Penn Masala: Evolution of Bollywood music

Il gruppo di canto a cappella Penn Masala si è formato nel 1996 alla University of Pennsylvania. I membri, provenienti dall'Asia meridionale, cambiano periodicamente, perché gli studenti che si laureano lasciano il posto a matricole dotate di talento. Il gruppo ha all'attivo ben otto album ed una compilation. Il 29 marzo 2014 i Penn Masala hanno caricato in YouTube un video divertentissimo, Evolution of Bollywood music, nel quale, in soli cinque minuti, ripercorrono la storia delle colonne sonore hindi a partire dagli anni quaranta. Il progetto è davvero geniale, e il filmato si è guadagnato ad oggi quasi 765.000 visite.

Irumbu Kuthirai: le riprese in Italia

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Nell'ottobre 2013 la troupe del film tamil Irumbu Kuthirai era in Italia per girare alcune sequenze. Fra le località selezionate: Cinque Terre, Lucca, Pisa (Parco di San Rossore) e Venezia. IK è diretto da Yuvaraj Bose e interpretato da Atharvaa e Priya Anand.

Aggiornamento del 9 agosto 2014 - An Italian Adventure: The Irumbu Kuthirai Press Meet Report, Deepika Ramesh, Silverscreen India: 'Atharvaa, the male protagonist in the flick couldn’t stop talking about the many Ducatis and BMW super-bikes he got to ride on the wide, wide roads in Italy. (...) Atharvaa recalled spending the first five days in the country learning about super-bikes. And, how they work. On the fifth day though, when he rode one for the first time, it felt surreal to the actor. He also remembered having a close-shave while shooting; he almost met with an accident. Italy was adventurous, alright, smiled the actor. He had to rely on Google Translator to get around the place, and converse in Italian'.

Aggiornamento dell'8 agosto 2016: Emiliano Umelli di Savona ci offre uno scatto e un video da lui prontamente registrato in diretta (nostro eroe!) delle riprese in Liguria. Trailer e video dei brani Ange Ippo Enna Seigiraai e Alay Paayum.

Meet the Indian superheroes

[Archivio]

Vi segnalo l'articolo Meet the Indian superheroes, di Veenu Singh, pubblicato da Brunch l'8 dicembre 2013:

'Homegrown superheroes have been around for more than 25 years. Raj Comics’ collection of desi superhero comics have garnered a huge fan following not just in India but even in countries like Nepal and Bangladesh. Started in 1986 by publisher Raj Kumar Gupta, Raj Comics first began as Raja Pocket Books and published detective novels for children. Fuelled by the collective passion of Gupta’s three sons, Raj Comics gave a new lease of life to Indian comics, and also created a range of Indian superheroes. “When we were kids, the only Indian comics available were Amar Chitra Katha,” recalls Manish Gupta, CEO of Raj Comics. “Indrajal comics were almost dead. So there was a big gap. We decided to create our own Indian superheroes (largely based on Indian mythology) by getting some of the best creative writers of that time - Pratap Mullick, Dilip Kadam and Anupam Sinha - to flesh them out.” Today, though mostly published in Hindi, the comics also have special editions in English and are branching out in other Indian languages. (...) A look at some of the best-known Indian superheroes.

Nagraj

Nagraj

Who is he: The very first superhero, created by Raj Comics in 1986. The inspiration came from Spiderman. Raj Kumar Gupta, owner of Raja Pocket Books, was the one who suggested that he should be called Nagraj - the king of snakes. Nagraj’s blood cells have the power of snakes.

He fights against: Terrorism. Nagraj is known as the nemesis of all terrorists.

Area of operation: A fictional city called Mahanagar.

Look and costume: Nagraj doesn’t have a specific costume, but his body is covered with a snakeskin. He wears pink underwear and has a snake for a belt. However, when Nagraj needs to mingle with ordinary people, he covers the snakeskin. Even his hair is set in a way that it forms an ‘S’ shape. Currently, Nagraj is shown working as the manager of a security agency Snake Eyes. His new name is Nagraj Shah.

Personality: Nagraj has high moral values. He drinks only milk, he thinks it’s cool and healthy to drink milk. He is known to go to bars and ask for milk. (...)

Friends: Panchnag, a group of five superheroes who help Nagraj.

Love interest: While it’s not exactly a romantic entanglement, Saudangi is a snake woman who actually lives in Nagraj’s body and comes out to help him whenever he needs her.

