playback singer Vishal Bhardwaj, has the rare quality of appealing to both arthouse and mainstream viewers. Among the most inventive and creative minds working on the Hindi film scene, his films are usually dark, quirky and disturbing village sagas. He surprises us with his latest film, a wild, whacky, wicked comedy that carries the Bhardwaj stamp. The political satire is set in the rustic surrounds of a village in Haryana. The film follows the local feudal head Harry Mandola, who wants to sell village lands to convert them into malls. He loves his drink. When high, he does an about-turn and becomes a maudlin, self-deprecating socialist. He even leads a protest march against himself until his intoxication subsides. His man friday, Matru, has a Law degree from Delhi’s august JNU University. Unable to get a job, he returns to his village to follow his inherited profession of serving the Mandola family. He fights for the peasants whenever he can oppose his cranky employer. Mandola’s temperamental daughter Bijlee goes abroad to study at Oxford, where she falls in love with Baadal, the son of the powerful politician, Chaudhari Devi. To her father's delight, Bijlee is all set to marry Baadal. This alliance, far from being a simple union of two young people, is strewn with obstacles. Presented by Fox Star Studios India Pvt Ltd, the film is written, directed and produced by Vishal Bhardwaj. He is also the music director, with lyrics by Gulzar. The cinematography is by Kartik Vijay. The cast cast comprises Pankaj Kapur, Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma, Shabana Azmi and Raj Babbar. Vishal Bhardwaj is known for his screen adaptations of English literary works, notably Maqbool, 2003 (based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth), Blue Umbrella, 2005 (based on Ruskin Bond’s novel) and Omkara, 2006 (based on Shakespeare’s Othello).

Vishwaroopam

Tamil, Telugu versions

Vishwaroop Hindi version

Kamal Haasan

Imran Khan (Matru), Anushka Sharma (Bijlee) and Pankaj Kapur (Harry Mandola)

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Redoubtable producer, director, actor, classical dancer, writer and poet, Kamal Haasan of Tamil Nadu has been a trail-blazer throughout his meteoric career. His path-breaking ideas regarding the release of his latest film Vishwaroopam (in three versions, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu) has led to controversies. Kamal Haasan aimed to release the film on Direct-To-Home (DTH) platforms, charging a fee for a onetime watch prior to its theatrical distribution. Exhibitors retaliated and the film’s release was stalled. Then, the film was threatened with a ban due to Muslim religious groups objecting to certain aspects in the film. The Chennai High Court lifted the ban on January 29. The film is set to release abroad and elsewhere within India. Vishwaroopam, reportedly made on a budget of nearly 17.5 million US dollars, is set to release in 500 cinemas in Tamil Nadu with the Telugu version releasing simultaneously. It is the first Indian film, and second film worldwide (after Red Tails), to utilize the new Auro 3D sound technology. Much of the film was shot abroad (mainly USA and Jordon), and in Chennai and Mumbai in India. Vishwaroopam follows an Indian couple, Vishwanath (alias Wiz, a Kathak dancer) and Nirupama, who live abroad. Nirupama gets her Ph D and Wiz runs his dance class in New Jersey. All is well until the ambitious Nirupama wants to opt out of the arranged marriage, but cannot find a substantive reason to divorce. She hires a detective to see if something can be found on which to pin her case. Vishwaroopam is written, directed and co-produced by Kamal Haasan who has also co-written the lyrics for the Tamil songs with Vairamuthu. Kamal Haasan leads the cast playing the main role. The other actors include Pooja Kumar, Rahul Bose, Andrea Jeremiah, Jaideep Ahlawat with Shekhar Kapur in a special appearance. Sanu Verghese is the cinematographer. The music is by Shankar-EhsaanLoy. Kamal Haasan has starred in nearly 200 films in major Indian languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. He has been a part of the film industry for 52 years and has an avid interest in every aspect of filmmaking.

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Films in English/Hindi and India-related themes attract globally

Jadoo (Magic)

