Showing posts with label 67th Cannes Film Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 67th Cannes Film Festival. Show all posts
My film on the missing Malaysian plane have hurt sentiments-Rupesh Paul
8:40 AM
Parag Maniar (BOMBAY TIMES; May 30, 2014)
Kamasutra 3D was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. How was the response?
Fantastic.
Fantastic.
Will the film be released in India too?
Yes, however, the release dates will be determined by the distributors.
The trailer of your upcoming film on the missing Malaysian plane MH-370 called The Vanishing Act is said to have sparked off a controversy...
The teaser showed a kissing scene between the crew, which appeared like a love triangle. There were adverse comments from the media for the alleged insensitivity shown.
Did you apologise?
When there were reports saying that the trailer hurt the sentiments of people, especially the relatives of the missing plane, I apologised immediately. See, the movie is based on an investigative report by a Malaysian journalist on what may have happened. Yes, the trailer didn't reflect trauma and I take full responsibility for the lapse. I'll shoot a new trailer as soon as I return from Cannes.
What happened to your project NaMo, which is one of the two movies being made on Narendra Modi?
The project is very much on. In fact, the entire childhood of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is already shot. We had kept the shoot on hold because of the elections, but it will resume anytime soon.
Kamal Sadanah unveils the trailer of his film on Sunderbans' Tigers at Cannes
7:42 AM
Anjali Bhushan (MID-DAY; May 26, 2014)
The name Kamal Sadanah may not ring a bell to many but those who have watched the 1992 film Bekhudi will know that it featured him opposite Kajol. The actor also rose to fame for his film Rang (1993), which starred Divya Bharati. It has emerged that the actor has now reinvented himself in a new avatar. Together with producer Abis Rizvi, he has co-written the film, Roar. He has also directed the film and what’s more, the trailer of his film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
Sadanah says that having lost his sister, mother and father in his early twenties, he was emotionally hit back then. “I may have slowed down but I never really left the industry. I then made Karkash in 2005 and also produced Victoria No 203, both of which didn’t do well at the BO”, he recollects.
But the actor-turned-filmmaker is looking at starting anew with his latest film, Roar, which is set in the territory of the Sunderbans between Bangladesh and India. “I was inspired by the stories of man-eating tigers leaping onto boats. The film is full of larger-than-life sequences, where human beings must come face-to-face with the hostility of nature,” says Sadanah, adding that Oscar-winner Resul Pookutty is the sound designer for the film.
Both Sadanah and Rizvi claim to have attracted an overwhelming response to the trailer of the film at Cannes. “Shooting for the film wasn’t easy. We filmed the cubs in Thailand, the tigers in LA and the actors in the Sunderbans, with studio shots in Mumbai and VFX done in Pune. A team of 250 international crewmembers, living on four ships in the inhabitable Sunderbans, shot in Bangladeshi territory over five weeks. It was a logistical nightmare, but it was well worth it,” says Sadanah.
The name Kamal Sadanah may not ring a bell to many but those who have watched the 1992 film Bekhudi will know that it featured him opposite Kajol. The actor also rose to fame for his film Rang (1993), which starred Divya Bharati. It has emerged that the actor has now reinvented himself in a new avatar. Together with producer Abis Rizvi, he has co-written the film, Roar. He has also directed the film and what’s more, the trailer of his film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
Sadanah says that having lost his sister, mother and father in his early twenties, he was emotionally hit back then. “I may have slowed down but I never really left the industry. I then made Karkash in 2005 and also produced Victoria No 203, both of which didn’t do well at the BO”, he recollects.
But the actor-turned-filmmaker is looking at starting anew with his latest film, Roar, which is set in the territory of the Sunderbans between Bangladesh and India. “I was inspired by the stories of man-eating tigers leaping onto boats. The film is full of larger-than-life sequences, where human beings must come face-to-face with the hostility of nature,” says Sadanah, adding that Oscar-winner Resul Pookutty is the sound designer for the film.
Both Sadanah and Rizvi claim to have attracted an overwhelming response to the trailer of the film at Cannes. “Shooting for the film wasn’t easy. We filmed the cubs in Thailand, the tigers in LA and the actors in the Sunderbans, with studio shots in Mumbai and VFX done in Pune. A team of 250 international crewmembers, living on four ships in the inhabitable Sunderbans, shot in Bangladeshi territory over five weeks. It was a logistical nightmare, but it was well worth it,” says Sadanah.
Priyanka Chopra to be approached for Lajjo
9:46 AM
Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 24, 2014)
Last April, Bobby Bedi, the producer of Bandit Queen and Mangal Pandey: The Rising, had announced a film titled Lajjo with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the lead. It was supposed to complete a hat-trick for the star jodi who had earlier been paired in 3 Idiots and Talaash. A R Rahman was to compose the music with lyrics by Gulzar. And Rensil D'Silva was working on the script.
