Patang (Kite): Soars with Sensitive Story

BY RAJ S. RANGARAJAN *


A thought-provoking film with serious overtones, Patang is definitely not Bollywood. Seniormost in the film’s credits is Seema Biswas (Bandit Queen, Water) who makes sure that the seriousness of the film is maintained though, admittedly there are hilarious moments within the family story dynamic when kites are soaring in gay abandon on the vibrant streets of Ahmedabad.

An exuberant Priya (Sugandha Garg) in dance

A thought-provoking film with serious overtones, Patang is definitely not Bollywood. Seniormost in the film’s credits is Seema Biswas (Bandit Queen, Water) who makes sure that the seriousness of the film is maintained though, admittedly there are hilarious moments within the family story dynamic when kites are soaring in gay abandon on the vibrant streets of Ahmedabad.

In a story set around the Makar Sankranti festival on January 14 (a.k.a. Uttarayan in some parts of India) the film will reverberate in several parts of the country. Delhi businessman Jayesh (Mukund Shukla) returns to his family home after five years and wants to make good by his family. He wants to set up a condo across town for his mother and sister-in-law Sudha (Seema Biswas) and his nephew, Chakka, a 20-plus man without a job who generally hangs out with young boys in the neighborhood.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Gangs of Wasseypur,Kahani) plays Chakka and keeps the tension going while highlighting earlier family slights and resentments with his mother, Sudha and Jayesh’s mother. The bright light in the movie is Jayesh’s daughter, sparkling Priya (played by Sugandha Garg) who is visiting the city for the first time. Her earlier appearance was in My Name is Khan, and Sugandha’s infectious laugh and expressive face do the talking.

Hamid Shaikh awestruck by kites

The film weaves together the stories of six people transformed by the energy of India's largest kite festival. Made of paper and bamboo, these colorful kites are metaphors for many families in Ahmedabad every year when they show off their kite-flying prowess while letting go off their emotions.

Flying a kite successfully is a virtual journey into a philosophical realm. Apart from the breeze that exhilarates it is a cathartic experience as one looks up at the busy sky triumphantly: the freedom and expertise of controlling a square piece of paper and bamboo amidst competitive forces in the form of other challenger kites with glass-laced strings, the merciless wind and the messy skyline with hovering satellite towers and disks from building roofs. 

Shanker Raman (Harud, Peepli Live) has captured the essence of the passionate kite flyer’s psyche through his camera in the night sky. Kites with candles and lanterns glow each narrating a story or expressing a feeling, a thought or a mere moment in his busy life.  Raman’s earlier efforts were Harud and Peepli Live.

Chakka (Nawazuddin Siddiqui in a band

While Chakka is all swagger and resentful of his uncle, Priya’s seductive fondness for a young shop clerk, played by Aakash Maherya from the neighborhood adds to the suspense when Aakash takes her on a scooter ride and one wonders: Will the father take objection to his daughter hanging out with this young boy? Will Chakka have a serious falling out from his uncle? Will the undelivered bunch of kites affect the future of young Hamid Shaikh who lives on the streets and is an associate of Chakka?

Prashant studied theatrical directing at the Actors Studio Drama School in New York and computer science at Cornell University. A native of Chicago, Prashant's interest in the arts began as a graffiti artist. This film Patang (the Kite) was featured at The Berlin Film Festival and in the world Narrative Competition at the Tribeca Film Festival. Patang won the Golden Orchid Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2011 Hawaii International Film Festival and at the DC APA Film Festival.

Director and writer, Prashant talks fondly of the amount of “intense research he did for the film and how spindles of thread and bundles of kites” form the fabric for this touching 92-minute film.

Prashant says, “Scenes were not rehearsed; they were improvised largely with non-actors and shot hand-held in long takes, without the conventional over-the-shoulder shots. As a result, the edit was a two-year process of distilling and constructing a scripted narrative from 200 hours of documentary-like footage. Just watching the footage took over a month.

“I began by constructing those scenes with major plot points and then proceeded to the transitional scenes. I would make small discoveries, pulling a shot from here, splicing it with a magic moment there, and then returning to the overall structure. Eventually the edit captured the narrative of the original script.”

Indeed, the filmmakers do convey with panache the sense of euphoric excitement that the city is part of in a very real manner. And the film soars.

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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Spectacular Hi-tech 3-D Film Immortals Promotes Greek Story

BY RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

It seems like a cross between Star Wars and Harry Potter. It has the seriousness of a war and the crafty playfulness of a Harry Potter. The gigantic settings and wide-angled sequences are out of this world, accentuated by 3-D and VFX technology. Director Tarsen Singh (The Cell) has succeeded in creating a grand illusion with masterful effects in cinematography and sound. Film frills and thrills take over where an antiquated story attempts to appeal.

Leading lady Phaedra (Freida Pinto)

The movie I am talking about is Immortals that was released on 11.11.11 and directed by Tarsem Singh, and written by brothers -- Charles Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides (Everything for a Reason). Female lead, Freida Pinto is not looking back after Slumdog Millionaire catapulted her into the international scene few years ago and the recent success of the hit movie The Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Producer Gianni Nunnari who produced action epic 300 also says of Pinto: “There are certain actors or actresses that grow within the time of the shooting and that was Freida.”


Leading man Theseus (Henry Cavill)


Pinto’s striking beauty and other-worldly air won Tarsem Singh’s immediate approval. “Phaedra needed to be exotic compared to most of the people in her world,” says Singh. “People might expect that because it’s a Greek film, she would be Greek, but that’s not what I envisioned. When I met Freida I just said, she’s it.” For her part, Pinto says, “she feels lucky to have had Singh to guide her. “Tarsem is one of the most encouraging directors you will ever meet,” she says.

Athena (Isabel Lucas)

Tarsen Dhandwar Singh has come a long way from the world of ad films (hit Pepsi commercial) and music videos. Born in Jalandhar, India, Singh schooled in Shimla, moved to America when he was 24 and graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.