Amit Gupta United Kingdom Jadoo, a British film set in Leicester, has a world premiere private screening at 2013 Berlinale. Amit Gupta has written/directed the film (his debut film Resistance garnered him the Writers Guild’s Best First Film Award nomination). Jadoo tells the story of two brothers, Raja and Jagi, both wonderful chefs, who fall out and tear the fabled family recipe book in half. One brother gets the starters and the other gets the main courses. Setting up rival restaurants on opposite sides of the road, they spend the next ten years trying to outdo each other. Each one can cook only half of the perfect Indian meal, which drives them mad. The daughter of one of the bothers, a successful London lawyer, is getting married. She goes to Leicester to try and reconcile her father and uncle so that they are one family again, and besides, their combined talent can come together to serve the perfect Indian feast at her wedding, food here a metaphor for family. The DOP is Roger Pratt (Inkheart, The Karate Kid), and the music score is by Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love, Billy Elliot). The film stars Amara Karan (The Darjeeling Limited), Harish Patel (Run Fatboy Run), Kulvinder Ghir (Bend It Like Beckham), and Tom Mison (One Day, Parades End), with celebrity chef/actress, Madhur Jaffrey. Jadoo is produced by Richard Holmes, Amanda Faber (Resistance) Isabelle Georgeaux (Resistance) and Nikki Parrott (The Market: a Tale of Trade). (on the Left) Amara Karan in the lead role as Shalini in ‘Jadoo’

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Sandcastle Shomshuklla

Well-known theatre personality, writer and poet, Shomshuklla, is ready with her first feature film, Sandcastle. The 82-minute film is in Hinglish (a mix of Hindi and English). It follows Sheila, a homemaker, an aspiring writer and a loving mother. From an outsider’s perspective, she appears to have an enviable life: a successful husband in the corporate world, a lovely home, a place in elite upper middle-class society, an adorable daughter and a supportive family by her side. Her brother keeps urging her to be less docile and stand up for herself. She evolves as a writer encouraged by her publisher Kaushik. It is only then that she discovers that her married life has flaws. She develops an alter personality, one she would like to be as against the one she is. She seeks to rebuild her life, in the way sand castles are created on a beach. “The women of today are a far cry from the women of the 60s and even the 90s. My film shows them in a new light - the women of changing India.” The film’s credits: direction, story, script, production and art design, Shomshuklla. Cinematography, Ritam Banerjee. Original music, Ankur Mukherjee. Editing, Shashi Kumar. The cast includes Shahana Chatterjee, Malvika Jethwani, Rajat Sharma and Uditvanu Das. The film is produced by Bhaskar Das. Shomshuklla, raised in Kolkata, started her career as a Hindi pop singer and cut nine albums, followed by a stint as a columnist with Asian Age and the online, kolkatamirror.com. She has published poems, both in Bengali and English. She staged nine plays, one of which travelled to the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She now lives in Mumbai with her husband and son. Among her other interests are Sufism and the reflective verses of Rumi.

Uditvanu Das as Kaushik and Shahana Chatterjee as Sheila in ‘Sandcastle’

Still: ‘Fondi 91’

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Chandan Roy Sanyal, Mayank Kumar,

James Alter as Alex Anderson ‘Alex Hindustani’ ArfiinLamba in ‘Prague’ Namgyal Lhamo in ‘Drapchi’

Raja Bundela India

This Hindi film takes the unusual stance of seeing two sides of the enemy. The film’s byline is ‘The Englishman who rebelled against the British Empire‘. The year is 1925. James Anderson is posted in Central India as the political agent to His Majesty’s government. When his ailing wife dies in England, his only child, Alex Anderson, comes to India. Pyarelal Suman, personal assistant to Anderson, is entrusted with the task of introducing Alex to his alien surrounds and also keep him safe from insurgents. On one such foray, Alex meets the daughter of a prominent freedom fighter and develops a liking for her. This causes dissension among the locals and Alex is kidnapped. On his release, Alex makes it clear which side he is on. Alex Anderson becomes the India patriot, Alex Hindustani. Produced by Omkam Films, the film’s DOP is Rajesh Joshi. Its music is by Uttam Singh. The distinguished cast includes Tom Alter, Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Yashpal Sharma and Sushmita Mukkherjee. Making his acting debut in the lead role is young James Alter, the son of the accomplished Tom Alter.

FROM AFAR

Alex Hindustani

One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das Jeremy Frindel USA

Krishna Das in the year 1970

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Showcasing in the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Cinesonic section, this film tells the story of Jeffrey Kagel, who in 1970, gave up all he had in suburban Long Island and travelled to the foothills of the Himalayas, where he studied under Neem Karoli Baba. He later emerged as Krishna Das, the world-renowned chant master and spiritual leader, helping to bring what he had learned to the West. The film follows his journey to India and back, witnessing his struggles with depression and drug abuse, to his eventual emergence as Krishna Das. Brooklyn-based Jeremy Frindel earned a BA in Film Scoring from the Berklee College of Music in 2001. He has worked as an editor and sound editor on films such as Junebug, Some Kind of Monster, and Bernard & Doris. One Track Heart: The Story Of Krishna Das is his first feature film. With a music score by J Mascis and Devadas, this is the inspiring story of how one man’s man’s heart-expanding journey continues to transform countless lives.

