Collaborating with Shonali Bose for the second time, Mikey McCleary on creating the score for Priyanka Chopra-starrer The Sky Is Pink
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; October 11, 2019)

Having associated with Shonali Bose for the second time after Margarita With A Straw (2014), Mikey Mccleary says it is owing to the similar aesthetic taste that they share, that the director appointed him for The Sky Is Pink.

"Once you’ve got the main theme of the score in place, you weave the rest of the music around that. For this film, it was the hymn of a five-year-old girl that made for the crux of the score, which both Shonali and the producers liked," says the musician, adding that he was delighted to get Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s nod for his work. "She had a lot to say about it and was encouraging. She understood the place of the right background score in this film, and how it would keep it uplifting, [despite the subject]. The positive reaction at the Toronto International Film Festival was also an impetus," says McCleary, who currently has the second season of the acclaimed web show, Four More Shots Please, and another Netflix original, in his kitty.

Even though score and music composition go hand-in-hand, McCleary says, in this case, he had little interaction with Pritam Chakraborty, who weaved magic into the tracks of the Zaira Wasim and Farhan Akhtar starrer. "When you compose for both, you can often use the melody from the songs for the score too, so as to have an interaction between them. That treatment is fairly common in Bollywood. But in this case, we treated them differently," he signs off.

WILL THE SKY IS PINK SUCCEED DESPITE CHALLENGES?

Last week saw the release of 3 significant films that took away almost all the screens in most parts of the country. This week, 2 films were scheduled to release and one of them, Lootcase, has been indefinitely postponed. In between, the makers toyed with the idea of having a digital release but then they changed their mind. Hence, The Sky Is Pink is the solo release of the week. Funnily, next week, as many as 9 films are going to hit screens! Most of them are too small and they should have ideally made it to cinemas tomorrow, especially after Lootcase got out of the rat race.

Coming back to The Sky Is Pink, the film looks niche but has potential to excel in metros. It stars Priyanka Chopra and hence this is her first Hindi film in 3 ½ years, after Jai Gangaajal. The other actors in the film are Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim and Rohit Saraf. It’s directed by Shonali Bose, whose previous films, Amu and Margarita With A Straw, have been critically acclaimed. The film is based on the true story of Aisha Chaudhary, a motivational speaker who was diagnosed with a Pulmonary fibrosis, and who died in 2015 at the age of 19. The various interviews of Shonali and Priyanka have added to the buzz among its target audience. In Priyanka’s words, “The whole thought behind the story is, why not celebrate the life that a person lived, instead of living through the sorrow attached to him or her not being there.” Moreover, it also came to light that Shonali Bose too have faced a similar tragedy as Chaudharys since she lost her son Ishan in a freak accident in 2010. With such a beautiful story and terrific star cast, The Sky Is Pink can work big time if handled well.

Sadly, the film is facing many challenges. It was premiered at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival and the reviews have been mixed. A section of viewers and critics raved about the film’s plot and the work of the actors while the rest have slammed the film heavily. On IMDb, it has a rating of 5.1 out of 10. The music of the film is composed by Pritam Chakraborty, and he has collaborated with lyricist Gulzar. Sadly, the songs haven’t worked at all. Moreover, as aforementioned, the subject is too niche and as a result, the film has a chance in urban multiplexes.

Due to these factors, a huge opening is not possible for The Sky Is Pink. The opening will be around Rs. 3 crore and might be a little higher if word of mouth is very positive. A weekend of Rs. 14-15 crore will be ideal and it can have a lifetime of Rs. 40 crore since the next week’s release don’t seem exciting due to which it can have a clean run till Diwali. However, if public reports are bad, the film is bound to have a very tough time at the box office.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE SKY IS PINK AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; September 28, 2019)

After making films like Amu (2005) and Margarita With A Straw (2014), Shonali Bose is all set to present another heart-wrenching tale with The Sky Is Pink. The film stars Farhan Akhtar, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Zaira Wasim, and is based on the life of Aisha Chaudhary, who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, and her family. In a conversation with Bombay Times, Shonali spoke about her late son Ishan, narrating an emotional tale on the big screen, shooting the film amidst Priyanka’s wedding preparations and a lot more.