King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke)

In the November opening weekend on 11th, Tarsem became the first director of Indian origin in over six years to attain the No. 1 spot at the U.S. box office with Immortals scoring an estimated US$32 million in North America and $38 million internationally in 35 countries. Produced and released by Relativity Media, Singh's action film beat out new films from Hollywood's ‘A’ list including Adam Sandler's comedy Jack and Jill and Leonardo DiCaprio's J. Edgar about J. Edgar Hoover, former director of FBI, directed by Clint Eastwood. The last film by an Indian director to open at No. 1 in the U.S. was 2005's Dukes of Hazzard from filmmaker Jay Chandrashekar. M. Night Shyamalan in 2004 with The Village.

Special effects and photography keep one engrossed in Immortals while one tries to concentrate through the specially-provided 3-D shades. Huge battle scenes, mountains collapsing, and the gods and the Titans battling are a treat to watch. The film makers used a system called Inter Sense here just as in Avatar, where unparallel visual style and cutting edge systems were used for framing and composition.

The Immortals narrative highlights a ruthless King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler), who leads his bloodthirsty army on a murderous rampage across Greece to find a deadly weapon, the lost Bow of Epirus, that will destroy humanity. With this invincible bow, Hyperion hopes to overthrow the gods of Olympus and become the undisputed master of the world.

A mortal -- a stonemason by trade -- named Theseus (played by British actor Henry Cavill -- Superman: Man of Steel) must lead the fight against Hyperion’s hordes with the fate of mankind and the Gods at stake. He has been chosen by Zeus, supreme deity of the ancient Greeks, for this important task. As village after village is obliterated, Theseus vows to avenge his mother, who was killed in one of Hyperion’s brutal raids. Luke Evans (The Raven) plays Zeus.

When Theseus meets the trained priestess and gifted Oracle, Phaedra (played by Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire), Phaedra’s clairvoyant visions of the young man’s future convince her that he is the key to stopping the destruction. Phaedra sees Theseus holding the emperor’s belt which means he could be the savior. With her help, Theseus assembles a small band of followers and embraces his destiny in a final, do-or-die desperate battle.

Athena, played by Australian actress Isabel Lucas (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), is the Goddess of Wisdom and Zeus’ favorite daughter. She is her father’s trusted ally and advisor, but when warfare on earth threatens to destroy mankind, she defies Zeus and supports Theseus and his rebels among the divine inhabitants of Mount Olympus.

Poseidon, the God of the Sea, is played by Kellan Lutz (Twilight Series) and is ordered by his brother Zeus to allow mankind to settle its own scores. But like Athena, Poseidon has a mind of his own, and he finds an ingenious way to aid Theseus and his supporters. Stavros, played by Stephen Dorff (Somewhere), is a thief and has been enslaved by Hyperion along with Theseus and Phaedra. But the defiant one he sides with Theseus and fights against heavy odds. John Hurt (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2), as the older Zeus however delivers the best lines with authority.

One is reminded of the Clash of the Titans, released in 2010, except that the canvas here is gargantuan and seems larger thanks to the 3-D effect. In keeping with the times, period costumes are authentic, and Eiki Ishioka has done a terrific job. Some of the helmets such as Hyperion’s tends to be unusual, putting it mildly. But then we are thinking “period.”

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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Anurag Kashyap, Director, That Girl in Yellow Boots

BY RAJ S. RANGARAJAN

“I cast actors who don’t like to act” - Anurag Kashyap

Ruth (Kalki) massaging Diwakar (Naseeruddin Shah)

NEW YORK: In a candid talk in a New York hotel room, Kalki Koechlin (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Dev D) and Anurag Kashyap (Dev D, Black Friday, and now director and co-writer for Yellow Boots) opened up about their latest film. The fact that these two stage actors are married to each other is incidental.

Ruth and boy friend Prashant Prakash


The obvious question: How difficult was it to direct your wife? Anurag shot back: Demanding. She (referring to Kalki, the co-writer) was the constant writer, demanding answers for everything. In what could be termed half-hearted jest, Kalki vowed “not to act in a movie where I am also the writer”. She added, “he doesn’t like to direct, he lets me be.”

At movie's premiere, the lead players and director, Kashyap


Any specific challenges you faced in shooting in Mumbai with constant traffic and crowds?

Anurag: “I had to hide cameras and shoot whenever and wherever – all in 13 days. We had no alternative, were in debt, we had to complete fast.”

Yellow Boots is a dark film about Mumbai’s underworld, about bribes, meaningful winks and nods. Ruth Edscer (Kalki) is desperately trying to locate her father. She is stubborn, an “illegal” in the country, is uncomfortable in her own sexuality and works for cash as a masseuse and one of her clients is Diwakar (Naseeruddin Shah). Relating to her real life, Kalki said, since she was born in India, she had to personally go through the hassles of obtaining her visas with its concomitant problems.

Gulshan Devaiah as the villain

Debutant Prashant Prakash (Prashant), who plays Ruth’s boy friend has the junkie role pat. Interestingly, Prashant and Kalki, the male and female leads in this film were co-winners in 2009 of the MetroPlus Playwright Award – a prize of Rs. 1 lakh for their entry ‘Skeleton Woman’ that was instituted by The Hindu for the best original, unpublished and unperformed English script.

Anurag elaborates: “An organic story with participation from all actors, with humor in the mundane in everyday life. All the actors are part of one theater group and generally hang out together. For most of them, this was their first film. I asked all of them to come over to my house (Versova in Mumbai), and just start talking, and all of them landed up in the film. I tell them what not to do, NOT what to do.”

Kalki, co-writer says, “I had no idea how to write cinematic writing and envision a movie, so I just wrote separate scenes and had conversations between the characters – people I have seen in my life, growing up in Bangalore – have seen uneducated gangsters with wads of money, who try to be sophisticated, or receptionists at corporate offices.” Bangalore-born Gulshan Devaiah (Chittiappa) is the gangster who has problems handling money and women. His previous film was Shaitaan. Puja Sarup, another stage actor who plays Maya, the talkative receptionist at the massage parlour is thoroughly in character all the time and keeps the film moving.

How Naseeruddin Shah became a supporter of Anurag’s is an interesting anecdote. “Initially when I approached him for acting in Black Friday he turned me down. He had known me as a theater person – not as a filmmaker. Later in a New York interview he had given to MTV, he had expressed a desire to work with me.” So, I promptly called him: “I have this film and I want you to act in Yellow Boots. We did all the shots in one day, and he was very generous.”