Blood Brother - Documentary Steve Hoover India, USA

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize as well as the Audience Award in the documentary section of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, this 92-minute documentary is directed and edited by Steve Hoover and cowritten by him alongside Phinehas Hodges and Tyson VanSkiver. It follows Rocky Braat who went to India as a disillusioned American tourist. When he met a group of children with HIV/AIDS, he decided to stay on in India. He never could have imagined the obstacles he would face. Or the love he would find. Rocky Braat plays himself and Steve Hoover is the narrator. John Pope is the cinematographer. The

(On the right) Rocky Braat in ‘Blood Brother’

original music is by Danny Bracken, A J Hochhalter, Keith Kenniff, Joseph Minadeo and Wytold. The sound effects editor is Ken McGill. The film is produced by Danny Yourd.

Bibek

Purab Kohli India, Nepal This 38-minute short film shot in Nepal is the tale of a feisty street-kid, Bibek, living in Kathmandu, who scams all and sundry to survive and pay for his addiction to cheap inhalants and local alcohol.

Shyamal Bhattacharya and Avijit Chaudhuri in ‘Shyamal Uncle Turns Off The Lights’ FILMINDIA WORLDWIDE

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After conning a few tourists of their money, he works as a ticket taker on a night bus to return to his hometown, Pokhara. Once there, he sees some Buddhist monks accepting alms. Realizing that they have money, he senses a target. He gets the bright idea to start renting a bicycle by the hour to a novice monk. During their cycling sessions, Bibek begins to confront his own identity as a khatay (a derogatory word for street kid). He talks of his drug-addicted brother, his own drug use and his hopeless future. His time with the novice monk leaves a lasting impression on Bibek. The cast, from Nepal, includes the lead child actors Bibek Tamang, Bhawan Thapa (both then age 11) and Krishna Lama. The DOP is Pooja Sharma. The music director is Rahul Pais and Sally is editor. Producer Pamela Sciantarelli has also written the screenplay. The post-production is handled by Prime Focus. Director/producer Purab Kohli has made his name in India as an actor with his biggest title to date being Abhishek Kapoor’s Rock On!! Purab has starred in nearly 20 films and hosted television shows. He now looks forward to making feature films.

Gawah (Witness)

Gauri Chadha Dubai, India This 22-minute documentary is on the psychological trauma of victims of the horrific events of the 1947 India-Pakistan Partition, the 26/11 terrorist attack in 2008, and the July 13 serial blasts in Mumbai in 2011. It captures the agony of the distraught minds of these sufferers. Do these memories ever fade away or is one entrapped in the devastating times? Gauri says, “On a cold Thanksgiving dinner in London, my attention was glued to the news flash of friends and family, concerned about their loved ones in Mumbai. 26/11 had taken over an entire city. A severe curiosity came from within me to feel connected to these victims. When all the news coverage went away, absolutely nothing! The aim was to bring these voices on a global platform across cultures.” Chadha believes that the medium of film is the most powerful for creating change. She says, “It transcends through all borders, cultures and barriers.” Gauri Chadha studied at the Met Film School at Ealing Studios in London, breaking its record of the highest applicant accepted. Shuffling between Hollywood and Bollywood projects such as Mission Impossible (2011) and Gandhi of the Month (2012), she now has six short films, a short feature and a documentary in her repertoire.

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FROM AFAR

Outlawed in Pakistan

Habiba Nosheen and Hilke Schellmann Pakistan, USA From the sub-continent, this film (2012, HD Cam, 39 mins) screens at the Short Film program of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. It is also one among the eight films selected for support from JustFilms, the Ford Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social justice film fund launched in 2011. JustFilms is providing major support to eight independent films selected for competition that will premiere at Sundance this year. Outlawed in Pakistan revolves around a 17-year old Pakistani girl, Kainat Soomro, who is fighting a case against four men from her village who allegedly gang-raped her. She has to face a deeply flawed criminaljustice system in Pakistan. Spanning over five years, the story is told through the perspective of Kainat and the four men accused of her rape. Habiba Nosheen and Hilke Schellmann have also handled the camera, sound and production. The editing is by Hemal Trivedi. Habiba Nosheen is a New York-based multimedia journalist, and Hilke Schellmann is a video journalist for The Wall Street Journal.