Doga

Doga

Who is he: A man with a past. Doga has a dog-like mask on his face. That’s because he was brought up in inhuman conditions. After he was born, his parents dumped him in a dustbin. A daku [bandito], Halkan Singh, picked him up and used the baby to save himself from the police. But after that, he took the baby to his hiding place and the child literally grew up with the dogs and was even treated like one. Doga has a big following, including filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who is reportedly making a film on him.

He fights against: Any evil against humanity. He believes in uprooting problems rather than addressing the symptoms.

Area of operation: Mumbai. (...)

Look and costume: Doga dresses like a normal human being during the day. He goes by the name of Suraj and works as a gym instructor.

Friends: He has some sidekicks like Lomri (a fox) who loves him (though Doga is unaware of this) and Inspector Cheetah. Doga also has an army of dogs that work for him. He understands their language and values their loyalty. 

Dhruva

Super Commando Dhruva

Who is he: The son of circus acrobats; he is a trained acrobat too. His parents were killed in a fire, which seemed like an accident, but wasn’t. So he became a super commando to avenge their death. He was adopted by the police officer on the case.

He fights against: Any and all kinds of crime. But Dhruva always works within the law.

Area of operation: A city called Rajnagar.

Look and costume: He doesn’t have any specific look. His costume is very similar to that worn by circus acrobats. He has an array of gadgets to help him in times of trouble. His bracelet has a starline rope, and small blades pop out when needed. He always wears skates and a utility belt that stores flares and smoke bombs. He rides a motorcycle and is an expert at it. (...)

Personality: Super Commando Dhruva is the only superhero within a family setting and he upholds family values. He has a sister (the daughter of the police inspector who adopted him) and is very close to her.

Friends: He has his own commando force of Peter, Karim and Renu.

Love interest: Natasha is the daughter of Rajnagar’s biggest criminal and had her own force. But after meeting Super Commando Dhruva, she fell in love with him and is now a part of his squad.

Parmanu

Parmanu

Who is he: Parmanu has the power of atoms in his special suit, designed by his maternal uncle who is a scientist. His parents and schoolfriend were murdered and he was saved by his uncle who raised him. Now, Parmanu wants to take revenge with the help of this special suit.

He fights against: Criminals. He never takes the law in his hands though.

Area of operation: Delhi.

Look and costume: During the day, he is inspector Vinay, but in a crisis he dons his special suit with which he can fly as well as transport himself to any place. Parmanu can even reduce his size. He uses the power of atoms to create atomic blasts.

Friends: Pralayanka (Mamta Pathak) is like a superwoman who likes Parmanu and helps him. Sheena Mathur is the love interest of inspector Vinay. Probot is the robot created by his uncle to help Parmanu.

Bhokal

Bhokal

Who is he: Bhokal was born in the fairyland of Parilok but when some people from Earth killed his parents, he came to Earth to seek revenge. But a strange thing happened when he visited our planet. He found out that his real parents were also Earthlings.

He fights against: Any injustice or crime.

Area of operation: A fictional city called Vikasnagar, ruled by a king called Vikasmohan.

Look and costume: Bhokal dresses like a warrior as he is a warrior in the king’s court. But when he utters the word ‘Bhokal’ he magically dons his superhero persona - green and pink armour and a magical, unbreakable sword and shield.

Friends: Tureen (she is his wife now), Shootan (he can hypnotise anyone), Atikroor (powerful and heavy set). (...)

Shakti

Super Woman Shakti

Who is she: Shakti was a regular married woman who was severely wronged by her husband. He killed their girl child and when she found out, he tried to kill her too. But Kali the devi saved her and gave her the power to save women in distress. Shakti lives as Chanda in Delhi with a friend and works as a nurse in a hospital.

He fights against: Those who commit crimes against women.

Area of operation: Delhi.

Look and costume: Shakti has a very contemporary look. She wears a tiger skin and has a third eye (usually covered with a headband) that opens in extreme situations. She can generate fire with her hands and has the ability to change any metal into a weapon.

Friends: She works alone.

Parmanu

Doga e Shakti

Shakti

È morto Khushwant Singh

Lo scrittore Khushwant Singh è morto quest'oggi a Delhi all'età di 99 anni. La sua opera più famosa è forse il romanzo Quel treno per il Pakistan (1956).

Sanjay Leela Bhansali: I don't want more heartbreak

Vi segnalo l'intervista concessa da Sanjay Leela Bhansali a Farhana Farook, pubblicata da Filmfare il 6 gennaio 2014. I don’t want more heartbreak:

'Was it a challenge to have Deepika Padukone as your muse [in Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela], Aishwarya Rai Bachchan being your longstanding one?