Kalki confessed that the first time I met him “I was star-struck. I went blank, I couldn’t remember my lines, it took me three takes; he’s so focused that he doesn’t shift his gaze off you, and that was unnerving. Once we got past that I was happy.”
Kalki Koechlin

Why the name? Kalki explained, “when we were writing the script, we were in London, we saw the yellow boots in a showroom: there were red, orange and yellow boots and the yellow stood out: less stereotypical than others, so…we thought of Ruth’s character, her existing displacement in a city such as Bombay and her persona in India, and we thought the yellow boots will go with the theme. They stand out in any scenario.”

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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Genelia Charms Her Way in Force

Film Review:

Her sparkling eyes, easy-going demeanor and body language are a visual treat. Pretty comfortable in front of the camera her delivery and timing keeps the viewer fascinated. The writers and editors deserve a lot of credit as does this female lead.

I am referring to Maya (Genelia D’Souza) in Force, a romantic action film that includes male lead John Abraham (Yashvardhan), a hard-working, but stubborn, narcotics officer who ensures that bad guys get their due. In his self-styled vigilante role, Yashvardhan sometimes bends the rules to obtain justice. He believes that the only way to eradicate crime is to give criminals the bullets -- not handcuffs.

Maya, a strong-willed, affable social worker helps children learn and is keen in making a difference in people’s lives. In one of the encounters, she bumps into Yashvardhan, the ACP (Asst. Commissioner of Police) and it’s a matter of love at first sight for the free-spirited girl. Maya’s love pushes the “ACP sir” to make a choice between the life he already knows and the life he could have with her. Yashvardhan's decision to let happiness and normalcy into his life changes his life forever.

Amorous lead couple (left) and Beefy John Abraham (right)

An actor who has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films, Genelia says, “Force allows me to push both my artistic and physical boundaries. I think while the young, cute, energetic girl has been something most people associate me with, this film has given me a character who is definitely a mature extension of that bubbly girl. As soon as I read the script, I was hooked and wanted to be a part of this film” directed by Nishikant Kamath (Mumbai Meri Jaan) and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah.

In terms of breath-taking action, John is superbly matched with debutante villain Vishnu played by Vidyut Jamwal who has been trained in the martial arts including gymnastics and Kalari or Kalaripayattu which originated in Kerala. Vishnu’s nemesis is Yashvardhan who keeps the fights credible and thrilling thanks to his newly-acquired muscles and weight. Reportedly, stunt director Allah Amin was on hand for the more difficult scenes.

Fighting drug traffickers

While reporting to the chief of the drug operations played by Raj Babbar Yashvardhan confesses about Vishnu, “I told you we are not dealing with a person, I told you, its an animal.” The rite of passage for an actor these days seems to be a bare-breasted image made popular by the likes of Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan, and John Abraham does not disappoint with his “8-pack” abs. At times the tough guy shows his softer side which is refreshingly endearing since Maya (Genelia) virtually carries the film. John says, “As a love interest Genelia is so full of life who brings so much energy on the sets, it was amazing to work with a thorough professional.”

Force is the Hindi remake of Gautham Menon’s 2003 Tamil thriller Kākka Kākka (or the Protectors), that featured actor Surya. In the Tamil version the cops were battling organized crime, here the draw is drugs being smuggled and exported on an international level.

Well-choreographed and crafted the gripping narrative shows lots of action and romantic takes. Music director Harris Jayaraj gives new meaning to sentimental scores with Chahoon Bhi, sung by Karthik and Bombay Jayshree, bound to become an iPod favorite.

Wedding scene

Light-hearted banter at times between Yashvardhan’s colleague Atul (Mohnish Behl) and his wife, Rachana (played by Anaitha Nair) helps ease the tension. In one candid shot, she recommends to the ACP to “lose his virginity” that day.

Finally, some of the fighting and shooting scenes could have been left behind in the editing room. Force could have been contained within two hours instead of the 138 minutes it runs for.
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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Bodyguard: Love Story with a Twist

Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor

Right off the bat in the opening scene, we see Lovely Singh, that’s his name (Salman Khan) pound the “bad” guys. One speculates: perhaps the film is about the brawny “good” guy beating up the bad guys like any other Hindi flick. But no – actually it turns out to be a love story of sorts with Salman being involved in love knots.


Kareena (right) and Hazel Keech in college library

Bodyguard and Divya


Divya Rana (Kareena Kapoor) is a college student, and her confidant is Maya played by Hazel Keech (London-born daughter of an Indian mother and British father). Divya, the only daughter of Sartaj Rana, (Raj Babbar), a business bigwig, is a spoiled brat. Being priceless in a manner of speaking, Sartaj Rana appoints Lovely as a bodyguard to protect Divya.

On Satraj’s orders Lovely, being a true professional, follows Divya everywhere including into her college classroom to the chagrin of the professor as also to the ladies room since he is an obedient servant. Through anonymous phone calls Divya tries to irritate Lovely though her best friend, Maya does not approve of such tactics.

With Lovely being a constant pain in the neck Divya, who seeks a normal college life, tries to throw the bodyguard off track by trying to trap him in a fake love affair. However, the affair misfires and Divya is obliged to cover her tracks since she really falls for the hunk, but its too late.

In a story where the heroine’s father is very authoritarian she cannot afford to fall in love with the help, its just not done. The “laws of hierarchy” in Hindi films do not permit such a happenstance. Soon follow a web of lies and trickery and with her best friend, Maya in cahoots, what starts as an innocent prank goes awry.

Turns out that the bodyguard’s young boy later reads a diary left behind by his mother. Shades of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai that starred another Khan – Shahrukh, and Kajol.

Salman does have his shirtless moments but he seems rather gentlemanly and low-key even in his “romantic” interludes since he has fallen in love with the telephonic voice of “Chaaya” – not the face. A couple of reverberating numbers do have the customary Punjabi beat.

As the boss’s sidekick Asrani’s sychophantic demeanour is understandable. Actor of yesteryear, Vidya Sinha shows up in a guest appearance and Katrina Kaif dances for a song, Aaya Re Aaya.

With an unusual name such as “Tsunami Singh” one is assured early that Rajat Rawail is the comedy element thanks to his oversized frame. His explanation as to how he got his name does not particularly help any. His comedy tends to be a stretch and jars at times.