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READ

New writing proliferates on the vast canvas of Indian cinema

RAJINIKANT: THE DEFINITIVE BIOGRAPHY Naman Ramachandran Published by Penguin-Viking Price ` 699 Pages 290 www.penguinbooksindia.com

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Presenting a book that contains ‘everything you always wanted to know about the great man’, Rajinikant: The Definitive Biography, is quite simply about the biggest superstar that cinema-crazy India has ever seen. His stylized dialogues and screen mannerisms are legion and his guy-next-doorcum-super hero image has entralled millions of movie-goers. The biography recounts the actor’s career in Tamil cinema in detail, tracing his cinematic journey from his very first film, Apoorva Raganla (1975) to memorable forays into Bollywood (Andha Kanoon,1983 and Hum,1991), landmark movies like Annamalai (1992), Billa (2007) and mega successes such as Muthu (1995) and Sivaji (2007). The book provides insights into his personal life, including his childhood days, his early encounters in the film world, and eventually, his stardom. It covers all of his 154 films in great detail. A film journalist and critic by trade, Ramachandran has written for Sight & Sound, Variety and other leading publications. His first book was also on cinema, which he co-wrote with Sheena Sippy and Divya Thakur titled Lights, Camera, Masala: Making Movies, published by India Book House in 2006.

GURU DUTT - A Tragedy in Three Acts Arun Khopkar Translated from Marathi into English by Shanta Gokhale Published by Penguin Books Price ` 250 Pages 150 www.penguinbooksindia.com

The original Marathi book won the National Award for Best Book on Cinema in 1986, and has been published now in its English translation. Guru Dutt was among the most original minds working in cinema during the 50s and early 60s. He was ahead of his times and some of his most notable films failed at the box-office, specially his last film on which he had pinned his hopes. The deep disappointment is said to have led to his untimely, sudden death in 1964 when he was 39. Guru Dutt remains an intriguing, dark personality, one that this book examines through three of his most known films: Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz ke Phool (1959) and Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam (1962). Each slim chapter starts with a still from his films or of him as an actor in that film. Author Khopkar explores the histori-

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cal context which influenced Dutt’s deeply melancholic style while analyzing the techniques he used to create masterpieces. Khopkar has a diploma in direction and a gold medal for best thesis from the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune. He is a filmmaker, film scholar and film teacher. His films on art forms like music, dance, painting, architecture and literature have won national and international awards, including three National Awards. His feature film Katha Doan Ganpatraonchi (A Tale of Two Ganapatraos, 1996) based on Nikolai Gogol’s short story, screened at Moscow, Sarajevo, Cairo and Beppu (Japan) film festivals.

Mohammed Rafi MY ABBA - A MEMOIR (in English) Hamara Abba - Kuch Yadein (in Hindi) Yasmin K Rafi Published by Westland Ltd Price ` 295 Pages 204 (with a 12-page photo insert) www.westlandbooks.in

Mohammed Rafi is one of the most adored singers of Hindi cinema. He had the ability to sing in various styles which included classical, ghazals, quawalis and romantic fare. In a career spanning 35 years, he won numerous awards, including the Padma Shri in 1967. The author is Mohammed Rafi’s daughter-in-law. She provides an intimate portrait of the gifted singer who continues to enthrall generation after generation with his magical voice. Yasmin writes about Rafi’s simple and caring nature, and dwells on various sides of his personality such as his love for good food and flying kites with children. Mohammed Rafi My Abba - A Memoir was launched in November 2012 in Mumbai at the hands of veteran actor, Amitabh Bachchan. The Hindi edition, Hamara Abba-Kuch Yadein was also released on the same day.

POPULAR MASCULINE CULTURES IN INDIA: Critical Essays Edited by Rohit K Dasgupta & Steven Baker Published by Setu Prakashani Price ` 325 Pages 201 (paperback) www.setuprakashani.com Popular Masculine Cultures in India: Critical Essays has been edited by Rohit K Dasgupta, associate lecturer and doctoral student at University of the Arts, London, and Steven Baker, a UK academic and journalist based in India. How masculinity is represented in India through cinema, literature, media and theatre is what this book is about. Baker says, “The Bollywood male breaking into song and dance, shedding tears, and being so closely attached to his mother, are signs of masculinity synonymous with Indian cinema.” But gradually there has been a change in the way the male is represented. Examples in Indian cinema include Shah Rukh Khan’s portrayal in Devdas (2002) and Satyajit Ray’s presentation of Bengali men in films like Mahanagar (1963) and Seemabandha (1971). Dasgupta says, “Masculinity in Bollywood has seen a sea change, from the sensitivity of Dev Anand we are confronted with the hyper-masculinity of John Abraham and Salman Khan. The picture of the Indian male is definitely changing.”