But the Partition drama didn't roll. According to a source, "The film was based on the works of the famous Urdu playwright, Ismat Chughtai. The reason it didn't go on the floor was because of a dispute over the story rights."
Now, Mirror has learnt that Bedi and T P Aggarwal, who are currently at the Cannes Film Festival, have locked a deal to revive the project. Aggarwal will co-produce the film and Bedi will direct it.
Added the source, "The earlier dispute has now been settled with Bedi having officially bought the rights."
Confirming the news, Aggarwal told Mirror from the French Riviera, "I am happy that Lajjo is finally happening. We should have the cast in place within four months. We don't have anyone in mind for the male lead yet but we plan to approach Priyanka (Chopra) to play the heroine as soon as she is back in town. I have no clue know about Kareena being in talks for the role earlier."
Do B-Town filmmakers really benefit from the Cannes Film Festival?
9:27 AM
From left: Actor Lalit Behl, Ranveer Shorey, YRF’s Avtar Panesar, director Kanu Behl, actor Shashank Arora and Guneet Monga at a photo call for their film, Titli, at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. Titli is the only Indian film in contention for an award at the fest. Pic/PTI - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/do-b-town-filmmakers-really-benefit-from-the-cannes-film-festival/15321174#sthash.6z1M1UlI.dpuf
From
left: Actor Lalit Behl, Ranveer Shorey, YRF’s Avtar Panesar, director
Kanu Behl, actor Shashank Arora and Guneet Monga at a photo call for
their film, Titli, at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. Titli is the
only Indian film in contention for an award at the fest. Pic/PTI - See
more at:
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/do-b-town-filmmakers-really-benefit-from-the-cannes-film-festival/15321174#sthash.6z1M1UlI.dpuf
Even though half of Bollywood ends up at Cannes Film Festival every year, the returns from the film festival are said to be disturbingly low. Is the festival bringing good returns or is it just a matter of prestige to be there?
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; May 23, 2014)
At the Cannes film festival that is currently
underway, red carpet appearances by Indian beauties once again grabbed
the headlines. Like every year, there has been a steady stream of
delegates from B-Town who find themselves at the French Riviera — where
they pose for pictures, if nothing else. This has been so because Cannes
is not just about competition; the festival offers scope for exploring
new markets and that’s a race our industrywallahs don’t wish to be left
behind in. The fact remains that it has been more than six decades since
an Indian film bagged the top honour there.
All of which begs the question: is all the brouhaha worth it in the end? Do filmmakers get decent returns after spending huge amounts on exhibiting their films at the festival in the non-competitive categories? Turns out the answers are not really straightforward. But there is an underlying hope to do better, regardless of the film’s fate.
Indian premieres
Dibakar Banerjee, co-producer of Titli, the only Indian feature film in contention for an award this year, doesn’t sound worried about the film’s business prospects — at least for now. “Films and their market are interlinked and festivals act as a medium between the two. That’s also why we thought Titli should premiere at Cannes. We feel that it’s the best possible launch pad for the film. It is in the competitive category so obviously, it’s going to attract the best possible distributors.”
The competition category does get more eyeballs although Indian films have peripheral channels too. Like setting up stalls at the festival and hoping to find interested parties and territories. That’s one of the reasons why run-of-the-mill films like Shortcut Romeo, Kites and Hissss manage to get screened.
Making waves
Not very long ago, there was a stigma attached to the film fest circuit. But there’s no doubt that now there’s a sudden rise in Hindi films being screened at film festivals.
Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely — which was screened at Cannes in 2012 — followed a slightly different route. Although the film hardly created waves upon its release in India, he managed to sell its theatrical rights in many territories, including the US, where the film will release on June 20, 2014. The film was also sold to distributors in Europe, including France and Eastern Europe as well as Latin America. Thanks to it screening at Cannes, Fortissimo Films sold the film in new markets such as Japan and Taiwan.
Ask him whether the hype about Cannes is for real and Ahluwalia chooses to play it safe. “I can’t comment on other films, but having Miss Lovely in the official competition category at Cannes was helped boost my film’s international sales. I would say that it was an essential platform for my film.”
Last year, DAR Motion Pictures, with films like The Lunchbox, Ugly and Monsoon Shootout, attended Cannes. All three ventures were premiered at the event although none were slated to win a major award. In such a scenario, business must be the motive, right? Wrong. According to Vivek Rangachari, producer at DAR, it’s too early to discuss profits. “It will take years before we talk about money. We have a long way to go before we stand shoulder to shoulder with international films. It won’t happen overnight anyway. Cannes might look like a glitzy event but it’s all about business. And that happens in the background with the sales agents, distributors and publicists from across the globe at work,” says Rangachari.