Salman’s fights against villains – Aditya Pancholi and Mahesh Manjrekar – are well-staged but one missed the “gold standard” in terms of fighting scenes: Rajnikanth. The Bodyguard’s weapon of choice tends to be his bare, well-toned physique and his upper body strength that repels all kinds of physical attacks. The occasional pistol shot aimed at him tends to boomerang and maim or kill the adversary. The viewer has to accept the fact that the Bodyguard is invincible. Period. One should not expect logical outcomes or why the laws of physics fall by the wayside when watching the movie.

Bodyguard has been seen in several forms. Starting in Malayalam, director Siddique had also made it in Tamil as Kaavalan and the Telugu version is due for release soon. The Hollywood version released in 1992, showed Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.

Kareena’s wardrobe is flattering. As an actor she has matured as well. In a film that goes slightly over two hours with English subtitles, the film has merciless, ongoing action, a weak storyline and an attempt at romance. Billed as a romantic thriller, Bodyguard has not only surpassed first-day collections of recent releases – Singham, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Delhi Belly – but has also broken all international records in North America, London and Dubai for any Bollywood film.
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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Walt Disney Studios Now Releases Indian Movies

Entertainment

By Raj S. Rangarajan

Yet another proof – if proof be needed – that Indian entertainment has gone global. It was merely a function of time. Disney’s release of Indian films into the home entertainment market across North America last week is another indication that Hollywood is getting closer to Bollywood.

Market-watchers have been studying the real value that Bollywood productions can offer for a while, and its just not surprising that Disney had signed up for Indian films. Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California has released three films from India – Do Dooni Chaar, a feel-good Hindi movie, Once Upon a Warrior, a special-effects fantasy adventure in Telugu and Zokkomon, a Hindi production. Each of them mercifully has English subtitles – a great help.

Most Disney adventures tend to involve kids in some form and are normally released in Summer. The films are available immediately on multiple platforms, including DVD, video-on-demand and digital download in North America. Providers are offering the films on VOD including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Verizon, AT&T, DirecTV, InDemand, TVN, Charter, Playstation, and Xbox. And, if you prefer digital download you can get the films on iTunes and on other platforms.

Disney, which produced the films, was expanding entertainment options for multicultural groups in North America while recognizing local talent from India. More information on the films and their availability can be found on the official site: www.DisneyWorldCinema.com.

Also active in entertainment for South Asians are Reliance ADA (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group), now an established international name in entertainment, and former tennis star, Ashok Amritraj’s company, Hyde Park Entertainment that produced the comedy, The Other End of the Line about call centers starring Shriya Saran who played opposite Rajnikanth in Sivaji.

Reliance ADA’s interests include film processing, production, exhibition and digital cinema as also FM Radio and a formidable cinema chain, Big Cinemas with a presence in the United States, Malaysia and Netherlands.



Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh in Do Dooni Char







Aditi Vasudev, Neetu Singh, Archit Krishna Rishi Kapoor in Do Dooni Char






Harshitha, Siddharth, Lakshmi Manchu in Once Upon a Warrior


Reviews of the Films:

Do Dooni Chaar, a humorous family comedy featuring Rishi Kapoor and his wife, Neetu Singh won the 2011 National Award for Best Hindi Film of the Year at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) in May and Rishi won the Best Actor Award. In a running time of 111 minutes, these two stars of yesteryear keep the audience engaged with hilarious asides.

Set in Delhi, the movie shows Santosh Duggal (Rishi Kapoor) play an honest, principled school teacher and is always broke. He has to constantly cope with the demands of his job as also with living up with the Joneses in a peer-conscious society and extended family. His college-going daughter Payal (Aditi Vasudev) is independent and rebellious like any other teenager and the Duggal son, ambitious Sandy (Archit Krishna) gets into gambling to make a quick buck.

Portrayed as a typical, middle-class dysfunctional family, while Santosh tries to keep the wolf from the door, he is constantly short in his execution for no fault of his: its the system that short-changes him every time. When the Duggals decide to upgrade from a scooter to a family car, they confront major road blocks. However, the film is not depressing, it is replete with mismanaged chaos, peals of laughter and good-natured efforts at blackmail. All in all, a must-see.

Once Upon a Warrior is a special-effects-filled fantasy adventure (Telugu movie, subtitled in English) that focuses on courage and friendship. Set in a fictitious land named Sangarashtra (also known as Agartha), the film follows the epic journey of Moksha (Harshitha), a nine-year-old-girl with special healing powers and an obsession with butterflies.

As Moksha embarks on a quest to save her homeland from the tyranny of an evil Queen (Sarpini, played by Lakshmi Manchu, theater grad from Oklahoma City University who has appeared in TV serials, Las Vegas and Desperate Housewives and has her own Telugu talk show in America), she joins forces with a smart but visually-challenged warrior, Yodha (played by Siddharth), and his gypsy girl friend, Priya (played by Sruthi Hasan) who later becomes his beau.

Sruthi Hasan and Siddharth in Once Upon a Warrior

One would think the film maker was trying to imitate Harry Potter but while one ponders one is led to an exotic bar scene – an Arabian Nights-type scenario (comedy element, Brahmananda – Mozhi) with hanging bottles and flasks and colorful smoke billowing aimlessly. Shot partly in Turkey, the mid-eastern touch is unmistakable. At the bar, Yodha gets inebriated and loses his way till the other do-gooder, Druki (played by Ramji Vallabhaneni) sets things right.

Boomerangs and butterflies are part of the fantasy and released at appropriate times, the good guys constantly win specially with Yodha having no problem wielding the sword like a champion fencer.

For good to prevail over evil – we all know – sacrificial fires (yagnas) have to be performed by well-meaning priests and finally, Sarpini or Irendri (read evil queen) after incredible scenes with venomous snakes and fire-spitting dragons playing havoc, the villain is put to rest. Special effects help in large part to make the movie credible and the villain’s over-acting is par to the course. Curses, revenge and superstition are part of the mix, and after 133 minutes, one is happy the curse is lifted, and all is normal in the world.

Produced by Walt Disney Studios, India, Zokkomon is an action-packed adventure about an ordinary boy who rises from despair to meet extraordinary challenges. It’s a story of a money-minded, heartless uncle, a crafty schoolmaster, gullible villagers and how suddenly a kid from a city, transplanted by the uncle to his village transforms his classmates into believing in themselves.