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Published by Shobhaa De Books, Penguin India Price ` 699 Pages 270 www.penguinbooksindia.com Kareena Kapoor is the archetypal symbol of a Bollywood star. She is the third generation diva of the famous Kapoor film family, and carries her illustrious lineage with aplomb and talent. It is unusual to come across a life so rich in experience at this young age. The star recounts her days in school, filled with fun, laughter and mischief, often being pulled up for her pranks. It is her elder sister Karishma who was ahead of her in climbing the ladder of fame in Hindi cinema. Kareena’s rise to stardom came later. This book covers the gamut of her work routine, where she talks of her exercise regimen and how she attained her much talked-about size zero, her yoga practice, her taste in clothes, her fashion style, shopping habits and her yen for travel. The glamour girl even reveals her beauty secrets. Kareena was interviewed on behalf of this book by Rochelle Pinto, journalist and fashion writer. The book falls into the category of celebrity authors handpicked by leading writer and columnist, Shobhaa De.

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Kareena Kapoor the style diary of a bollywood diva with Rochelle Pinto

The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic Anna MM Vetticad Published by Om Books International Price ` 295 Pages 256 (paperback) www.ombooksinternational.com

This book is journalist Vetticad’s account of a year in which she resolved to blog reviews of every single Hindi film released in the National Capital Region, quite apart from the high-profile, well-promoted films or star-studded bigbanner productions. Through reviewing these 121 films and interviewing those behind them, the author captures the changing face of Bollywood, discovering an industry beyond the known star faces and film clans. This is the other Bollywood where appealing, small films routinely disappear. It presents the talented actor who trained Ranbir Kapoor for his role as a deaf-mute person in Barfi!, but whose own debut feature flopped because of inadequate marketing. Through the microcosm of Bollywood, this book discusses the ethics of filmmaking, film criticism and film marketing in India, and raises important political and social questions. Delhi-based Anna MM Vetticad, in her 18 years in the profession, has worked with India Today, The Indian Express and Headlines Today (which hosted her television talk show ‘Star Trek’) and been a consulting editor with The New Indian Express. She has reported on most major Indian entertainment and lifestyle events and international ones such as the Cannes Film Festival and the Oscars.

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FILM: in his own words a tribute to Satyajit Ray

IFSON Special Ray Number October 2012, 3rd edition Federation of Film Societies of India – Eastern Region Price 100 Pages 110 www.ffsi.org.in IFSON is the journal published by The Federation of Film Societies of India. This special Satyajit Ray number is dedicated to the genius of India’s master of cinema, universally seen as among the world’s top ten film directors. The journal carries 120 pages of Ray’s writings on various subjects such as ‘My life, my work’, ‘A film must achieve its objectives’, ‘On scriptwriting’ ... the list is overwhelming. The manual also carries articles by various people of the film fraternity paying tribute to Ray. Subrata Banerjee talks of Ray’s maturity as a filmmaker, Nimal Ghosh feels that Ray’s pinnacle of glory as a filmmaker came with Pather Panchali; other writers include Ritwik Ghatak, Mrinal Sen and the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar. Throughout his career, Satyajit Ray maintained that the best technique of filmmaking was the one that was not noticeable. For him, technique was merely a means to an end. He disliked the idea of a film that drew attention to its style rather than the content. He stayed away from cinematic embellishments. Besides filmmaking, Ray also wrote stories and developed his own distinct style of writing. He is known for his works on calligraphy and advertising. Ray directed 37 films, including feature films, documentaries and shorts. He received innumerable awards and honours for his work: 32 Indian National Film Awards and an Academy Award in 1992. The Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1992.

Deep Focus CINEMA Vol 01 01/2012/13

Quarterly publication Editor Georgekutty A L Published by Deep Focus Trust, Bangalore Price ` 200 Pages 106 www.deepfocusonline.com Deep Focus, a unique film journal presenting an in-depth coverage of Indian cinema was launched at the 1988 International Film Festival of India held in Thiruvananthapuram. To the disappointment of its readers, it was forced to close down in 2010 for lack of funds. The good news is that it is back retitled as Deep Focus CINEMA , with its indefatigable editor, Georgekutty A L back at the helm. The magazine has gained a new lease of life thanks to its association with Sanjay Wadhwa, who says that the quarterly will soon be a bi-monthly. The magazine’s advisory board includes names like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Girish Kasaravalli, Govind Nihalani, M K Raghavendra and Manu Chakravarthy. Georgekutty explains, “In India, there have been several attempts at serious film journalism. We wanted to provide a platform for it, and we had a measure of success.” The magazine will cover a gamut of areas - regional films from across India to popular Bollywood cinema, - and will include documentary and animation films, books on cinema. Plans are afoot for reviews of films on dvd as well, and also uploading back issues soon in answer to popular demand.

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