I went to meet Deepika Padukone after the existing leading lady (Kareena Kapoor) left my film at a time when the set was already constructed.  Deepika was unwell and had fever. (...) Her eyes were watery and she appeared beautiful. (...) Many felt that she wouldn’t be able to do justice to the role. But I realised here was an evolved actor. She’s intelligent and speaks little, saving all the energy for the shot. When she walked onto the set, she looked every inch my heroine. That was the same feeling I got when Ash or even Madhuri Dixit walked in. When you view Ash on camera you’re hypnotised. Deepika’s beauty is earthy and confident.

Was it difficult reining a ‘hyper’ Ranveer Singh?

(Laughs) If Red Bull was a person, it would be Ranveer Singh. You can come laughing and jumping on my set and can continue jumping till the evening, I don’t care. What I want is work. And that boy, though over-energised, is at the same time talented and focused. He got his character of Ram bhai, a village Romeo, bang on! He worked hard on his body. He gave good suggestions, never behuda (irrelevant) ones. I’d pamper him but after a point I’d say ‘enough is enough, go and give the shot!’ But I never had to tell him to concentrate. (...)

What are those subtexts [in your work]?

You are your childhood. You are what you’ve experienced, succumbed to or fought with and overcome. I can’t reveal why I made Khamoshi but it had personal elements. That’s why my films have power. Your work can only resonate if it comes from within. (...) Devdas is a tribute to my father’s alcohol bottle. Black was based on a story, which my father always wanted to script - the importance of words for human beings. Ram-Leela is a tribute to my mother.

In your films, tragedy assumes a celebratory flavour...

I’ve done samjhauta (compromise) with my pain long ago. So when you’re no longer fighting pain, you can express it well. Being unhappy and sad are two different things. Unhappiness is destructive. But sadness gives a perspective. (...) But in spite of having lived a sad life, I’m a happy person. I want to sing, dance...

Why do you say that?

I was a kid when my father took me to the studio. I realised this was my world. Make-up, dust, lights... that is my world. I want to express even the saddest moments in a grand way. I love life. I believe in opening the door of the dark studio and letting the light come in. That’s why I made Guzaarish. It said celebrate your destiny. I don’t look up to the skies. My God is in the catwalk.

Can you ever envision a film without candles, curtains and chandeliers?

No, no, I love them. (...) Had I not been a filmmaker I’d have been an architect. (...)

You come across as lonely...

I am lonely. Even when there are 150 people working on the set, I’m aware of my loneliness. When the shift is over, I like to sit on the set alone'.

MMS Kaand: locandina

Kanti Shah è il sultano del softcore in lingua hindi a basso costo. Kanti continua imperterrito a realizzare parodie (involontarie?), spesso a sfondo sessuale, delle pellicole bollywoodiane di maggior successo. Ci riprova con MMS Kand, liberamente tratto (!) da Ragini MMS. A sinistra l'unica locandina che sono riuscita a scovare in rete. L'attrice protagonista è Sapna Tanveer, l'impavida moglie del regista. Una coppia voluta dal cielo.

Le prime del 14 marzo 2014: Neighbours

Tornano i Ramsay con un prodotto in puro stile horror/B-movie anni ottanta. È la volta di Shyam Ramsay, che produce e dirige Neighbours, una storia di vampiri. Sasha - figlia di Shyam - è l'aiuto regista. Gangu Ramsay è il direttore della fotografia. Trailer.

Vedi anche Shyam Ramsay: People say the ghosts in my films were not scary, 15 settembre 2022

FICCI Frames 2014

L'edizione 2014 dell'evento FICCI Frames si svolge a Mumbai dal 12 al 14 marzo. Come ogni anno, il cartellone è ricco di appuntamenti imperdibili, a cui partecipano ospiti di prestigio. Questa mattina Farhan Akhtar e Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra hanno discusso di film biografici. Nel pomeriggio Kajol ha presenziato al dibattito sulla censura. Domattina Abhishek Bachchan parlerà di pellicole seriali. Il 14 marzo Priyanka Chopra incontrerà il pubblico. 

Kajol - FICCI Frames 2014

Rajesh Parameswaran: Storie d'amore che finiscono male (o malissimo)

In questi giorni è in distribuzione in libreria la raccolta di racconti Storie d'amore che finiscono male (o malissimo) di Rajesh Parameswaran, pubblicata da Edizioni Piemme.