Kunal (Darsheel Safary, who played a dyslexic child in Taare Zameen Par) plays the orphaned boy and discovers how cruel life can be when he is abandoned by his uncle (Anupam Kher). Left to fend for himself, Kunal soon realizes the hero within himself and begins his epic journey of adventure and transformation to become Zokkomon.

He is assisted by an estranged “uncle” (also played by Anupam Kher), but this gentleman is more interested in science and gizmos such as telescopes, mikes and costumes and does not believe in villagers’ tales or mythical superstitions. Kunal reveres this “Magic” uncle and takes his help to avenge the villainous uncle and shady sycophants who run the village. Ghosts show up and so do unexpected sounds from still classrooms.

A fast movie (thanks to director, Satyajit Bhatkal) that even kids can relate to specially when they are making fun of adults and are held to account, the viewer doesn’t realize how 109 minutes pass by. Typically Disney’s summer fare tends to portray kids in better light than their scheming adults.

Manjari and Darsheel in Zokkomon

The scenes in a small village are quite authentic and Anupam Kher is as good as his billing in two roles – as the evil uncle with a wig and as a failed, but temperamental scientist. Kunal’s “Kittu didi” Manjari Fadnis (Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na, 2008) helps the young boy when in distress. An excellent movie for all ages as long as you have an open mind and believe in the magical.

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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York; Toronto, Canada; Seoul, Republic of Korea; and India. He can be reached at raj.rangarajan@gmail.com]

Breezy Summer Comedy

Raj S. Rangarajan


Harleen Kaur (Brazilian model, Giselli Monteiro) and Jai Vardhan Singh (Saif)



(Photos Courtesy: Sulekha.com)

Straightaway, one notices this is going to be a Hindi film with English being thrown in regularly – a sign of the times and a staple now of many films from Bollywood. One didn’t need subtitles. It’s perhaps a consequence of many actors’ large fan following in North America. Also, Bollywood celebs are easily accessible here though we had the odd instance of Shahrukh Khan being detained and frisked at Liberty International (Newark) recently. Some called it a publicity stunt.

Literally speaking, Love Aaj Kal is about love nowadays and what it was in the days of yore. Light, sophisticated – sometimes strained and occasionally trivial – the film promotes male lead, Saif Ali Khan in a big way. Wonder if that’s because he was co-producer with Dinesh Vijan.


Deepika and Saif





Jai Vardhan Singh (Saif) and Meera (Deepika Padukone), a young, hip independent-minded couple is involved in a relationship without a commitment. But Jai, a practical guy wants to break up what would possibly be a fruitful relationship. Meera, who restores frescoes in New Delhi, agrees. Flash back: about 30 years. Here is Jai’s older friend, Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor) from London in his resplendent turban, amazed at seeing Harleen Kaur (played by 20-year-old Brazilian model and Bollywood debutant, Giselli Monteiro), a mellow, conservative Punjabi girl.

Saif plays two roles in the movie: one has the young Jai and the other as a young Veer, both in somewhat comedic roles with success. He seems to carry a mischievous demeanor in his comedic roles that appeals to a younger audience. Director Imtiaz Ali has made yet another easy going film on the lines of his earlier success – Jab We Met (Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor).

Veer (Rishi Kapoor) travels by train from Punjab to Calcutta just to stand under her balcony (Romeo and Juliet, style – of an earlier era). Briefly put, Saif and Deepika are tired of the old ways of courting and want to check out the courting scene before committing. But old-fashioned Veer talks of love being a pure thing and says, one should not deal with it like some type of merchandise. The usual gap between generations. Interaction and dialogues between Jai and Veer constantly revolve round their differences in approaching the concept of love in this film of slightly over two hours. There’s a commendable effort at banter and easy repartee.

These days, the wooing happens across continents with modern social networks such as cell phones and emails, Face Book and Twitter, and one won’t be surprised if one sees soon a Hindi film revolving around the Twitter theme – just as we enjoyed the hit 1998 Hollywood movie, You’ve Got Mail starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

Imtiaz Ali and his team have worked diligently with deft camera angles in London, San Francisco, Delhi and Calcutta. Some of the shots are really breathtaking. Pritam Chakraborty’s music had a certain resonance that meshed somewhat harmoniously with the film’s youngish theme though editing by Aarti Bajaj was lacking in parts. Following Om Shanti Om, this was perhaps the first time that Deepika had to prove herself and in Love Aaj Kal she has taken her skill level up a notch creditably.

For the older generation and sentimental types, Love Aaj Kal would bring back memories of Cheeni Kum where an older Amitabh Bachchan, as a chef, had an appetizing interlude with talented Tabu. Ali has handled with aplomb the aspect of distance, longing for each other, the seeming apprehensions and confusions that evolve with today’s wide-ranging options, as also the compulsions that a long-distance relationship necessitates. Sometimes, young folks’ careers are the very reason for a breakup and two love-birds just cannot decide in time to make a success of a relationship.

Its perhaps just a trivial coincidence that both the leads – Saif Ali Khan (son of the cricketer, Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan) and Deepika (daughter of Prakash Padukone) happen to be kids of accomplished international sportsmen from an earlier era. Admittedly, that has nothing to do with their acting.

While the ending didn’t surprise too many people, a cameo from an older Kapoor’s real-life-wife brought the “oohs” and “aahs” in loud decibel. You got to see the movie to see who it is.
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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Republic of Korea and India.]

Drama & Suspense in Bollywood movie, New York

Raj S. Rangarajan

Its almost Hollywood – it has dramatic action and suspense, a mild love element and fear: its a Aditya Chopra production of the movie, New York and directed by Kabir Khan who earlier made Kabul Express. There is a refreshing candor to the film shot entirely in America though one could detect Bollywood effects.

The film picks up speed from the get-go with Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh, Johnny Gaddaar) being picked up in a busy street. A scheme designed by Roshan (Irrfan Khan, a FBI sleuth) and his boss to entice Omar to fess up regarding his former college buddy Samir’s (John Abraham) alleged involvement in terrorism, seems to go nowhere.