Wider reach
Director Anand Gandhi of The Ship of Theseus fame is currently working on his second cinematic venture, Tumbad. Interestingly, Ruchi Bhimani, the film’s producer, is at Cannes and she has an agenda on her mind; she’s scouting for suitable co-producers for the film. “The whole industry lands up there. The curiosity surrounding Indian films is recent and it has to be generated regularly because of the opportunities that lie ahead. It’s the same old question: How am I going to make my next film? Who’s going to watch it and how will I reach out to more people in different territories? Once you find people willing to back you, money is going to follow,” says Gandhi.
Obscure figures
Having shown three films at Cannes, including Bombay Talkies, Ugly and The Lunchbox, Anurag Kashyap is another regular at Cannes. He’s clearly in favour of the current trend. He believes that the event does help cinema — both art house as well as the commercial variety. “I don’t think the Cannes film festival is overrated. For instance, I don’t think people had any idea about how much business The Lunchbox did. Let me tell you that it’s much more than our mainstream films.”
Indeed, the latest buzz says that it has replaced Indonesian blockbuster The Raid 2 as the most profitable non-American film in the USA. But at the same time, getting the exact box office figures for this Ritesh Batra film has become quite a task.
Kashyap explains that when you sell a film’s worldwide rights to a distribution company, the company will exploit the film’s potential and they aren’t transparent about its collections. So we don’t get to read the exact figures. There are many companies that have their own overseas distribution houses. Why are they running them if these films are not making any money overseas? The answer is pretty simple. "They make money but they just don’t report the figures,” he says.
All about the business
Trade analyst Komal Nahta says that when production houses or filmmakers set up stalls at Cannes in a bid to lure international distributors, they end up shelling out a hefty sum of money. “It’s more of an investment for the future. If a film sells well, great. If not, it’s a loss for the makers. But that’s what this business is all about — it’s a gamble,” he says.
Then again, not all Indian films manage to get to Cannes, despite many makers trying their best to showcase their work there. Director Ajay Bahl knows a thing or two about it. His film, BA Pass, missed the deadline for Cannes last year. He eventually released the film in India instead of waiting for one more year. “Getting selected in the competitive categories is the way to go for any film — be it Indian or international. Setting up a stall to sell a film in international territories, on the other hand, could be a cumbersome task,” he says.
(with inputs from Asira Tarannum)
All of which begs the question: is all the brouhaha worth it in the end? Do filmmakers get decent returns after spending huge amounts on exhibiting their films at the festival in the non-competitive categories? Turns out the answers are not really straightforward. But there is an underlying hope to do better, regardless of the film’s fate.
Indian premieres
Dibakar Banerjee, co-producer of Titli, the only Indian feature film in contention for an award this year, doesn’t sound worried about the film’s business prospects — at least for now. “Films and their market are interlinked and festivals act as a medium between the two. That’s also why we thought Titli should premiere at Cannes. We feel that it’s the best possible launch pad for the film. It is in the competitive category so obviously, it’s going to attract the best possible distributors.”
The competition category does get more eyeballs although Indian films have peripheral channels too. Like setting up stalls at the festival and hoping to find interested parties and territories. That’s one of the reasons why run-of-the-mill films like Shortcut Romeo, Kites and Hissss manage to get screened.
Making waves
Not very long ago, there was a stigma attached to the film fest circuit. But there’s no doubt that now there’s a sudden rise in Hindi films being screened at film festivals.
Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely — which was screened at Cannes in 2012 — followed a slightly different route. Although the film hardly created waves upon its release in India, he managed to sell its theatrical rights in many territories, including the US, where the film will release on June 20, 2014. The film was also sold to distributors in Europe, including France and Eastern Europe as well as Latin America. Thanks to it screening at Cannes, Fortissimo Films sold the film in new markets such as Japan and Taiwan.
Ask him whether the hype about Cannes is for real and Ahluwalia chooses to play it safe. “I can’t comment on other films, but having Miss Lovely in the official competition category at Cannes was helped boost my film’s international sales. I would say that it was an essential platform for my film.”
Last year, DAR Motion Pictures, with films like The Lunchbox, Ugly and Monsoon Shootout, attended Cannes. All three ventures were premiered at the event although none were slated to win a major award. In such a scenario, business must be the motive, right? Wrong. According to Vivek Rangachari, producer at DAR, it’s too early to discuss profits. “It will take years before we talk about money. We have a long way to go before we stand shoulder to shoulder with international films. It won’t happen overnight anyway. Cannes might look like a glitzy event but it’s all about business. And that happens in the background with the sales agents, distributors and publicists from across the globe at work,” says Rangachari.