Randeep Hooda: I did not talk to Alia for the longest time

Ammettiamolo: è sempre un grande piacere ascoltare il suo timbro di voce e soprattutto ammirarlo in azione. Randeep Hooda forse non riuscirà a costruirsi una carriera sfolgorante come quella dei vari Khan, Kapoor o Kumar, ma la nicchia che si è ritagliato diventa ogni giorno più ampia, e lo stuolo delle sue fan ogni giorno più consistente. Come si può ignorare un uomo così? Perciò ecco qui, for your eyes only, il video del quarto episodio di Freaky Fridays dedicato a Randeep. E se non vi basta, segnalo anche l'intervista concessa dall'attore a Patcy N., pubblicata da Rediff il 21 febbraio 2014. I did not talk to Alia for the longest time: 

'You are quite a traveller and have travelled a lot for Highway.

I haven’t travelled extensively. For Highway, I travelled 2,500 kilometres by road. The experience was good. Every morning we would get up and travel to a new destination. The scenery was new, the clothing was different, the food was different, the feeling was different, and people were different in each place. When you travel by road, the etiquette of travel changes from state to state. Like people in Haryana and Punjab are very aggressive, people in Rajasthan are welcoming; people in Himachal Pradesh are so adjusting that they will wait for you to cross. I fell sick when I was in Himachal after I ate lots of pine nuts. A leader from Himachal came to meet us and she garlanded us with a pine-nut garland. I had not had lunch so I started eating it. I overate and was badly sick. I got altitude sickness too. Apart from that, the whole trip was well managed. (...) The stay and food arrangements were really good at all the places. Imtiaz himself is a foodie. He loves his food and still manages to stay so thin. Sometimes I would think that he selected a location to shoot because they served the food he likes (laughs).

Have you seen the telefilm on which the film is based?

I didn’t even know about it till much later, after the movie was shot. But I did get to see the picture of the two actors in the truck. The picture did not look the way the movie is. I didn’t think the male character in the picture looked anything like me, or what I played.

How different is your character from Alia’s?

When I read the script, I thought it was a requirement of the script that the two characters look poles apart. Alia and I both have a metropolitan upbringing. There is also a huge age gap. I think she is intellectually and emotionally more mature than me. It was very challenging to get the right look of the character that I play. I slept in the sun a lot to get the weather-beaten, leathery skin. I grew my moustache and beard, I stopped washing and combing my hair and applying any cream. I learnt the dialect of the Gujjar community, so when I speak it doesn’t sound like Hindi. I changed my voice a bit. When you see both the characters you should feel that they have nothing in common. That difference is very necessary for the script. India has two societies - of haves and have-nots. They are very different in every aspect - the way they deal with emotions is not the same. We have tried to get both these societies into Highway. Part of the film is about these two different classes of people, how they learn something from each other and get influenced by each other.

Alia Bhatt said you were a bit hard on her on the sets...

I did not talk to Alia for the longest time because in the film I don’t talk to her character and I am not very kind to her. I did not speak to her for 20-25 days. It’s only when we start interacting in the movie that I went and spoke to her. I did that because of two things: I was really trying to work on my character, and I wanted her to see me as Mahavir Bhatti (the character he plays in Highway) and not as Randeep Hooda.

What were your creative inputs in the film?

Every good director, when he casts an actor, writes the script or changes the script according to the actor. I am sure Imtiaz also did that. My character was well written. I didn’t improvise much. For all my movies I work on my character thoroughly, though sometimes I don’t get the script and sometimes I get the dialogues only on the sets. (...)

How come you are not typecast?

I don’t do conventional things like dancing and all. I pick things that are different and say no to scripts that are similar even if it’s for a big production house. It is important to keep filmmakers interested in you so they can offer you everything and anything. We actors are not given work on the basis of an audience poll; the filmmaker will cast you after seeing and liking your work. It is essential to do different kinds of films. There was a time in the past when I had no work. That time also I did not lose myself as an actor. (...)

Is your Polo team still functional? 

No, not yet. It is turning out to be far more expensive than I thought it would be. I have to do many more movies and still live in a rented house (to afford a functional polo team), which is not glamorous. But I have many horses. I cannot resist the temptation to buy a horse, that's where all my money goes'.

Vedi anche Berlin International Film Festival 2014

Le prime del 7 marzo 2014: Queen

Kangana Ranaut sembra tornata agli antichi fasti grazie ad un film confezionato su misura per lei: Queen, diretto da Vikas Bahl e prodotto da Anurag Kashyap e da Vikramaditya Motwane. Nel cast anche Rajkummar Rao, Lisa Haydon e Marco Canadea (attore svizzero di origine italiana). L'intrigante colonna sonora è composta da Amit Trivedi. Un gustoso assaggio nei brani Hungama Ho Gaya, London Thumakda, Badra Bahaar e O Gujariya. Trailer.

Aggiornamento del 7 marzo 2014 - Vi segnalo l'entusiastica (****) recensione di Raja Sen, pubblicata oggi da Rediff: 

'This is a story of girl meets girl, and you should know upfront that this is not a love story. Unless, of course, we refer to the relationship between the audience and the protagonist. Because I dare you to watch Queen and not fall in love with the character. (...) What happens in this film isn’t as important as the way it does. The plot is a mishmash of Meg Ryan’s French Kiss and Sridevi’s English Vinglish, but [Vikas] Bahl’s treatment is fresher and more vibrant, and - incredible as this may sound - his leading lady is better. Kangana Ranaut is gobstoppingly spectacular. The actress has always flirted with the unfamiliar but here - at her most real, at her most gorgeously guileless - she absolutely shines and the film stands back and lets her rule. There are many natural actresses in Hindi cinema today, but what Ranaut does here, the way she captures both the squeals and the silences of the character, is very special indeed. Her character is built to be endearing and Ranaut, while playing her Rani with wide-eyed candour, is ever sweet but never cloying. It’s a bold but immaculately measured performance, internalised and powerful while simultaneously as overt as it needs to be to moisten every eye in the house. (...) Ranaut stays firmly and impressively in character. (...) Rajkummar Rao is perfectly cringeworthy. (...) This is a massively entertaining film, even though it does run too long, and Rani’s fun travails are bogged down by a sense of tokenism, by her friends being White, Black and Asian. (...) Everyone in this film is playing a supporting role, even the director. When nothing else works in the shot, you can turn unfailingly to Rani, besotted, and smile at her with an affection you saved for your teenage crushes. She’s a wonder. (...) She made Rani and much as Rani’s making her, and for that we must tip our hats. Ranaut always seemed like a misfit in mainstream Hindi cinema, a stunning but strange creature who belonged to a different jigsaw, but now our movies are beginning to catch up with her. Queen is a good entertainer, sure, but, more critically, it is a showcase for an actress poised to reign. This is one of those monumental moments when you feel the movies shift, and nothing remains the same. I've seen the future, baby, and it's Kangana'.

Aggiornamento del 28 marzo 2014: Queen ha doppiato i 50 crore di incassi ed è ancora saldamente in vetta al botteghino. Queen è forse il primo titolo, dai tempi del blockbuster Gadar del 2001, a registrare incassi superiori nella seconda settimana di programmazione. Ciò significa che un film interpretato da una protagonista femminile è riuscito finalmente ad infrangere l'abitudine criminale del mordi e fuggi nel primo fine settimana, a raffreddare la febbre da record immediato, e a ripristinare la buona sana tradizione della permanenza prolungata nelle sale, che vivifica la possibilità concessa a pellicole di nicchia di crescere, farsi notare ed attrarre un pubblico sempre maggiore. Era ora.

Aggiornamento dell'11 settembre 2015: ieri sera Kangana Ranaut ha presenziato alla prima di Queen a Parigi, città nella quale il film è stato parzialmente girato. L'edizione doppiata in francese verrà distribuita nelle sale a partire dal 23 settembre 2015 (in Italia 'ste cose mai, eh?). Video Paris Videostars. 

Parigi, 10 settembre 2015

Lavanya Sankaran: La fabbrica della speranza

Dal 20 febbraio 2014 è in distribuzione in libreria il romanzo La fabbrica della speranza di Lavanya Sankaran, pubblicato da Marcos y Marcos.

Farhan Akhtar e Deepika Padukone: spot Coca-Cola

Vi segnalo il simpaticissimo spot pubblicitario commissionato da Coca-Cola, diretto da Anurag Kashyap e interpretato da Farhan Akhtar e Deepika Padukone.

Lucia : Recensione

[Blog] Recensione di Lucia, film sperimentale in lingua Kannada vincitore del Premio del Pubblico nella passata edizione del London Film Festival. Diretto da Pawan Kumar.

Aishwarya Rai ha compiuto 40 anni

[Archivio] Il primo novembre 2013 la donna più bella del mondo ha compiuto 40 anni. Il numero del 20 novembre 2013 di Filmfare aveva dedicato una stupenda copertina ad Aishwarya Rai. In Italia, il primo novembre La Repubblica ha offerto ai suoi lettori una ricca photo gallery: Bollywood festeggia Aishwarya: la più bella compie quarant'anni. Vi segnalo anche il video dell'incontro con la stampa organizzato il giorno stesso del suo compleanno. I prossimi 40 anni? Ash si mostra in pubblico sempre più spesso, per mondanità o per rispettare impegni professionali: fra gli altri, vi ricordo l'evento L'Oréal che si è tenuto a Mumbai nel dicembre 2013, in occasione del quale la diva ha sfoggiato un abito Dolce&Gabbana. Ma il cinema? Aishwarya ha lasciato un vuoto difficile, per le colleghe, da colmare, e quindi non vediamo l'ora di ammirarla nuovamente su grande schermo. 

Mumbai, primo novembre 2013

 

Evento L'Oréal - Mumbai, dicembre 2013

The brave new world of indie films

[Archivio] Vi segnalo l'articolo The brave new world of indie films, di Parul Khanna, pubblicato da Brunch l'8 dicembre 2013:

'Indie films demystified (...)

The generic definition of an indie film points to a small-budget project made and distributed by an independent source, without the intrusion of a big studio. But in India, distribution is a big hurdle, and most times, it happens only with the help of established studios. So our indie films are often made with money from independent sources or a producer who chips in. (...) An indie film could also be made by collecting money from multiple sources. (...) Unlike the parallel cinema movement of the ’70s and ’80s, which focused on social injustices and everyday struggles, today’s indie films are not bound by any one theme. (...) Song and dance routines are optional. (...)

Stories with passion

The reasons driving India’s new-age indie filmmakers are varied. (...) Most indie filmmakers cite world cinema and satellite television as influences and with changing technology, they also have a better means of telling their story than before. A film can now be shot on a digital motion picture camera. (...) Software for editing and music is easily available. (...) 

The roadblocks

If indie storytelling and filmmaking is original, then so are the ways to make and sell it. Big stars will fill theatres but cost money and compromise creativity. Even B-listers are often inaccessible. (...) Often, in the indie world, the star is not a person but a script. (...) Others cut location costs, edit everything on paper and plan better, so the project is more efficient. (...)

Changing tastes

Small films don’t always mean small successes. (...) This change in the way movies are being consumed is forcing filmmakers and production houses to change their thinking. (...) For big studios and stars, fringe films are also a means to invest in new audiences of the future. (...)

Release obstacles

While the nature of the stories has changed with indie cinema, other aspects are still fraught with old challenges. Once a movie is made, it just lies waiting for some Prince Charming distributor to pick it up. For films to be distributed and earn money, they still need to have stars. One reason distributors offer for not helping indie films is that they still aren’t drawing enough people to theatres. However, filmmakers complain that often films lose audiences because they aren’t advertised enough. But with promotion costs often running into four times an indie film’s budget, they’re understandably hard to promote too. (...) Several European countries (and the USA as well) make films direct to DVD or TV, solving the problem of distributors and cinema audiences India does. Add to it the threat of piracy, and it’s anyone’s guess how much money such a film will make. All of which means studio backing is an indie filmmaker’s only hope. Most indie filmmakers say the problem with the Indian distributor is that he acts as the spokesperson for what the audience wants. The distributor filters films even before the audience gets a chance to see them. (...)

Eyes on the world

All our indie films benefit from doing the festival circuit before they come to India. (...) [Anupama] Chopra, a regular at Cannes for years, says that there is a palpable change in our perception on the world stage. "For years, we had an Indian presence just on the red carpet. (...) This year, at Cannes, there were five movies officially selected." (...) The scene is evolving in India, too. (...) With an eye on a growing need for filmmakers to be trained like those in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, the National Film Development Corporation of India has launched a lab of its own. (...) Still, non-mainstream cinema needn’t and shouldn’t be a byword for boring. That would be the death of the genre. No movie or filmmaker, by default, becomes good, just because it is indie'.

Chander Pahar: locandine, trailer e recensione

Chander Pahar, costosissimo film distribuito il 20 dicembre 2013, è, ad oggi, il campione d'incassi nella storia del cinema bengali. Al botteghino si è comportato dignitosamente anche al di fuori dei confini del Bengala occidentale: a Mumbai, ad esempio, pur subendo la concorrenza del blockbuster Dhoom:3, CP si è difeso bene. La pellicola è diretta da Kamaleswar Mukherjee e interpretata dal giovane divo Dev. La sceneggiatura si basa sul famoso romanzo omonimo d'avventure del 1937 di Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadyay. Le riprese sono state  effettuate quasi interamente in Sudafrica. Trailer. Vi segnalo la recensione firmata da Anjan Dutt, pubblicata da The Telegraph il 24 dicembre 2013:

'Sometimes films are produced for breaking new grounds. Temporary gains are unimportant. (...) Chander Pahar (...) I am certain will change the course of Bengali cinema in the next three years. The most expensive Bengali film till date (...) will inspire if not force the Bengali industry to be more dynamic in scale, thought, courage. And the actual returns of this film will be evaluated by the quality and success of films that will follow Chander Pahar in the next three years. (...) Kamaleswar Mukherjee will go down in history for braving the very difficult journey filled with risk but full of confidence. After a long time a Bengali film made me feel proud. (...) Almost 85 per cent of the film was spellbinding, gorgeous and filled with sheer good taste. (...) With Chander Pahar he [Kamaleswar Mukherjee] enters a different league where confidence and sheer hard work are evident in almost every frame. (...) I only wish editor Rabiranjan Maitra had done away with the frequent slow-mo and ramping, and resorted to just cutting, because they distract you from the pace of the narration. (...) Dev’s almost childlike fearlessness to conquer the unknown heightens the philosophy of the basic text. I was weary of the commercial star till the film started, but through the viewing was convinced that no one else could have played Shankar. (...) Dev combines sheer strength with utter vulnerability that works magic. (...) Dev’s entry into serious cinema succeeds superbly because he simply whacks the ball out of the field. Credit goes to Kamaleswar for using Dev’s vulnerability as his strength. (...) There have been many alterations of the original text, but most of them work immensely because the writer and director make it dramatic and believable. (...) There is so much inherent power in the visuals that a lesser elaborate and more haunting, minimalistic score perhaps would have been apt. (...) But the player who is literally responsible for the victory is (...) Soumik Halder. Here is a film from Bengal where almost 90 per cent of the cinematography is sheer brilliance. (...) Together with the production designer Nomonde Ngema, Soumik works out series of sequences where one does not need to hear anything but just keep watching. (...) To me it looks and feels far bigger than a 15crore project. Far glorious than many bigger budget Hindi adventures I have ever seen'. .

 

Berlin International Film Festival 2014

Da destra: Imtiaz Ali, Alia Bhatt e Randeep Hooda

Il Berlin International Film Festival 2014 si è svolto dal 6 al 16 febbraio. Come da tradizione, molti i titoli indiani in cartellone, fra i quali segnalo:

* Killa, di Avinash Arun, in lingua marathi, vincitore dell'Orso di cristallo per il miglior film nella sezione Generation Kplus;

* Papilio Buddha, sezione Panorama, di Jayan Cherian, in lingua malayalam. Trailer. PB tratta il controverso tema delle discriminazioni e violenze di cui sono vittime gli intoccabili e le donne, e la sceneggiatura si ispira a fatti realmente accaduti. PB ha subito clamorose pressioni da parte della censura indiana. Il regista ha respinto quasi tutte le richieste avanzate dall'organo governativo di censura, e la proiezione della pellicola è stata negata persino nei festival cinematografici. Nel marzo 2013 aveva però beneficiato di una magra distribuzione in alcune selezionate sale in Kerala;

* Highway, sezione Panorama Special, di Imtiaz Ali, con Randeep Hooda e Alia Bhatt, colonna sonora di A.R. Rahman. L'area del sito della Berlinale dedicata a Highway offre il video della conferenza stampa, nonché alcune succose fotografie. E quando si tratta del fascinoso Randeep Hooda c'è da lustrarsi gli occhi.

Vedi anche Randeep Hooda: I did not talk to Alia for the longest time, 9 marzo 2014

 

Randeep Hooda (ritratto ufficiale)

 

Da destra: I. Ali, A.R. Rahman, A. Bhatt e R. Hooda

 

Topolino 3038: Topinadh Tandoori e la rosa del Rajasthan

La nostra Diana in questo periodo è impegnata con la sua bimba, ma giusto qualche minuto fa mi ha passato una succosa dritta: il numero 3038 di Topolino, in edicola oggi, include una storia tutta indiana, Topinadh Tandoori e la rosa del Rajasthan - Un musical bollywoodiano a fumetti, con danze, colori, rime e, naturalmente, un matrimonio. A seguire sei pagine di testo e fotografie dedicate al cinema indiano. 

 

River to River Florence Indian Film Festival 2013

[Archivio]

La 13esima edizione del River to River Florence Indian Film Festival si è svolta dal 22 al 28 novembre 2013. Lo scorso 28 ottobre Caterina aveva annunciato la presenza di Shabana Azmi in qualità di madrina della manifestazione (clicca qui). Hanno partecipato all'evento anche Abhishek Kapoor e Vijay Varma. The coffin maker di Veena Bakshi ha vinto il premio per il miglior lungometraggio - nel cast Naseeruddin Shah, affiancato dal suo (e mio, ma per ragioni diverse) pupillo Randeep Hooda, e da Ratna Pathak. Fra i titoli in cartellone segnalo Lessons in forgetting, di Unni Vijayan, tratto dal romanzo L'arte di dimenticare di Anita Nair. La sceneggiatura è firmata dalla stessa Nair. LIF si è aggiudicato il National Award per il miglior film in lingua inglese. Dal 14 al 16 febbraio 2014 il festival approderà a Milano, allo Spazio Oberdan. 

- Video La Repubblica: Shabana Azmi: "Violenza sulle donne, tolleranza zero", Claudio Giovannini e Gaia Rau, 22 novembre 2013. 

- L'India di Abhishek Kapoor obbligata al dialogo, Gaia Rau, La Repubblica, 22 novembre 2013:

Abhishek Kapoor

'Tre amici accomunati da un sogno, costruire un'impresa nel mondo del cricket. Sullo sfondo, l'India del 2002, lacerata dalle tensioni tra indù e musulmani. "Kai Po Che" di Abhishek Kapoor è il film che inaugura, stasera all'Odeon alla presenza dell'autore, la 13a edizione di "River to River", il festival dedicato al cinema indiano contemporaneo. Il lungometraggio - il cui titolo fa riferimento a un'esclamazione di vittoria gridata nelle gare di aquiloni: un omaggio, spiega il regista, "allo spirito umano che trionfa sulle avversità con flessibilità e positività" - è stato presentato all'ultima Berlinale, primo film indiano a entrare nella prestigiosa sezione "Panorama".

Abhishek Kapoor, non è la prima volta che i suoi film parlano di sport. Il suo primo lavoro, "Aryan", raccontava la storia di un giovane boxeur. Cosa significa lo sport per lei?

"Kai Po Che" è prima di tutto un film sull'amicizia, ma era essenziale che sullo sfondo vi fosse la purezza dello sport e il suo immenso contributo al nostro benessere. Sono sempre stato uno sportivo: la psicologia dello sport scorre nella mia scrittura e nella mia regia in modo ininterrotto. È una manifestazione dell'eccellenza umana, dello spingersi al limite e poi lanciarsi oltre.

Il film affronta un fatto drammatico per la storia indiana, la strage del treno di Godhra del 2002, in cui 58 pellegrini indù persero la vita in un incendio appiccato da musulmani. Una ferita ancora aperta?

Il mio obiettivo è fare in modo che non ci si dimentichi degli eventi che hanno forgiato il nostro destino di popolo libero e democratico. Ho scelto di narrare una storia di finzione in un contesto di fatti realmente accaduti per trasmettere l'impatto di questa negatività indesiderata sulla vita delle gente comune: innocenti che diventano vittime involontarie. Con un modello come Gandhi, come possiamo noi, come nazione, non reagire a quello che è accaduto a Godhra? Quell'incidente deve farci pensare, far parte della nostra coscienza collettiva.

Nonostante la tragedia, nel film l'amicizia trionfa. Una professione di ottimismo?

Sono un regista: voglio condividere, non predicare. Stimolare, non giudicare. Mi considero una persona patriottica ed ottimista e spero che, come nei classici, il bene trionfi. Ma i problemi non si risolvono da soli. A meno che il popolo indiano non creda davvero nella risoluzione dei conflitti religiosi, la strada davanti a noi resterà sempre impegnativa.

È la sua prima volta in Italia. Conosce il nostro cinema?

L'Italia ha uno spirito antico, che unisce un cuore caldo a una mente raffinata. In un certo senso, è come tornare a casa. Ho la fortuna di conoscere la genialità dei maestri italiani, penso a capolavori come "Ladri di biciclette", "8 ½", "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso", ma anche "La vita è bella", "Malena", "Io sono l'amore": film accomunati da una realtà adulta vista dalla prospettiva innocente di un bambino. Ed è stato proprio un film italiano, "La dolce vita" di Fellini, a insegnarmi che la mente è fatta per essere sbalordita.

Qual è il suo rapporto con Bollywood?

Lo vedo come una matriarca tradizionale che varca la soglia dell'era digitale cercando il proprio equilibrio, a passo di bambino. Sono nato con Bollywood, vi sono cresciuto dentro. Mi ha stimolato e costretto ad avventurarmi al di fuori del suo abbraccio rassicurante, ad espandere la mia visione, a riscoprire gli autori e a trovare la mia voce. Un viaggio che mi ha portato dove mi trovo adesso'.

Vijay Varma