Flashback to collegial days: happy scenes of students – Samir, Maya (Katrina Kaif, Namastey London) and Omar in a carefree, cheerful environment make for pleasant takes. Omar’s love interest shows up later but generally the almost 3-hour film is fast-moving and one is surprised when 'interval' is announced.

“If I had watched the movie in India I would have found no fault, but since I live in the U.S. now I noticed minor shortcomings such as Liberty State Park being shown in New York (actually its in New Jersey) and I was happily surprised that Katrina, a Hong-Kong born, half-Kashmiri actress of British origin, who reportedly dubbed her own lines, appeared articulate and confident while delivering her lines.” This from pharmaceutical researcher, Anjana Nair, an avid aficionada of Hindi, English and Malayalam movies, whom I met outside the cinema hall. Thirty-plus V. Ranjith, who runs a wine shop in New York said, “Katrina was really friendly and hot and I liked the film.”

Director Kabir Khan seems to have digested thoroughly the 9/11 Report made public in July 2004 by Commission Chairman and former New Jersey governor, Thomas Kean. Kabir’s cues for New York are uncanny, a tribute to his sense of cinema though some stock shots were predictable. He has handled controversial subjects such as racial profiling, torture, water-boarding with panache and professional zeal.

One could not but be reminded of Hollywood movie, Rendition where Anwar played by Omar Metwally, (Munich), gets picked up, and is never told why he is arrested. Anwar, an Egyptian-born engineer is married to Reese Witherspoon and the lady boss who runs the “rendition” program for the American administration is Meryl Streep. Anwar is moved from America to a North African country, but in New York, Samir is tortured at home. Like in Rendition, the makers of New York appear to be earnest about the film’s objectives.

Based partly on “racial profiling” the movie tries to tread new territory though the basic premise presupposes an emotional decision, i.e., why a person is picked up based on name, looks and stereotypes. Howsoever much authorities try to make racial profiling a science it is still a nascent art and the subject is very much a pawn to human frailties. While the viewer may not agree with some of the decisions taken by law enforcement, the movie attempts to honestly represent many aspects of what could happen if one is accidentally on the wrong side of the law.

The title of the movie – New York – should help box office sales in North America even if the storyline were not about terrorism. Like a true FBI sleuth, Irrfan Khan, occasionally gives the impression that he is on the side of the alleged terrorist and in a rare moment, discloses that though married to an Italian he doesn’t favor pasta. One is almost lulled to believe that we are watching a Hollywood drama when suddenly Irrfan’s crisp but accented dialogue jars one to reality.

A scene showing Samir with his sidekicks plotting in the dead of night was straight out of Bollywood. However, some high-rise, chopper and street shots of Manhattan and Philadelphia seemed real. Even Samir scaling the tall downtown building to place his detonating device was creative, and kudos to the skilful camera crew and the editing desk.

High drama and tension grip the final scene with Omar, Roshan and Maya trying to negotiate on behalf of Samir, and how it all ends is an interesting lesson in crisis management. For a comparatively new entrant to the celluloid world, Neil has done a commendable job. John Abraham has come a long way from Viruddh to Dostana to New York and Katrina has matured responsibly in her craft.

Finally, one often wonders why FBI guys in every movie – specially the men – have to yell. Is it because they are trying to drown their own fears or is it an outward manifestation of lack of confidence when confronting a potential gun-wielder.

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[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Republic of Korea and India.]

Why A. R. Rahman is a Musical Genius?

www.tcln.blogspot.com

Raj S. Rangarajan

Allah Rakha Rahman (ARR) has finally reached. But does he think so?

With two Oscars in the same year – one for Best Original Music Score and another for Best Original Song, “AR” as he’s affectionately known in the industry, has put India on the Hollywood map for music. At 43, looks like he’s just getting started. Rahman said recently, “I have many more notes to compose and create.”

On the first day of this year, 2009, visually-impaired children appeared on a television station in Chennai and asked the music maestro some pertinent, inspiring questions. One of the first questions was, “since our world is basically ‘sound’ we feel we need to ask you what is your definition of sound.”

Known for his unassuming earthiness and willingness to work with anyone whether an accomplished artiste or a potential wiz kid, AR said, “it could be anything as long as you learn to dream.” Among the words he used to describe the experience were “ragam”, soul, language, spiritual, mind’s eye. “Music with its methodology or ‘isai’ (notes) is universal but is difficult to describe. Let me just say, music happens. It could be the pitter-patter of rain, birds in a forest, the strain of a tambura. It could be human connectivity between souls where one doesn’t need to see: all one needs is an open mind and a fertile imagination.”

At the 81st Annual Academy Awards last month ARR attributed his success to his mother’s blessings and his decision to always choose love over hate. Born a Hindu, A.S. Dileep Kumar converted to Islam at 23 and took over the name, Rahman. This keyboard artist, pianist, synthesizer, guitarist et al. was first recognized for his talent with a National Award when AR was merely 26. Around this time, based in Chennai he obtained a distance learning degree in western classical music from the Trinity College of Music, London. At a SAJA (South Asian Journalists Association) blog radio interview in December 2008, AR emphasized how music is often needed to express anger or perhaps change a tense situation with a sudden shocking sound. In passing, he clarified that his music degree was obtained in Chennai, not in London.

Ph.Ds Comment on Rahman

To obtain an intellectual dimension to Rahman’s wide range of talents this writer spoke with two doctorates – Dr. Natalie Sarrazin of College at Brockport (SUNY) in upstate New York, and Dr. Pavitra Sundar of Dartmouth College in New Hampshire – both of whom specialize in Rahman’s music and on Bollywood.

Sarrazin says, “AR’s light, jazz style borrows heavily from other styles and as a student of his music I am yet trying to figure out if he has a signature style, for he has this large repertoire (West African, South African, Japanese, wrap and hip hop). He happily borrows from folk music in a seamless Hindu/Muslim/western node in a post-modern identity. To a question if AR will continue to rule the waves, Sarrazin says, “only one (musical) giant at a time – remember – we had S.D. Burman then we had R.D. Burman.” Talking of giants, AR’s one ambition was to sing with Lata Mangeshkar which he fulfilled when he performed the duet with her in Rang De Basanti.