Wider reach
Director Anand Gandhi of The Ship of Theseus fame is currently working on his second cinematic venture, Tumbad. Interestingly, Ruchi Bhimani, the film’s producer, is at Cannes and she has an agenda on her mind; she’s scouting for suitable co-producers for the film. “The whole industry lands up there. The curiosity surrounding Indian films is recent and it has to be generated regularly because of the opportunities that lie ahead. It’s the same old question: How am I going to make my next film? Who’s going to watch it and how will I reach out to more people in different territories? Once you find people willing to back you, money is going to follow,” says Gandhi.
Obscure figures
Having shown three films at Cannes, including Bombay Talkies, Ugly and The Lunchbox, Anurag Kashyap is another regular at Cannes. He’s clearly in favour of the current trend. He believes that the event does help cinema — both art house as well as the commercial variety. “I don’t think the Cannes film festival is overrated. For instance, I don’t think people had any idea about how much business The Lunchbox did. Let me tell you that it’s much more than our mainstream films.”
Indeed, the latest buzz says that it has replaced Indonesian blockbuster The Raid 2 as the most profitable non-American film in the USA. But at the same time, getting the exact box office figures for this Ritesh Batra film has become quite a task.
Kashyap explains that when you sell a film’s worldwide rights to a distribution company, the company will exploit the film’s potential and they aren’t transparent about its collections. So we don’t get to read the exact figures. There are many companies that have their own overseas distribution houses. Why are they running them if these films are not making any money overseas? The answer is pretty simple. "They make money but they just don’t report the figures,” he says.
All about the business
Trade analyst Komal Nahta says that when production houses or filmmakers set up stalls at Cannes in a bid to lure international distributors, they end up shelling out a hefty sum of money. “It’s more of an investment for the future. If a film sells well, great. If not, it’s a loss for the makers. But that’s what this business is all about — it’s a gamble,” he says.
Then again, not all Indian films manage to get to Cannes, despite many makers trying their best to showcase their work there. Director Ajay Bahl knows a thing or two about it. His film, BA Pass, missed the deadline for Cannes last year. He eventually released the film in India instead of waiting for one more year. “Getting selected in the competitive categories is the way to go for any film — be it Indian or international. Setting up a stall to sell a film in international territories, on the other hand, could be a cumbersome task,” he says.
(with inputs from Asira Tarannum)
If
one had to consider box office collections, admission and screen counts
across the world, only India has not been able to win top honours at
Cannes over the past five years. - See more at:
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/do-b-town-filmmakers-really-benefit-from-the-cannes-film-festival/15321174#sthash.6z1M1UlI.dpuf
Sanjay Gupta's next to be Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's comeback film?
8:04 AM
Upala KBR (DNA; May 16, 2014)
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is all set to make a comeback in a stunningly different role in Sanjay Gupta’s next. The film is said to be an action thriller and the announcement will be made in Cannes.
Says a source, “While most people are assuming that Aishwarya’s next will be Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film — a spy thriller — she has gone ahead and signed her first Bollywood film for her comeback. She has been wanting to sink her teeth into such a fabulous role, so when Gupta met her with the role she took hardly a second to say yes. It’s an action thriller and Ash is the female lead. It’s not a typical song-and-dance film, Ash may have shades of grey in the movie. It’s something she is very excited about. Shooting starts in the next couple of months.”
Gupta has worked with both Amitabh (Kaante) and Abhishek Bachchan (Shootout At Lokhandwala); he will be working with the latter in his next venture as well. Seems the circle is complete with Ash’s comeback film.
Aishwarya stranded in London; might not be able to walk red carpet today at Cannes?
8:03 AM
Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; May 16, 2014)
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was spotted at the Mumbai airport on Wednesday night along with her daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan, and mother, Vrinda Rai. The actress had left for the Cannes film festival, but it has emerged that she is now stuck in London due to an airline strike.
"Aishwarya was supposed to reach France today and walk the red carpet, but due to a strike by Air France, she hasn’t been able to fly out of London. There is no clarity as of now about when she will reach Cannes. She had to walk the red carpet on May 16 and 17, but it looks like she may have to do so on other days due to this delay,” says the source.
Aishwarya made her first appearance at the fest in 2002 along with Shah Rukh Khan for the promotion of their film, Devdas. Since then, she has been a regular at the festival. Now it remains to be seen if she will make it to this year’s fest on time.