The film sees Priyanka and Farhan share screen space four years after Dil Dhadakne Do (2015).What prompted you to get them on board as Aditi and Niren for The Sky Is Pink? Did it require some convincing on your part or were they on board right away?
Priyanka and Farhan were my first choice and so getting them on board was a dream come true. When I say first choice, it’s not in terms of the stardom, but purely as actors. Frankly, I was terrified and even intimidated with Farhan stepping in as an actor, because he is a director himself and he has even directed Priyanka before (Don and Don 2). I was thinking that I was going to be watched (laughs!) Also, Priyanka has done so many things (as an actress in her past films), so I was really nervous about teaming up with her.

I got a text (from Priyanka) on my son (late) Ishan’s birthday, in which she said that she wanted to meet me. I went to New York to meet her and discussed the film. The plot revolves around the death of a child, and I have been through that grief in my personal life as I had lost my nine-year-old son. She got teary-eyed and she even talked about her (late) father. It was interesting to see that for the first time I was meeting this big star and we immediately connected heart-to-heart.

As far as Farhan is concerned, we had asked him to read the script, post which he was going to meet us to tell us his decision. When I met him, he just stood up, looked deep into my eyes and said that he was terrified of doing this film because he thought it was a raw, emotional and honest script. He knew that I would demand an honest performance from him as a father. Giving such a real performance is much tougher than doing it in the typical Bollywood way. He told me that he was just going to put himself in my hands. I felt happy that he trusted me as a person because that’s what you want from your actors, right?

The film is based on the life of Aisha Chaudhary, what were your interactions with her family like?
Aisha’s parents told me that her brother, Ishaan Chaudhary, didn’t want this film to be made because he was very nervous about a Bollywood film being made on his sister. However, his mother said that she had no problems with the project and that we could go ahead with it. I told her that I wouldn’t make the film if her son didn’t want that. So, when I had the screening of Margarita With A Straw in New York, I invited him for it. He came for the screening. Later, we met at a coffee shop and he wept in my arms. His mother, who was surprised, told me that he had never wept in her arms even when his sister passed away. He cried and talked about his sister with me, and I talked about my son. I asked Ishaan, who is also a music composer, for an original song from him at the end of this film. Thus, the film ends with a song composed by Ishaan for his sister.

It was amidst the shooting of the film that Priyanka got married to Nick Jonas. How was that phase of filmmaking?
I have seen Priyanka’s journey from the time when Nick was not on her horizon, to the time when he became her husband. At the time, I felt like her mother as she would talk to me and tell me that Nick was going to propose to her and whether she should marry him. We have laughed, cried, talked for hours deeply about many subjects. This bond helped me direct her with ease just the way I directed Kalki (Koechlin in Margarita with a Straw) or Konkona (Sen Sharma in Amu).

Talking about the shooting phase, I feel that Priyanka has this ability not to get distracted by anything. That’s her forte as an actor. Once we got to know that she was going to get married and was hosting two big ceremonies in India and overseas, we just supported her. There was a separate room made on the sets where she held her wedding-related meetings. In between the scenes, she would go there, have a meeting about her wedding plans and then come back and give a shot. Initially, I was worried about how she would be able to do it, but, I could see that she did it with ease and that gave me confidence. It didn’t affect her performance at all. Once we were shooting in Chandni Chowk, post which she had to catch a flight, as they needed her to come to Paris to try the wedding gown. The next day she flew back, came to the set and continued shooting. In Delhi, we shot for five days right before her wedding. During Thanksgiving, it was Nick who came to Mumbai to be with her as she was busy shooting for the film. He even visited the sets. As a surprise, Priyanka arranged for a turkey from somewhere. After wrapping up, we had a party with him where we all danced together.

On the last day, we had decided to do a bidaai ceremony for Priyanka. We had called for a cake and champagne. That day, Priyanka had an intense scene, and suddenly, I heard some sniffs on set, I was surprised to see Nick standing next to me and crying seeing Priyanka give the shot.

This subject is close to your heart, was it tough, especially when you were shooting the emotional scenes?
I remember that when I was shooting Margarita With A Straw, there was a scene at the hospital where the mother is dying of cancer. We were shooting at a real hospital and the smell reminded me of being with my son at the time as he was admitted in the hospital during his last days. I started wailing and broke into pieces during the shoot. I was the director and producer of the film, I had 100 people around me and they wouldn’t know what to do when you are the leader and are supposed to be strong, but instead, you break down. As a filmmaker, I could have wrapped up the shoot for that day, but I decided not to give up and continued shooting. I went around hugging everybody on the set. Seeing me, a lot of people on the set opened up and shared stories about losing their near and dear ones. It’s been nine years since Ishan’s death. Shooting for The Sky is Pink was a joyride, and I was just laughing throughout the film. I must say that I have done a lot of grief work in order to process his death in terms of my feelings, pain and loss. I have reached that place where I can feel that he is always with me and I am not disconnected from him.

The day when we shot the death scene, I had called all the ADs (assistant directors) to my room and I did a light meditation where we all held hands. They all were feeling nervous. On that particular day, Zaira, Farhan and Priyanka cried as they had to perform an emotionally tough scene.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. What was that experience like?
I felt so blessed that the project which began on Ishan’s birthday premiered on his death anniversary (September 13). On that day, we walked the red carpet, where there were over 1,000 fans. There was Farhan, Priyanka and the rest of the team with me, and I was surprised to see that people were screaming my name, too. They even took my autographs. Later, we went inside the auditorium, which was a three-tier space with seating for 2,000 people. The size made me extremely nervous, and my heart was beating faster. I told the audience that we were watching the film with them. We all could hear people laugh and even cry loudly. In fact, Farhan was crying, too. After the film ended and the credits rolled, I could see everyone standing up and applauding us. Later, at an after-party Aisha’s family joined us. They said that they felt as if Aisha has been reborn. Now, my terror is about the reaction in India. With The Sky Is Pink, I feel I have done a trilogy. The focus has been on the mother-child relation in all my three films. In Amu and Margarita With A Straw, the mother dies, while in the third one, the child dies. Though I did not set out to do this subject as a trilogy, I feel that I have explored the subject thoroughly. It just happened… Subconsciously, there was continuity in my work.

Rohit Saraf on joining Farhan-PeeCee at The Sky Is Pink premiere at Toronto film festival
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 20, 2019)

“It was surreal to see people screaming my name and waiting to take a photo with me,” beams Rohit Saraf, who has just returned from the world premiere of The Sky Is Pink at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Only 22, Saraf is the perfect example of how talent has little to do with age. After grabbing eyeballs with his roles in Dear Zindagi (2016) and Hichki (2018), Saraf is seen standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar in the family drama. “I believe that whoever watches the movie, will find something that they identify with,” says the youngster about the film that traces the love story of a couple — Aditi and Niren Chaudhary — told through the lens of their daughter, Aisha Chaudhary, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Happy to share screen space with brilliant artistes such as Chopra and Akhtar so early on in his career, he heaps praises on the duo. “On the first few days, I was shy, even intimidated. But when you work with actors like Farhan and PeeCee, you learn the craft by simply watching them.”

So attached was Saraf to the material that he convinced director Shonali Bose to reinstate an emotional scene — featuring his on-screen father Akhtar and him — in the narrative. “I chased Shonali and him, convincing them to shoot the scene. Finally, when we filmed the scene, I gave my all to it.”

Shonali Bose on love, loss and how her new film, which premiered in Toronto on Friday, rounds off a trilogy of sorts
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 16, 2019)

After her debut film, the National Award-winning 2005 drama Amu, followed by Margarita with a Straw nine years later, director Shonali Bose recently returned to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with her next. The Sky Is Pink is the love story of a couple—Aditi and Niren Chaudhary (Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar respectively)—who lose their daughter Aisha (Zaira Wasim) to pulmonary fibrosis. Rohit Saraf plays their son. The film premiered at TIFF on Friday, September 13, and that leads to the first question:

The Sky Is Pink was the only Asian film in the fest’s Gala section. How was it returning with a hat-trick?
It is a huge honour. I have a special connection with Toronto as this is where I started the fundraising drive for Amu (headlined by Konkona Sensharma) and also got help to release it. When I came back for screenings in Canada, a Sikh taxi driver refused to take money from me, saying, “You’re the Amu filmmaker, I can’t take money from you.”

During a screening for the Sikh community, a lady sitting next to me was sobbing. Later, she said, “Bless you, you’ve given me healing and relief.”

All three films have got emotional responses. After watching the rough cut of The Sky Is Pink, Cameron Bailey (Artistic Director, TIFF) admitted that he felt deeply healed, having lost his mother just two weeks before.

What kind of reactions did you get at the world premiere last Friday?
It was a spectacular night with close to a thousand fans on the red carpet. We entered the Roy Thomson Theatre and I introduced my cast and crew to an audience of 2,000 people. It was so special.

We heard them sniff loudly, laugh, go still and silent. We got a standing ovation and TIFF old timers told me they hadn’t seen a response like this in years. We went to Soho House and hung out until 3am. I kept smiling and saying “thank you”. People couldn’t stop praising the film.

The real Chaudharys were also at the premiere. How involved were they with the film? Were you nervous about screening the film for them?
Yes, they were there and hosted a dinner event for us last week where everyone got very emotional. I was not at all nervous about showing the film to them because they had seen the rough cuts. I’d have been terrified otherwise! The first thing I showed them was the scene of the day their child dies and how each of them reacts. They watched it while I stood outside the edit room nervously. When they came out, they hugged me and wept in my arms, saying that I’d captured it exactly as it happened. It’s difficult to capture somebody else’s memory about the loss of their child, I know how it is, having lost one myself.

Is that why you were drawn to their story?
My film is related to my son’s (Ishan; right) death, in a sense that I, too, have lost a child and so, understood the emotions deeply and could write easily about two parents and their grief. I was drawn to Aditi and Niren’s story because I found it inspiring. I saw them as carers for their daughter, inspiring thoughts that they came up with, like life has to be lived to the fullest and just because there’s death looming over your head doesn’t mean that you succumb to it. Aditi wanted to put on Aisha’s grave, “She lived” and boy, they did know how to make their daughter live!

The story moved me, and I was ready to explore the subject. I feel like I’m filled with light and love over the death of my own child. It’s a wonderful vehicle through which I bring out another layer to the issue of death, which, maybe, the Chaudhary family didn’t have.

Did you miss Ishan while making the film?
I don’t miss Ishan because he’s with me 24/7. He’s the light, love and the fuel of my life, like my younger son Vivaan. Both my children are equal to me. I don’t miss Ishan because I never have to say goodbye to him anymore. I cry when Vivaan leaves for college. I miss him but Ishan is with me wherever I go. On his birthday, on January 20, 2018, I got a text from Sid (producer Siddharth Roy Kapur) that Priyanka had finished reading the script and wanted to meet me. I laughed when I read the text because I knew it was a sign. The world premiere happened on the day he died, September 13. There’s something uncanny in the way Ishan blessed me and this film all the way.

How did Priyanka and Farhan deal with complexities of their characters?
I think the script was gold for both Priyanka and Farhan and a lot of it is all written, so it was easy for them. The workshops helped. I also told them well in advance that I’d need rehearsal days. I really enjoyed working with these actors and had formed an emotional bond with them, including with Rohit and Zaira, which you see in the film.

Priyanka borrowed from your stories of Ishan, even referring to Rohit’s character Ishaan as Ishlu, your nickname for your son. Were these scenes difficult to shoot for you, specially Aisha’s death scene?
Thank you for asking this question. It’s so beautiful that you’ve noticed that Priyanka called Ishan “Ishlu” which is not a name Aditi calls her son by. Priyanka heard me calling my Ishan that when I spoke about him and asked me, “Can I call him Ishlu in this scene?” I just smiled from ear to ear.

Another emotional shoot was when she had to break down after a scene. After I called “cut”, I hugged her and she couldn’t stop crying. She kept whispering, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry. I know now what it means to lose a child. I am so sorry for Ishlu.” I continued holding her.

Getting back to your question: Was it difficult? Not at all. After Ishan died, I spent an entire year doing what I call “grief work”. I took my pain in my own hands and I just sat with it. When you do that you transcend your pain, and that’s what happened with me. As a result, I am in a place of complete acceptance of his death and feel his presence with me so much that I don’t miss him.

What’s next for you?
I can’t think of my next film while I am finishing one. All my three films are fresh and original; they are a trilogy in the sense that they are all about close, beautiful mother-child relationships and death. But I think I will end with this subject after this film and move on, perhaps to a comedy. I’ve made people cry enough, I think now I need to make them laugh a lot.

Ready to take her bilingual movie Moothon to Toronto film festival, Sobhita Dhulipala on backing content-driven cinema
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 17, 2019)

It's turning out to be a good year for Sobhita Dhulipala — if she started 2019 with the widely acclaimed web series, Made In India, her latest cinematic endeavour too is a source of pride. Moothon — which also stars Malayalam star Nivin Pauly — will have its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 11.

“The film is part of the special section at TIFF. When I first read the script many years ago, I was blown by it. Now, I am glad that it is getting its due. I am looking forward to showing this film to people at the festival, interacting with the international press and movie aficionados,” says the actor of the Geetu Mohandas-directed venture that revolves around a young child in search of his elder brother.

The bilingual drama (Hindi and Malayalam) has also been selected as the opening film of Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) 2019. Anurag Kashyap, a co-producer on the project, is working on the Hindi dialogues, hoping to meet the October deadline. Stating that the movie beautifully flits from being a crime thriller to a surreal fantasy, Dhulipala adds, “The script is a winner at the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, so the story is credible. These movies deserve a variety of audience and not just a remote release in Kerala.”

Does she feel like a crossover star considering she juggles web series with films across diverse languages? “I am a Vishakapatnam girl who has come to Mumbai. I have learnt Hindi to belong here. Today, we are mix of influences as there is greater inclusivity. The idea of a crossover star is dated. I am neither crossover nor a star yet,” she smiles.

Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 24, 2019)

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Farhan Akhtar starrer The Sky Is Pink is off to a start that most filmmakers only dream of. The Shonali Bose-directed venture will have its world premiere at the Gala presentation of the 44th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 13, joining the likes of Hollywood's acclaimed projects, A Star Is Born (2018) and Green Book (2018), that have previously held the honour.

Deeply attached to the material of The Sky Is Pink, the director is glad that her human drama will be showcased on such a wide platform. "At its core, this is an extraordinary story of what it means to be a family. I am honoured that the film will premiere at TIFF — my third film to premiere there," she exults.

The movie traces the love story of a couple — Aditi and Niren Chaudhary — spanning 25 years, told through the lens of their spunky daughter, Aisha Chaudhary, who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Besides its moving narrative, the movie has also been awaited as it marks Chopra's return to Bollywood after three years.

That she has immense faith in the project is evident by the fact that she decided to co-produce it. "I connected with the story from the minute I heard it, and in Shonali's hands, it has been crafted into a beautiful film that will renew our faith in love and life. It's what led me to not only take on the role of Aditi Chaudhary but also to co-produce it with Ronnie [Screwvala] and Siddharth [Roy Kapur]."

Producer Screwvala says, "It is great to be back, especially after the love we received last year for Mard Ko Dard Nahin Hota. We take great pride in presenting our film at TIFF." Producer Roy Kapur adds, "From the moment Shonali shared this incredible story with us, we knew that it had the potential to resonate with audiences around the world."