Dr. Sundar agrees that Rahman is a significant musical phenomenon. He has almost single-handedly changed the sound of Hindi film music (specially since he produces much of his music on a synthesizer). Hindi cinema had not heard such a distinct, catchy sound – and such a shift from the current style or sound of film music – since Bappi Lahiri and his disco beats of late ’70s.

Conceding his weakness for the keyboard, AR in fact told his young admirers in January how music has to be adapted to the period – whether it’s a movie on Subash Chandra Bose or Bhagat Singh or Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth, the Golden Age – just as costumes have to be adapted for differing periods. AR’s versatility and international flavor is evidenced with his score for Warriors of Heaven and Earth, a Chinese film as also his creation for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage presentation of ‘Bombay Dreams’ in New York few years back.

Sundar’s dissertation entitled, “Sounding the Nation: The Musical Imagination of Bollywood Cinema” examined how the music of Hindi cinema (i.e., not just the lyrics and visuals of film songs, but the instrumentation, arrangements, voices, etc.) draws on and expresses ideas about gender, sexual, racial, and national identity.

Sarrazin’s thesis was on Rajasthani folk music that spoke of trance music of one of the local ‘devatas’ with analysis and rituals. At his powwow with aspiring singers in January, AR elaborated, “just as music has no limits nor sound have any bounds, folk music or folk dance is universal. There is a certain magic when we think of folk music whether it is Tamil, Gujarati or Turkish or even Irish folk music.”

Jai Ho – Not AR’s Best

By many accounts in India and the West ‘Jai ho’ was not Rahman’s best musical effort – a sentiment echoed by both Sarrazin and Sundar in that Natalie feels AR had a better score in Lagaan (‘Mitwa’ was nominated in 2002 but didn’t win). Adds Pavitra, “it didn't work for me as a song. I thought ‘O Saya’ the other song that won him an Oscar nomination was great, though. It really captured the excitement and frenzy of the chase through the slums which the camera captured dynamically.”

Commenting on AR’s creativity, Natalie says, “what resonates in India is not necessarily resonating in the diaspora. Rahman was the first person to change the musical language of Bollywood and around the time when the Indian economy was turning around in the early ’90s, home video sales were also on the increase even in the U.K. and coincidentally, AR was a fresh sound on the airwaves.” He helped introduce Bollywood music to the rest of the world and what “I would call musical theater.” Sarrazin teaches musicology and the piano, has studied classical music theoretically and created courses for Bollywood. Her book, Indian Music in the Classroom, published in 2008, covers the gamut from Hindi-Pop to bhangra to the bhajan to the Urdu ghazal.

Rahman shows great respect for the director and the scriptwriter since “I have to base my music and nuances on what the movie aims to accomplish and more so since the sound track plays a vital part in many Indian movies.” To a question if Rahman’s success is a mere flash in the pan, Pavitra Sundar hails him as a leading composer in Hindi and Tamil cinema since the mid-1990s (Mani Ratnam’s Roja in Tamil was released in 1992, a film that made him a household name in urban India). He’s also good at “diversifying” – at finding new avenues for his work (e.g., his leap from advertising to cinema to Broadway) and forging new connections with prominent musical performers from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to Andrew Lloyd Weber to M.I.A., already popular in the West now.

But Rahman attributes his success to his basic multi-culturality. He says, life is about human redemption and the film Slumdog Millionaire brings hope and love and a certain positivity in today’s hard times. His mantlepiece is surely fighting for space with a legendary amount of awards from all over including Indian government’s civilian honor of the “Padmashree” in 2000. For India’s 50th year of independence AR created “Vande Mataram.” Also legendary are his hits in Tamil (Roja, Bombay, Alaipayuthey, Kandukondein Kandukondein) and in Hindi (Dil Se, Taal, Lagaan, Yuva) – to name a few.

According to Sundar, A. R. Rahman’s and Slumdog Millionaire’s Oscar awards signal the U.S. mainstream’s first real foray into popular Indian musical consciousness. Hindi cinema has been attempting to lure audiences in the West (mostly South Asians in the diaspora) for years. Films such as Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, and Lagaan drew the attention of art house audiences in North America and “I should say that critics in the U.S. lauded the music of all of these films. The Kronos Quartet’s album with Asha Bhosle, ‘You’ve Stolen My Heart’ gave audiences a taste of R. D. Burman’s music, but none of these films or music albums, caught the imagination of mainstream U.S. media and the blog-world the way Slumdog did.” Significantly, Rahman’s recent win is not the first Indian attempt to capture the U.S. market – it’s actually the first time such an attempt has been granted recognition by a Western audience.

From Amjad Ali Khan to Gulzar to Grammy winner and soul singer, John Legend (who performed Peter Gabriel’s nominated song from the animation movie Wall-E in February) it has been all aces for AR. The stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings with music co-composed by Rahman was voted one of the 10 greatest musicals of the last 30 years in an online poll conducted by Dress Circle, a website that covers theater in the U.K.

Rahman has been involved with charitable causes as well. In 2004, he was appointed the global ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a project by the World Health Organization (WHO). As a producer on the single ‘We can make it Better’ by Don Asian alongside Mukhtar Sahota, he showed his soft side with all the proceeds going to tsunami victims, as did his 2004 tsunami relief concert in India. The A R Rahman Foundation, launched in 2001, aims at eradicating poverty and in this pursuit, his song, ‘Pray for me Brother’ is quite popular. Rahman has opened a western conservatory in Chennai where he trains about 100 students on the ABCs of music and music scores. His love for people and the underdog are constantly being demonstrated.

As AR reiterates, “Rhythm, melody and the resonance that a listener experiences is the best feedback a person needs. Whether the composition is spiritual or light, whether it’s a fusion of Carnatic music and western or a song by a fisherman about to launch his early catch, I have to think creatively.”

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, reviews books and films for media based in New York, Toronto, Republic of Korea and India.]

Mixed World Reviews for Slumdog Millionaire

By Raj S. Rangarajan

It all started in Toronto.

It was the first city to recognize the film – Slumdog Millionaire – with the People’s Choice Award way back in September 2008, and soon came recognition at Telluride Film Festival in Colorado. The film was released in November 2008 in a few theaters in North America rather quietly and not too much was expected of Slumdog.