This year will also see Abhishek Bachchan giving company to Ash; last year, the actress had attended the fest sans her husband. It is being said that the actor will apparently join Aishwarya on May 22, when the couple is scheduled to attend the amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research) dinner together.
Kamasutra 3D director Rupesh Paul to showcase five films at Cannes
8:00 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (May 16, 2014)
Rupesh Paul, who made
Kamasutra 3D, is attend ing the 67th Festival De Cannes (Cannes
Film Festival) with five movies, all made under his banner Rupesh
Paul Productions.
Says he, “This my fifth consecutive year at Cannes and I will be showcasing four movies, apart from Kamasutra 3D. While 36 MM 3D is Marilyn Monroe's biopic, The Monologues Of A Sex Maniac is about a boy feeling lost in a sexually resurgent India. Savita Barbie, a thriller, revolves around two warring gangs of the Mumbai under world. The Vanishing Act: The l Untold Story Of The Missing Malaysian Plane is a fictional account of what may have l happened aboard a plane that, recently went missing over the waters of Indian Ocean."
The filmmaker adds, “I will also hold a party for the Indian delegates there on May 18.“
Says he, “This my fifth consecutive year at Cannes and I will be showcasing four movies, apart from Kamasutra 3D. While 36 MM 3D is Marilyn Monroe's biopic, The Monologues Of A Sex Maniac is about a boy feeling lost in a sexually resurgent India. Savita Barbie, a thriller, revolves around two warring gangs of the Mumbai under world. The Vanishing Act: The l Untold Story Of The Missing Malaysian Plane is a fictional account of what may have l happened aboard a plane that, recently went missing over the waters of Indian Ocean."
The filmmaker adds, “I will also hold a party for the Indian delegates there on May 18.“
A look at the Indian films that have been screened at the Cannes over the years
7:43 AM
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; May 15, 2014)
The 67th edition of the Cannes film festival kicked off yesterday with the screening of the Nicole Kidman-starrer, Grace of Monaco.
Uday Chopra happens to be one of the producers of this biopic. However, he’s not the only Indian face at the French Riviera this year. Along with the usual dose of Bollywood glamour (read: Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor and many more), this year will see director Kanu Behl keeping his fingers crossed even as his film Titli competes in the Camera d’Or category, which acknowledges the best debut effort.
Interestingly, over the years, several films have been screened at Cannes but none have won an award in the competitive categories. hitlist takes you down the memory lane to look at films from India that were not only screened at the prestigious film fest but also won laurels...
'Neecha Nagar' (1946)
Director: Chetan Anand
The lowdown: When the Cannes Film Festival was held for the first time after the World War II in 1946, this Hindi film bagged the Palm d’Or (Golden Palm) along with 10 other entries from around the world.
'Do Bigha Zamin' (1953)
Director: Bimal Roy
The lowdown: Heavily inspired by Bicycle Thieves (1948), this Bengali film — starring Balraj Sahni and Nirupa Roy in leading roles — won the Golden Palm along with eight other movies.
'Boot Polish' (1954)
Director: Prakash Arora
The lowdown: A Raj Kapoor production, the film’s socialist approach was difficult to ignore but its story won the audiences over. To add to this, the festival made a special mention of child actress Naaz who rendered a heartwarming performance in the film.
'Pather Panchali' (1955)Director: Satyajit Ray
The lowdown: This film is counted among Ray’s best works. At the Cannes film fest, it unanimously won the Best Human Document award.
'Gotoma the Buddha' (1956)
Director: Rajbans Khanna
The lowdown: The film’s title may have not been conventional but its message was clear. This feted documentary was nominated for Palm d’Or and it won a special mention for the director who, interestingly, never made another film.
'Kharij' (1982)Director: Mrinal Sen
The lowdown: This Bengali film was nominated for the Palm d’Or, which was won by the Japanese film, The Ballad of Narayama. However, Sen didn’t return home emptyhanded as he was awarded the Jury Prize.
'Salaam Bombay!' (1988)
Director: Mira Nair
The lowdown: Before it became the second Indian film to be nominated by the Academy, this Camera d’Or (Golden Camera) winning film bowled over critics as well as the public at Cannes.
'Piravi' (1989)
Director: Shaji N. Karun
The lowdown: Just a year after Salaam Bombay! took the honours, this Malayalam feature film — it deals with rural and urban disparity — earned a special mention in the Camera d’Or category.
'Marana Simhasanam' (1999)Director: Murali Nair
The lowdown: This Malayalam film threw light on the relationship between elections and idiocy in the country. It won the Camera d’Or — a feat yet to be repeated by an Indian film.
'The Lunchbox' (2013)
Director: Ritesh Batra
The lowdown: Although it didn’t win a major award in the competition category at the 66th Cannes Film Festival, it bagged the Grand Rail d’Or.
Filmmakers speak out: Why aren’t we winning top honours lately?
Dibakar Banerjee, producer of Titli
"I haven’t had the time to think about it. Maybe because it’s not an important issue."
Goutam Ghose, filmmaker
"It’s unfortunate because our films haven’t really matched the standards set by the Cannes jury. Of late, there have been many interesting Indian films but the question has always been the same: How rooted to Indianness are they?"
Buddhadeb Dasgupta, filmmaker
"There is no dearth of good films in our country but how many make it to Cannes, or for that matter, other international festivals? Maybe the required channels for such films are missing and that should be our concern."
Govind Nihalani, filmmaker
"To win an award at a film festival, your film should be in the competitive category. In the past few years, we’ve read about films travelling to Cannes, but I don’t think many were competing for awards. So winning anything big is out of the question."
"I haven’t had the time to think about it. Maybe because it’s not an important issue."
Goutam Ghose, filmmaker
"It’s unfortunate because our films haven’t really matched the standards set by the Cannes jury. Of late, there have been many interesting Indian films but the question has always been the same: How rooted to Indianness are they?"
Buddhadeb Dasgupta, filmmaker
"There is no dearth of good films in our country but how many make it to Cannes, or for that matter, other international festivals? Maybe the required channels for such films are missing and that should be our concern."
Govind Nihalani, filmmaker
"To win an award at a film festival, your film should be in the competitive category. In the past few years, we’ve read about films travelling to Cannes, but I don’t think many were competing for awards. So winning anything big is out of the question."
Dibakar-YRF's Titli only Indian film selected for Cannes Film Fest
8:39 AM
Shubha Shetty-Saha (MID-DAY; May 1, 2014)
Titli is the first film to be selected in the Un Certain Regard section at
this year’s Cannes film festival. It is the only selection from India
this year. Interestingly, Titli, a story of a family set in Delhi’s
dystopic underbelly, is the directorial debut of Kanu Behl and has been
produced by Dibakar Banerjee along with Yash Raj Films.
This is the first time that Dibakar has produced a film that he hasn’t directed. Behl and Banerjee go a long way back; Behl worked with the latter as the assistant director in his debut directorial venture, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. Behl, who worked on the script for almost two years before he could impress Dibakar and rope him in as the producer, says it is yet to sink in that his debut film is winning accolades.
He says, “I was writing something else earlier and Dibakar was not very happy with it. So I took six months off to assess what I really wanted to write. I looked inward and thought about what could be my most honest expression of a story; something personal, something I am angry about… something I want to scream out loud about. In 2011, I was ready with the story and soon I started working on its draft. Once I was convinced with my work, I approached Dibakar. He was excited and he said that this needs to be made right now.”
Behl also found the ideal producer in Banerjee as “he not only protected me from the other commercial aspects of the film, but also believed in the script so much so that he would bring me back on track whenever I lost my way.”
Dibakar, however, says he was most reluctant to produce a film other than his own. “I have always tried running away from this production business. I envy people like Anurag Kashyap who can invest their energy like that. Kanu insisted that I should produce his film, but his earlier script didn’t work for me. When he came back with the script of Titli, it was startling and original. I was completely sold on the script and Kanu was pretty clever in wanting me to produce the film. Then when the script went for the Script Lab, it was one of the hottest properties there. There were quite a few producers who were interested in taking it up. But I must say that by producing this film, I have grown as a filmmaker. It was a mutually rewarding process,” he says.
Titli is the first film to be selected in the Un Certain Regard section at
this year’s Cannes film festival. It is the only selection from India
this year. Interestingly, Titli, a story of a family set in Delhi’s
dystopic underbelly, is the directorial debut of Kanu Behl and has been
produced by Dibakar Banerjee along with Yash Raj Films.This is the first time that Dibakar has produced a film that he hasn’t directed. Behl and Banerjee go a long way back; Behl worked with the latter as the assistant director in his debut directorial venture, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. Behl, who worked on the script for almost two years before he could impress Dibakar and rope him in as the producer, says it is yet to sink in that his debut film is winning accolades.
He says, “I was writing something else earlier and Dibakar was not very happy with it. So I took six months off to assess what I really wanted to write. I looked inward and thought about what could be my most honest expression of a story; something personal, something I am angry about… something I want to scream out loud about. In 2011, I was ready with the story and soon I started working on its draft. Once I was convinced with my work, I approached Dibakar. He was excited and he said that this needs to be made right now.”
Behl also found the ideal producer in Banerjee as “he not only protected me from the other commercial aspects of the film, but also believed in the script so much so that he would bring me back on track whenever I lost my way.”
Dibakar, however, says he was most reluctant to produce a film other than his own. “I have always tried running away from this production business. I envy people like Anurag Kashyap who can invest their energy like that. Kanu insisted that I should produce his film, but his earlier script didn’t work for me. When he came back with the script of Titli, it was startling and original. I was completely sold on the script and Kanu was pretty clever in wanting me to produce the film. Then when the script went for the Script Lab, it was one of the hottest properties there. There were quite a few producers who were interested in taking it up. But I must say that by producing this film, I have grown as a filmmaker. It was a mutually rewarding process,” he says.
Do films, acclaimed at prestigious festivals, make a recovery for it's makers?
8:30 AM
Shakti Shetty (MID-DAY; May 1, 2014)
67th Cannes Film Festival is slated to commence from May 14 onwards and as has been the case over the past few years, the presence of Indian films — even if not Bollywood — will be duly noted this time too.
Last year, Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox won the Grand Rail d'Or before winning rave reviews in other film festivals and releasing in India. In fact, it went on to become the highest grossing foreign language film in the US in 2014. Here was a rather rare case of an Indian film not only earning recognition on an international platform but also successfully translating it into commercial gains.
This begs the question: What happens to the majority of films from India that do the rounds of film festivals? Do the filmmakers earn much in the long run? Not really, says Vikramjit Roy, general manager, National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC). He says, “A film like The Lunchbox created a new benchmark because it had the potential to engage audiences at film festivals. But in the international market, a film’s success depends entirely on its quality. If a film has universal charm, then it’s going to get eyeballs even in non-NRI areas. What else can explain The Lunchbox’s screening and subsequent popularity in so many countries?” It’s worth noting that The Lunchbox released in India much after its festival run.
Hansal Mehta’s Shahid, Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus and Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely too tasted fame in the festival circuit before winning favour among the masses. Vasan Bala’s Peddlers, however, hasn’t been so fortunate. After premiering at Cannes in 2012, the crime thriller is yet to release in India.
Reach over profit?
On being asked whether the festival circuit helped him financially, Bala shrugs saying that it’s a matter of perception more than statistics. “A film sent to a film festival may or may not make considerable amount of profit but the primary idea is to seek an audience. If my country doesn’t want my film, I’ll search for eyeballs somewhere else. And all this while, I can’t keep looking at the accounts. I will keep moving ahead.”
Ahluwalia takes a more holistic approach though. “You don’t send a movie to a film festival with the sole objective of reaping profits. Sometimes, it’s solely about prestige.”
Win-win for everyone
However, that is not to say that producers don’t seek a proper Friday release. In fact, thanks to increasing awareness about film festivals, these challenges are being met head on by filmmakers.
For instance, Ship of Theseus, which recently won the National Award for Best Feature Film, began its journey at the Toronto Film Festival in 2012. Gandhi is grateful to the festival machinery as it helped him build the momentum. But he points out that there’s much more to overseas screenings than instant commercial advantage. “Film festivals give us access to international markets. The idea is to make audiences watch a different kind of cinema. A film festival also lends a film much needed visibility that might just help in making more money,” says the 33-year-old filmmaker.
Meenakshi Shedde, film critic and film festival curator, states that film festivals are all about the profit. “Sadly, in our country, we think every festival-hopping film is non-commercial. This mentality is the reason why we are left behind in the global markets, especially in the non-diaspora countries. All over the world, film fests help increase box returns. After all, film festivals are meant to benefit both sides — the festival organisers as well as the filmmakers,” she says.
67th Cannes Film Festival is slated to commence from May 14 onwards and as has been the case over the past few years, the presence of Indian films — even if not Bollywood — will be duly noted this time too.
Last year, Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox won the Grand Rail d'Or before winning rave reviews in other film festivals and releasing in India. In fact, it went on to become the highest grossing foreign language film in the US in 2014. Here was a rather rare case of an Indian film not only earning recognition on an international platform but also successfully translating it into commercial gains.
This begs the question: What happens to the majority of films from India that do the rounds of film festivals? Do the filmmakers earn much in the long run? Not really, says Vikramjit Roy, general manager, National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC). He says, “A film like The Lunchbox created a new benchmark because it had the potential to engage audiences at film festivals. But in the international market, a film’s success depends entirely on its quality. If a film has universal charm, then it’s going to get eyeballs even in non-NRI areas. What else can explain The Lunchbox’s screening and subsequent popularity in so many countries?” It’s worth noting that The Lunchbox released in India much after its festival run.
Hansal Mehta’s Shahid, Anand Gandhi’s Ship of Theseus and Ashim Ahluwalia’s Miss Lovely too tasted fame in the festival circuit before winning favour among the masses. Vasan Bala’s Peddlers, however, hasn’t been so fortunate. After premiering at Cannes in 2012, the crime thriller is yet to release in India.
Reach over profit?
On being asked whether the festival circuit helped him financially, Bala shrugs saying that it’s a matter of perception more than statistics. “A film sent to a film festival may or may not make considerable amount of profit but the primary idea is to seek an audience. If my country doesn’t want my film, I’ll search for eyeballs somewhere else. And all this while, I can’t keep looking at the accounts. I will keep moving ahead.”
Ahluwalia takes a more holistic approach though. “You don’t send a movie to a film festival with the sole objective of reaping profits. Sometimes, it’s solely about prestige.”
Win-win for everyone
However, that is not to say that producers don’t seek a proper Friday release. In fact, thanks to increasing awareness about film festivals, these challenges are being met head on by filmmakers.
For instance, Ship of Theseus, which recently won the National Award for Best Feature Film, began its journey at the Toronto Film Festival in 2012. Gandhi is grateful to the festival machinery as it helped him build the momentum. But he points out that there’s much more to overseas screenings than instant commercial advantage. “Film festivals give us access to international markets. The idea is to make audiences watch a different kind of cinema. A film festival also lends a film much needed visibility that might just help in making more money,” says the 33-year-old filmmaker.
Meenakshi Shedde, film critic and film festival curator, states that film festivals are all about the profit. “Sadly, in our country, we think every festival-hopping film is non-commercial. This mentality is the reason why we are left behind in the global markets, especially in the non-diaspora countries. All over the world, film fests help increase box returns. After all, film festivals are meant to benefit both sides — the festival organisers as well as the filmmakers,” she says.
Katrina Kaif chooses to shoot for film with Ranbir over red carpet walk in Cannes?
8:09 AM
Upala KBR (DNA; April 2, 2014)
Most actresses would give their teeth, nails and probably eyes too, to get the chance to walk on the red carpet in front of the entire international media at the biggest party of the year — the Cannes Film Festival. But Katrina Kaif is not like most actresses. For her, work has, and will always come first. The actress, who shares the tag of the Most Professional Actress with Priyanka Chopra, has decided to give up the opportunity to woo the foreign press for a chance to woo Ranbir Kapoor on screen.
Says an insider, “She has recently signed up with the cosmetic brand L’Oreal. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor and Frieda Pinto, who endorse L’Oreal, make the annual trip to Cannes to fulfil their commitment to the brand. This year would have been the first time for Kat but when the brand managers requested her presence there, she made it clear that she was not available on those dates as they clashed with her shooting of Jagga Jasoos with Ranbir. It didn’t take her a minute to refuse the opportunity.” The Cannes Film Festival (to be held in May this year), plays host to a number of international and Bollywood celebrities.
The brand did not give up easily. They tried to cajole, request and even pressurise the actress to visit Cannes, but Kat was adamant. A friend of the actress adds, “Katrina and Ranbir patched up recently and she is not going to botch anything up for that. It will be a good time for both RK and Kat to spend some time together on the sets away from prying eyes. Apart from work, spending time with her beau is important to her. Recently, she even flew to Sri Lanka, where he was shooting, a couple of times. Even though she was disappointed that she couldn’t walk the red carpet in Cannes, Kat is looking forward to beginning shooting with RK again.”
Katrina confirms, “I am shooting three films now — Jagga Jasoos, Bang Bang and Phantom. I am dying with no dates. It’s true every actress endorsing the brand has walked the red carpet, I too wanted to do it and I tried my best but couldn’t. Though I am shooting both for Bang Bang and Jagga Jasoos in May, during the Cannes Film Festival, I will be shooting for Jagga. I would have liked to go for L’Oreal as they are the hosts and very nice people but it wasn’t possible.”
YRF’s Hollywood film Grace Of Monaco to open the 67th Cannes Film Festival
7:46 AM
Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; February 6, 2014)
Grace Of Monaco, the film starring Nicole Kidman, which has been co- produced by Yash Raj Films, has been officially chosen to open the 67th Cannes Film Festival in May this year.
According to the official website of the Cannes Film Festival, the world preview of the film will take place on May 14 in the official selection category, Out of Competition.
Helmed by French filmmaker Olivier Dahan, the biopic is based on the life of American actress and Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly. The film centres around her life after she married Prince Rainier III in 1956. It was shot for 16 weeks in Monaco, south of France, Paris, Vintimille, Gand and Bruxelles.
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