Dev Patel and Freida Pinto

While the Academy Award event in Los Angeles on February 22 was the culmination of the effort preceded by Best Adapted Screenplay award from the Writers Guild of America and BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Awards) on February 8 in London, it was one meteoric rise for the directors, creative folk, crew and cast of the movie. December drew more awards starting with a nod by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and another from the New York Film Critics' Circle, as well as six nominations for the Critics Choice Awards.

The International Press Academy awarded three Satellite Awards including Best Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Score to the film. It also won four EDA (Excellent Dynamic Activism) Awards from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists including for Best Film and Best Direction. The Screen Actors Guild chimed in with Dev Patel (Jamal) in a lead role and so did London Critics’ Circle with nods for six nominations. Detroit Film Critics Society and Florida Film Critics Circle recognized the movie and soon Chicago Film Critics Association did the same. The mantel shelf was getting crowded.

The buzz was now spreading in film circles. Producers Guild of America (PGA) had put the acclaimed film on track to be a major contender at the Oscars in California. The 14th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards conferred five top prizes and soon followed the Los Angeles Broadcast Film Critics Association that represents 200 of the top film critics across the United States. Soon came the Golden Globes on January 8 and The Directors Guild of America awarded its highest honor, the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, to Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire on January 31. This movie was Boyle’s eighth feature film, and he was visibly thrilled.

Exploiting the Underprivileged

It’s amazing how the entire film world in the United States, Canada and in Europe went gaga over a movie that is India-based, but in India where the film was made, reviews have been mixed. Part of the reaction seems to stem from a seeming exploitation of poverty in India and a candid portrayal of a love story that touches on the winning of huge rupee amounts. Speculation is also rife that because director, Danny Boyle is British just as Richard Attenborough is of British origin, the movie attempted to make fun of the underdog.

Simon Beaufoy, the British screen writer who won was excited to adapt Indian diplomat-cum-writer Vikas Swarup’s novel “Q&A” since he said, he had the flexibility of changing the narrative to emphasize love instead of money. Two brothers – Jamal and Salim – are poles apart in personalities but their binding love in spite of setbacks comes through in the writer’s creation.

As Anil Kapoor (Prem Kumar, the question-master in the film) says, after the first rave reviews, everything was a surprise, and it was difficult for everything to sink in. He adds: “The past two-three years have been phenomenal for me, and from a fulfillment standpoint I am happy with whatever I have done – both as actor and producer.”

Doors have opened already for the Slumdog lead – Freida Pinto who has been signed up by film maker Woody Allen with Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, stars Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins in a film to be made in London. Well-known director of supernatural films, Night T. Shyamalan (of Indian origin) has picked Dev Patel for his next movie, a martial-arts movie, titled The Last Airbender. Dev would perhaps fit in seamlessly in the film since he has a black belt in Tae Kwando and dreams of making a martial arts movie like Britain's Bruce Lee. Slumdog’s success has spun off favorable impacts for many individuals starting with the young children who will obtain a decent education to A.R. Rahman’s singers who will go on to higher octaves.

Dev Patel (Jamal) grew up in Harrow in North West London, U.K. and played Anwar Kharral in the hit British teen show, Skins. Dev says, he grew up with Bollywood films at home, and “being a London kid, a British Asian, I was happy to get in touch with my Indian roots, and I found another piece of myself when I was in Mumbai. I really wanted to have a chance to play a scene when I was actually in the depths in the slums, immersed in that environment.” In a dramatic cameo a younger, excited Jamal, about to meet actor Amitabh Bachchan (played by Feroze Khan) actually falls into a trough of night soil (actually, peanut butter, clarifies Dev, helpfully).

Also acclaiming the movie was Vancouver Film Critics Circle, Phoenix Film Credits Society, Oklahoma Critics Circle, Writers Guild of America for best Adapted Screenplay for screenwriter Simon Beaufoy and Anthony Dod Mantle earned a Best Cinematography nomination from the American Society of Cinematographers. The NAACP Image Awards (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) said, yes. There seemed to be no letting up and by mid-February, the India-made movie seemed a shoo-in.

While everyone was preoccupied with the success of Slumdog, another director, Megan Mylan quietly celebrated her Oscar win with her 39-minute documentary – Smile Pinki – produced in Hindi with English subtitles that relates to a 6-year-old village girl, Pinki from Mirzapur district, who is surgically treated for a cleft palate.

Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty celebrated their victory in the sound mixing category. Resul dedicated his award to India while ‘Jai Ho’ A.R. Rahman thanked his mother and declared in his mother tongue, Tamil: Ella pughalum iraivanuke (“all glory to God”). The film also received honors for its score, cinematography, sound editing and film editing. (See separate box for Winner categories)

Not a Success in India

It is interesting that the movie is more popular in North America than in India even today.

As of week 16 (Feb 27 to March1) the movie has grossed $115,024,121 in 2,943 theaters, the second highest grossing film in distributor, Fox Searchlight’s history.

Following controversies stirred up by vested interests in India, the film is not doing too well at the box office perhaps because poverty has been portrayed blatantly. Admittedly, many filmgoers, find it difficult to accept negative images of India specially since over the past few years, she has been riding the crest of a success wave. There is also chatter on blogs that A.R. Raman did not give sufficient credit to his singers and musicians.

Finally, lets remember, it is just a movie – it is fictional – for crying out loud. Why should every movie have a message or an agenda?

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, travel and lifestyles and reviews books, films and plays for media based in New York, California, Toronto, South Korea, India and Australia.]

Oscar Score To Date
1983: Oscar for Best Picture – Gandhi and for Best Costume Designer, Bhanu Athaiya
1992: Satyajit Ray won an Honorary Academy prize for contribution to world cinema.
2009: Among the Oscar statuettes handed out at the 81st annual Academy Awards at the Kodak theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 22, 2009, eight were for Slumdog Millionaire and the ninth one was Best Documentary Smile Pinki about a poor Indian village girl:
Film producer: Christian Colson
Best song: Jai Ho, by A.R. Rahman and Gulzar
Best film editing: Chris Dickens
Best cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle
Best director: Danny Boyle
Best original score: A.R. Rahman
Best sound mixing: Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
Best adapted screenplay: Simon Beaufoy
Documentary film about an Indian girl that won an Oscar was:
Best documentary short: Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki