Showing posts with label Chaitanya Tamhane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chaitanya Tamhane. Show all posts
Chaitanya Tamhane on lack of support to indie filmmakers: "Stars can do one for the kitchen, one for the soul"
9:35 AM
As he turns producer with Next, Please, National Award-winning director Chaitanya Tamhane rues the lack of institutional support for indie filmmakers; urges India’s top stars to empower the community
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 24, 2025)
It’s hard for a new voice to be heard in the Indian film industry. Director Chaitanya Tamhane of The Disciple (2021) fame knows this all too well. That’s why he has turned producer for Next, Please, a short film directed by Rishav Kapoor that explores modern relationships through the lens of virtual reality.
“If I can support other voices and make projects materialise, why not? There are a bunch of films that I’m involved with unofficially,” says Tamhane, happy that he gave the reins of the short film, written by him, to Kapoor.
The past year has been wonderful for independent cinema. Girls Will Be Girls won two awards at the Sundance Film Festival, while Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. But Tamhane emphasizes that indie filmmakers aren’t empowered in India.
“There is no institutional support for most of these films. Independent creators could always do with more support. Documentaries from India have been nominated for the Oscars, but the mainstream film industry isn’t even aware of them. They are living in a different world. I’m sure actors can help in a big way, especially in India where everything is so star-heavy and star-obsessed. It’s the responsibility of these stars to support good projects and independent voices. You can always do one for the kitchen, and one for the soul.”
With Next, Please—starring Jim Sarbh, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Shardul Bharadwaj—Tamhane wanted to marry several ideas while telling the story of a dating club. “On dating apps, people put up their best versions. People are being judged on shallow factors like their pictures, outfits and where they travel whereas that person’s reality is different. I also wanted [to explore] the illusion of choice where people believe there is someone better out there and they keep going on dates,” he explains.
Tamhane is already working on his next, which is being produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón. “We’re trying to raise funds for it,” says the director. When we express surprise that a film that boasts an Oscar winner and a National Award winner is struggling to raise funds, Tamhane laments, “It’s still difficult because it’s an Indian film. I took two-and-a-half years to write it, then another year to do several drafts. I was one of the five shortlisted candidates for the Rolex Mentorship Program. In the final round, Alfonso was to select one person. I was sure I had no chance. We met in a restaurant in London, and he mentioned Andheri, Bandra and he was like an India expert. It felt so comfortable. He then selected me, and that friendship is now nine years old. I feel blessed to have him as a mentor and producer.”
When Paatal Lok 2 got pushed, I had no work. I got nervous, says Three of Us director Avinash Arun
8:13 AM
Helming a tender love story in Three of Us, Killa director Avinash says Shefali-starrer is his attempt to revive Mukherjee’s brand of cinema
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; October 31, 2023)
Sometimes, a seeming loss turns into an unexpected gain. That’s what happened with Avinash Arun. When the production of Paatal Lok’s second season was delayed due to the pandemic, the director had no idea that it would lead to the creation of Three Of Us. “When Paatal Lok 2 got pushed, I had no work. I got nervous. One night, after meeting director Chaitanya Tamhane, I got so inspired that I returned home and started writing. Within a week, my two friends, Arpita Chatterjee and Omkar Barve, and I wrote the screenplay for Three Of Us,” recounts the director.
What followed was a smooth ride as lead actors Shefali Shah, Jaideep Ahlawat and Swanand Kirkire, dialogue writers Varun Grover and Shoaib Nazeer came on board quickly, and the film was ready to roll in three months. It reminded Arun that when a movie is destined to be made, things fall in place.
“When I sent the first draft of the screenplay to Shefali, she replied, ‘I am on.’ After I sent the dialogue draft to Jaideep, he video-called me and said, ‘This is so beautiful. I am doing it.’”
Arun is aware that things are usually harder than this. After all, it took him eight years to get his second feature film as a director, even though his debut feature Killa (2015) earned a National Film Award. But he agrees that the stupendous success of Paatal Lok has given him an impetus. Now, as he presents an unrequited love story with Three Of Us, the director wants to bring forth the lost magic of films rooted in simplicity.
“I miss those times when Hrishikesh Mukherjee films were mainstream. We have grown up watching films by him, Sai Paranjpye, Basu Chatterjee and Gulzar saab. Such stories are gone. So, this is my attempt to get that genre back to the mainstream.”
The Disciple doesn’t require any prior knowledge or familiarity with the world of Indian classical music-Chaitanya Tamhane
8:46 AM
Winning rave reviews for The Disciple, director Chaitanya Tamhane says movie is not designed only for lovers of Indian classical music
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; May 11, 2021)
Chaitanya Tamhane’s latest film, The Disciple, is being lauded for treading the path where few filmmakers have dared to go — into the world of Hindustani classical music. With his astute storytelling and protagonist Sharad Nerulkar’s journey, the director has shown how the pursuit of excellence in the field, considered almost sacred, can be deeply agonising and sometimes even fruitless.
While some believe that the movie’s setting may appeal only to a niche audience, Tamhane argues that the central theme is universal. “It took me four years of continuous and dedicated work, including two years of research, to make The Disciple. The film doesn’t require any prior knowledge or familiarity with the world of Indian classical music. Its themes connect to emotions I have found to be universal in life, no matter where in the world. For me, the viewer’s gradual discovery of this world is a big part of the narrative. I definitely didn’t have an audience of experts in mind when telling this story,” he shares.
The Netflix film did India proud by winning the FIPRESCI International Critics Award and the Best Screenplay award at the 77th Venice Film Festival. Tamhane says that he wanted to offer an authentic representation of the music world. “It was especially challenging to design and shoot the musical performances in the film. At the same time, we didn’t want to misrepresent the music, or allow its essence and relationship with time to be altered as a compromise. We prioritised Sharad’s inner world and his emotional responses as he performed the music. We made his face and eyes communicate [his feelings].”
In my 20s, all my auditions were for a best friend-Vivek Gomber
8:13 AM
Vivek Gomber, who set hearts aflutter in Sir, and is producer of the recent toast of critics The Disciple, tells us why he is happy being a “working actor”
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; May 9, 2021)
“I think it was only because the character was written in a certain way that women found him attractive. He was a good guy,” says actor-producer Vivek Gomber of Ashwin, the character he played in Rohena Gera’s Is Love Enough - Sir, which pitted him opposite Tilotama Shome. The quiet and sweet film is about a man of privilege, who after breaking up with his would-be wife, who cheats on him, falls in love with his househelp, Ratna. It could be his soft portrayal of a man who sees a woman beyond her circumstances, or just that he comes across as a genuine and good looking catch, but he has left most female viewers say, “He’s dreamy”.
Gomber says, “I think it was because of how the character showed his vulnerabilities.” It could also be the nice shirts he wears, we tell him, and he laughs, “Yes, I want to thank everyone who made that role such a hit. And my parents!”
Ever since, it seems as if the 41-year-old is everywhere. We first noticed him in 2014 in the award-winning indie film Court, where he first worked with director Chaitanya Tamhane. In the past few months, he has entered our lives repeatedly, in Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy, Pooja Bhatt-fronted Bombay Begums, and now of course as producer of Tamhane’s critical success, The Disciple.
But he has been at it since 2004. Gomber studied acting in Boston, but came to India to be a “working actor”. “I have always just wanted to be part of a conversation. There are many reasons you make it when you make it—you first have to arrive here, and hope to God, that the city is kind to you.”
The actor says like so many others in India, he grew up watching Amitabh Bachchan movies in Jaipur, where he spent his childhood with his banker father. His mother worked in the judiciary. He clarifies that when he says he wanted to be a working actor, he doesn’t mean that he needed a release every year. “It just means you have to be acting, and going for auditions, and meeting people in the know—like directors and casting agents, they need to know who you are. I am just grateful to be part of the conversation. And to be working with someone like Tamhane. Because you can’t work alone.”
Gomber, who started his journey in theatre, went on to act in television, including the popular Zee TV show Astitva - Ek Prem Kahani. “Maybe I didn’t do auditions as well before. I got offered too many best friend roles. In my 20s, all my auditions were for a best friend! How long can you do it?”
It’s finally his time. He says, “When I read Court, I thought it was a great film to engage with. It was very relevant then, and it is even more relevant now. I had thought of nothing except that it could be a way we could learn. And he [Tamhane] is a great director; I wanted to help him,” he says of the film that picked up a National Award and another at the 71st Venice International Film Festival. For now, he is happy that The Disciple is out there for viewers to see, because he thinks that the film is addressing an important issue—celebrating our own music, and showing people the nitty gritties of Indian classical tradition. “I didn’t know much about our music, and now I do. The worlds and the themes Tamhane explores are endless. It’s very important that the movie exists.”
He almost sounds relieved that it’s going to be a while before the audiences see him again. The entertainment industry is on pause, and wants to be safe and take care of its people, Gomber thinks. “We need to recover health-wise, focus on the lockdown, and just get out of the pandemic. But I hope there will be more work. And of course, maybe another Tamhane film, if he will have me.”
I find lots of similarities between cinema, magic and music-Chaitanya Tamhane
7:53 AM
Chaitanya Tamhane's The Disciple opens up the world of Indian classical music with all its rich complexities to cinema audiences. But what does one of its own think of this representation? Carnatic vocalist, writer and activist TM Krishna puts compelling questions to the young, celebrated filmmaker
Sucheta Chakraborty (MID-DAY; May 2, 2021)
Chaitanya Tamhane’s second feature The Disciple, which premiered and won accolades at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival last year, dropped on Netflix last week. The deeply reflective piece of work enters the hallowed spaces of Indian classical music, gently probing themes of devotion, mysticism, spirituality, learning and performance through the character of classical singer Sharad Nerulkar (Aditya Modak), who is inducted into the form by his father, and is desperate to attain mastery and purpose.
mid-day played fly on the wall as Tamhane engaged in conversation with noted Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna, touching on the nuances of the guru-shishya parampara, the true meaning of artistry, Kishori Amonkar, individualism and the weight of history, the pursuit of fame and the rigidity inherent in this historically Brahmanical, middle-class tradition.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
T M Krishna: So, Chaitanya, first of all, thank you for making the film. The first thing that struck me was that it presents a world which is rarely seen and the complexities within it, and in many ways doesn’t judge too many things in that world. That was fundamentally a lovely position to take, because it allows the viewer to view that world with its rough edges, with the sublime existing with the not-so-sublime, and the conflicts therein. I enjoyed the film for its ability to just look at something. As an insider [well, I am an insider, but partially possibly, because I come from the south of the Vindhyas], personally, it reminded me of some of the conversations I had back in the ’90s. It was a little nostalgic there. Even if you’re a listener of the music, this is not a universe you actually see. I think that’s something we forget. Unless you’re really in it, you actually don’t see it, so it’s kind of a microcosm. My first question to you is, what drove you to this subject?
Chaitanya Tamhane: Thank you. Coming from you, it means a lot. I’m a big fan. I’ve attended some of your concerts and have been completely blown away. I have read your writings and followed you online.
I’ve had a weird trajectory with Indian classical music because in my early 20s, I stayed away from this music. I almost had a problem with that world because I wasn’t able to separate the music from these other concepts that surround it like extreme reverence, unquestioning faith, even simple things like touching someone’s feet as an obligation. And then around five years ago, the bug just bit me. Through the years, what has interested me are the qissas, the anecdotes, because I love stories of geniuses and secret knowledge and rare books. So, that really got me in. And then I started listening to the music and experiencing it for what it is.
TMK: Yes. Often, you wonder, what are these stories? You are told these stories which I can bluntly say are factually nonsensical. But the stories carry a lot of things within about the culture that they inhabit. So, a story about an 18th century musician being told within a community will tell you lots of things about the community, about how they perceived the individual, for example.
But I want to start with this whole notion of talent. What is the determinant of talent? If I ask of the protagonist, Sharad, was he a talented singer or was he mediocre? Was he a person trying to live his father’s life? There is the fundamental question about who is judging this talent.
CT: So, that’s the thing. For me, what’s beautiful about any art is that the viewer projects his or her own intuition, imagination and worldview on it. Otherwise it’s a bit boring. I wouldn’t like to kill that mystery for you or anybody who watches the film. It is important for me that [viewers] ask these questions. I wonder, are we judging people for their intent or their ability, because there are people who have great ability, but ill intentions.
TMK: So, if I were to judge him, I’d say he was an average singer, and it was obvious that you were showing that he had limitations, but if you dig a little deeper, that’s probably true of every singer. So, it raises the whole question of how I, as a guru, perceive limitation in a student. Is that in a way also limiting the student? Is Sharad, for example, also limiting himself because of a perception? In the classroom, for example, when he struggles, the guru simply asks him to try again without giving him an idea of how to do so. That was a fascinating part of that [guru-shishya] relationship. It made me think of what I do with my students. Sometimes, you use a template and you presume that it will work for everybody.
CT: That’s an interesting observation, and that’s also why I found this whole world of Indian classical music so apt to tell a story around. The story was originally about a magician; I had written a play called Grey Elephants in Denmark. I find lots of similarities between cinema, magic and music. The core concept refused to leave me, and I started re-imagining that conflict within the context of Indian classical music. It is a kind of life risk almost, you know: you are not supposed to doubt your guru, you can’t go guru-hopping, but you don’t know where you’ll end up. It’ll be such a long time before you’ll know whether the guru was right for you. Who is the guru to say that you are not talented and should give this up.
TMK: And what is so ingrained in the world of classical music is that if you fail, nobody is to blame but yourself. There is a scene where the guru admonishes the student who is already nervous on a performance stage in public. Now, that is power. He is a very nice man, but he is still the guru. You subtly bring that dynamic [to the fore]. This power inequality is intrinsically problematic, and as a teacher I know that I also feel the power. He [Guruji played by Arun Dravid] is a decent man, but he carries in him the historical memory of how the power should play out, and that came out nicely, I thought.
CT: I question why all our constructs of meaning, identity, self and purpose in life are shaped by visible and invisible, conscious and sub-conscious stories which we’ve been told or we have told ourselves. Like you say, maybe we are playing a role. Maybe the guru has never questioned the power dynamic. And it’s circular—he is also dependent on the student. It is also not easy for him to let go of the student.
TMK: I speak from experience when I say that you can feel that you are losing something when you let a student go. There is a selfishness; you can’t deny it, there is a sense of ownership. I also like how you explored the various generations. When the next generation of students are learning from the same guru, they see him differently.
Your protagonist’s father has told his son from childhood that he has to be a musician. This whole idea of passion is complicated. The fundamental question is: do we really love it or are we told to love it? Can you talk about that?
CT: Yeah, someone can be really good at something, that brings him or her prestige and validation. Sometimes, we mistake that to be love. This is a complicated question, which requires dissolving the ego. We often live out the dreams and aspirations of our parents and sometimes, we make the mistake of thinking that we have broken those shackles. The father is a catalyst, but I also wanted to explore the theme of our heroes being our oppressors, and how important it is sometimes to let go of idols.
TMK: I don’t know whether the Maai in your film is Tai [one of the foremost Hindustani vocalists Kishori Amonkar] but the similarity was too close…
CT: Maai is actually a combination of a bunch of different musicians.
TMK: The environment is oppressive and I want to make an insider’s observation. There is this negation of the individual in this entire culture, which is deeply problematic. You are only a passage in something that is already flowing. Your job is to flow with it and in order to flow, you have to drown fully, which is sadhana. You can’t be yourself, and therefore the past becomes a burden. And this comes out in the film; none of the individuals are seen as individuals. They are just containers of something else. Bringing Maai as a voice was a brilliant idea. I loved that you show Sharad is always on a motorbike when he listens to her. That added that idea of moving in a modern sense and also moving back, in the emotional and intellectual sense.
I want to ask you, what was the role of the reality show? I was wondering if you were passing a judgement on it.
CT: I was not interested in commenting on the state of reality shows in this country. I was more interested in that [reality show] character being a foil for Sharad’s own aspirations, [a sign of] his yearning for validation, fame. They almost become mirrors. Her trajectory is more a reflection of his state of mind. The reality show character could easily have been a YouTuber, except in his world, it’s a reality star that someone of his generation and background would be watching. There is this envy for youth.
TMK: But this is exactly what the world of Indian classical music thinks of reality shows. They will not say it publicly, so I am going to say it. [The classical world] makes an infra dig towards the reality show because it is seen as one of quick fame and money, but they [purists] envy the fame that emerges from it. It is a very interesting struggle, because they believe they are pristine and cannot be sullied by the commercial world. And yet, they yearn for that world, one of celebrity status and access.
CT: There is also another imbalance that’s unfolding [in the film]. Sharad is stuck to the old stories, but the rules of the game have changed. The speed at which somebody becomes famous, the concept of spotlight or pan-India validation has accelerated beyond our imagination because of the internet. So, it’s also a reflection on this corrosion that is happening because of the changing times.
TMK: Yes. I think this also comes out beautifully in the soundtrack. Aneesh [Pradhan, tabla player] curated it for you and a lot of credit should go to him. I like the way the tanpura comes in; it’s almost dissonant at times.
Also, I’m curious why there was no mention of the fact that this is a very Brahmanical, middle-class environment.
CT: This is an interesting question and has got to do with people’s expectation of stories, and cinema in particular. Nobody might ask you that question when you perform or sing a raag. But when it comes to stories, there is an expectation that certain boxes need to be ticked.
TMK: I think I ask because of my own preoccupation. I want people to ask this question about the raag. But was it [anywhere on your mind]?
CT: It was definitely a thought. I mean, look at the surnames. Even in Court [his 2014 film which looks at the Indian legal system through the trial of an ageing Dalit protest singer accused of encouraging a manhole worker to commit suicide through his protest poetry], I never used the word ‘Dalit’. Caste is always present as a reality, but I didn’t find it necessary to verbalise it. It’s a deliberate choice.
TMK: I’m going to propose a counterargument: the reason why you say you and I don’t see the need to utter the word is because we come from caste privilege.
CT: But that’s what I mean: to look for that need in cinema is not necessarily my preoccupation. I feel strongly [about caste reality] but when it comes to making a film, there are different aesthetics at play for me. I am also not delusional about who my audience is. I am very clear about the limited appeal [my film will have] among a bourgeois bubble of culturally literate people. I run into a lot of obstacles with that audience as well.
T M Krishna and Chaitanya Tamhane
I was the only one who had read Roma's script; not even the cast and crew had read-Chaitanya Tamhane
8:08 AM
Director Chaitanya Tamhane decodes Venice's Best Screenplay and Special Jury award-winning Marathi film, The Disciple, as it drops on Netflix
Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; April 30, 2021)
While it’s not listed on his IMDb, director Chaitanya Tamhane feels almost as if he has three features to his credit — Court (2014), The Disciple (2020, which drops on Netflix, April 30). Third being? Alfonso Cuaron’s Best Director, Cinematographer and Foreign Film Oscar winner, Roma (2018).
Tamhane was around all through the filming of Roma, besides during the edit. He’s the only one who had read the movie’s script; not even the cast and crew had. And the only one allowed to sit before the monitor, while the movie was being shot: “It was that kinda super-secret project!”
A mentorship programme had brought Cuaron (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Gravity), and Tamhane together, wherein the latter was neither assistant nor student: “It was a dialogue between two creators. Just that one artiste happens to be in a different phase of their career.”
Cuaron treated Tamhane as an equal, “a friend.” As is usual with the securely accomplished. There was a scene during Roma’s shoot that Tamhane felt wasn’t consistent with the rest of the film. Cuaron tried a different take, and turned to him to remark, “Your questions really freak me out!” Tamhane doesn’t specifically recall which scene, perhaps to not deflect attention from the master’s work.
He was, for the most part “a fly on the wall” — on occasion unwittingly distracting Cuaron, by performing magic tricks during lunch break, that the producers had to drag him out of. Which isn’t a surprise: “Any film-lover and filmmaker would be fascinated by magic. It’s so close to cinema. Cuaron kept asking me to show him more tricks.”
He would’ve of course been first drawn to Tamhane, like film-buffs across, for a proverbially Tiger Woodsian directorial debut, the multi-lingual Court — a devastatingly realist portrayal of lower judiciary in India.
This is how the Mexican master is now executive producer of Tamhane’s second film, The Disciple — altogether in Marathi, set in the “thriving” sub-culture of Hindustani classical music (in Mumbai). The only recent Indian folk/classical music and global-cinema connect, I can think of, is Paul Thomas Anderson’s concert doc Junun (2015), filmed at the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.
That’s a soundtrack. The Disciple dives way deeper into the guru-shishya (master-disciple) parampara, which frames traditional learning of Hindustani classical music.
It’s a world Tamhane was himself a journalistic outsider to, taking around two years to simply interview/research, examining “truth and untruth, point and counterpoint”, and actually drafting the final script in about a month and half, once he’d eventually got to the tough first page!
A patient process, I guess, quite similar to Court. Which he recalls was triggered off by a story he’d heard of a person falsely arrested in a case. The accused just needed a printout to prove his alibi/innocence. But the cops in the station were bumbling over how to plug in the printer, or produce a printout. Tamhane was watching a typical American courtroom drama thereafter, wondering for a comic idea, “What if I do a ‘Bong Joon-ho court-room drama’, set in a lower court of Mumbai?” He learnt about the ‘system’, as he went along.
He isn’t sure if there was an equivalent trigger for The Disciple. But the starting point was essentially legends and anecdotes he’d listen to — presumably from audiences, experts and exponents — about the masters of Indian classical music: “Modern day mythologies about djinns, secret ragas, long hours of practice…”
The film, primarily placed in 2006, follows the life of a young, dedicated vocalist (Aditya Modak), and his evolving relationship with classical art, his aged mentor/guru (Arun Dravid), and the world around. Hopefully I’m not revealing the script’s secret sauce to suggest this isn’t quite a hero’s journey, as it were.
That standard structure Tamhane wanted to steer clear of, anyway: “What’s the point of a story that I know, from the first scene, how it’s gonna end? There is anyway too much focus on the hero, and his conquest-driven journey, and his achievement. A discourse like: ‘If you try hard enough, and believe in yourself, you’ll get it’. No. That’s not true for 99 per cent — people who work for us, or clean our toilets, have dreams and aspirations. But they have zero upward mobility.”
The other trope he evidently avoids, given the subject, is an aggressive tone/drama, often associated with the tyranny of the master-student culture in music, in particular. Recall the more recent series, Bandish Bandits (Amazon Prime Video). Or, for that matter, Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash (2014).
Tamhane reasons, “Those deviations are based on personal, observable truth — that artistes are just humans, like you and me, with down time, contradictions and temptations. There is no extreme success, or extreme tragedy. And we don’t all end up either superstars, or drunk on the road! We adapt to situations with so many greys.”
The film therefore isn’t fully clouded by the mythology surrounding the idea of the great artiste, so to say. It isn’t an unquestioning hagiography, purposed around bhakti. It is dialectic enough.
This may have something to do with Tamhane’s journalistic approach itself, and the attendant occupational hazard — that Shakespearean saying about familiarity, and contempt: “Research is a journey [you set off on with] romance in your head. The more you know, the romance gets demystified, which can also happen by knowing the artistes, rather than merely hearing about [them]. As a [fiction] writer, you have to infuse the romance back into the work — reminding yourself why you were fascinated by the subject in the first place.”
The film’s third lead character (or perhaps second, in order of appearance) is a voice-over of a late, great vocalist, named Maai. On the script, Tamhane had written this part as God. Hearing an interview of veteran Marathi filmmaker Sumitra Bhave, 78, he knew he’d found that authoritative voice that almost guides the narrative — managing to convince her to make her acting debut. Bhave passed away on April 19.
Similarly, Vira Sathidar, Nagpur-based Dalit activist, who played the protagonist (the lok shahi poet) in Court is no more. “His death [on April 13] has completely changed my relationship with the film. He was the face,” Tamhane says. Like Court, The Disciple chiefly stars non-professional actors.
The lingering, steady, wide frames from a distance allow audiences an interrupted access into the world Tamhane surveys — revealing through layer after layer, the fine details of classical music as a scene/sub-culture — playing with sound, and playing off real people, if you may.
The Bombay, for the most part, is a quieter version of the city: “[There is some] sorcery to depict the period — 2006 is very different from Bombay in 2021. Also the city starts out as full of possibilities for [the young lead character] Sharad. The [quiet] night becomes his haven/cocoon, where he doesn’t have to confront reality. The city starts getting noisy, dynamic and closing in on the character as his journey progresses.”
Through that journey you discover more than a thing or two about classical music, of course: “That, like a politician, you’re young at 40 in this field — that it’s impossible to be a fluke/overrated.”
Subtly, Tamhane also round-trips to make a more personal point about art itself, and its relationship to patronage. The guru-shishya in The Disciple belongs to a fictional Alwar gharana. The gharanas, as their names suggest, relate to princely states, that don’t exist anymore. Does art suffer as a result?
Tamhane points out: “Look at patronage for cinema. Is that why we confuse breadth for depth; quantity for quality? There are no independent institutions to fund cinema [in India] anymore. Like there are in Europe, and elsewhere —and that’s why you find more refined films, commenting on the human condition. Here it’s a do or die kinda situation.”
The Disciple is the first Indian film, in 20 years — ever since the New York-based Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001) — to compete at the main competition stage of any of the Big Three (global film festivals) — Cannes, Berlin, Venice.
Tamhane picked up Best Screenplay, along with FIPRESCI (special jury) prize for Best Film at Venice. Having seen the film only now, unlike when Jallikattu was sent as India’s Oscars entry, it’s a mystery to me why The Disciple was overlooked. It should piss Tamhane off. He reasons, “But this is a question for others to ponder over. We did what we could, which is to apply.” Maybe guru Cuaron should’ve weighed in!
Court actor Vira Sathidar dies of Covid-19 related complications
8:08 AM
Chaitanya Deshpande (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 14, 2021)
Nagpur: Activist, writer and actor Vira Sathidar, 62, passed away on Monday night while under treatment for Coronavirus at AIIMS Nagpur. He is known for his role in the National Award-winning film ‘Court’, which was also nominated for an Oscar.
Though he was popular for essaying the role of Narayan Kamble, the protagonist, in ‘Court’, for the Ambedkarite movement and theatre in Nagpur and Vidarbha, Vira was much more than a movie artist. He was a poet, lyricist, literary activist, human rights activist, writer, journalist and teacher. He was actively associated with Dalit Panthers, the anti-caste movement.
Vira was born Vijay Vairagade in Parsodi village near Butibori to a father who used to work as a porter at Nagpur railway station, while his mother was a construction labourer. His parents were also associated with the Ambedkarite movement and they insisted he pursue an education. During his early days, he worked as a labourer in many factories in MIDC Nagpur. This was the period when he was influenced by the Leftist ideology. He also worked as a journalist for a local Marathi newspaper. Later, he edited ‘Vidrohi’, a Marathi magazine. Vira left the caste-expressing surname and took ‘Sathidar’ (comrade) as his second name, inspired by the Leftist movement. His songs were quite popular in ‘Ambedkari Jalsa’, a literary musical event in the street play format.
Ambedkarite activists Nihalsingh Rathod, Mukund Adevar, Dinanath Waghmare, Republican Movement’s Naresh Wahane, Prakash Kumbhe from RPI, Rajan Waghmare from RPI-A, and many other organisations paid tributes to Vira. “We have lost a father figure today,” said Rathod. “He will be missed badly. The news of his death, just a day before Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, is more painful,” he added.
‘Court’ director Chaitanya Tamhane said, “I am yet to process this extremely shocking news. I don’t know what to say; I am speechless right now. I fondly recall the time we took him on board as the lead actor for my debut directorial. He was one of the nicest human beings I met. We have lost a talented soul.”
Theatre activist Virendra Ganvir, who was close to Sathidar, said, “He was like a guru for many artists like us.” Communist leader Raju Desale said Vira’s style of working and energy was like that of a youth. “He participated in every movement for the enlightenment of society. Vira Sathidar was an important link in our movement. This is an irreparable loss for the Communist Party of India,” said Desale.
Vira’s last rites were performed on Tuesday afternoon. He is survived by his wife and son.
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HINDUSTAN TIMES (April 14, 2021)
Actor-activist Vira Sathidar, best known for featuring in the National Award-winning film Court, died on Tuesday due to Covid-19 related complications, filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane confirmed.
The actor, who was in his early sixties, was admitted to a city hospital after he contracted the coronavirus.
According to Tamhane, who directed him in the acclaimed 2014 Court, the actor was put on ventilator and breathed his last around 3AM.
“It’s true. He passed away at around 3 AM in the hospital. He had Covid-19 and was on ventilator. It’s an extremely unfortunate news. It is yet to sink in,” Tamhane told PTI.
Sathidar rose to prominence after playing the role of protest singer Narayan Kamble in Court, who is accused of encouraging a manhole worker to commit suicide through one of his folk songs.
I was told it's the worst year for a filmmaker to finish a film, since the World War II-Chaitanya Tamhane
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Chaitanya Tamhane and Aditya Modak at the Venice Film Festival. Pic/AFP
After The Disciple does India proud by bagging two awards at Venice Film Festival, man of the historic moment Chaitanya Tamhane on taking Marathi film global despite lockdown
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; September 14, 2020)
Miles away from Italy where the action was, or the UK where mentor and the film's executive producer Alfonso Cuarón lives, a wave of cheer erupted in the Tamhane household in Andheri. And with it, a wave of pride washed over Indian filmmakers and cinephiles as news broke on Saturday night that Chaitanya Tamhane's The Disciple had bagged the Best Screenplay award at the 77th Venice Film Festival, two decades after Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding had walked away with the Golden Lion. Only a day earlier, The Disciple had won the FIPRESCI Award."To win two awards at Venice where you are competing with stalwarts is overwhelming. We did not make the film to win awards, but it feels special to get recognition from such accomplished jury members. It's a big moment for Indian cinema," says the two-film-old director who is quickly becoming a force on the international circuit. His directorial debut, Court (2015), had bagged the Best Film in the Orizzonti section and the Lion of the Future award at the prestigious film gala in 2014.
The Marathi movie narrates the story of a vocalist, played by Aditya Modak, who has to balance life in Mumbai with his chosen vocation. Tamhane says he was uncertain about its prospects when several film festivals were cancelled in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. "It was weird to have finished the movie and be sitting on it. I was told it's probably the worst year for a filmmaker to finish a film, since the World War II. Fortunately, the Venice Film Festival took place in all its glory even though there were a lot of protocols to be followed. We were there to present the film and see it on the big screen."
It must not be easy to find your feet in a country that has only now begun to look beyond Bollywood. Despite the odds, Tamhane has emerged as one of the most unique voices in Indian cinema. "I don't like to make distinctions. For me, The Disciple is not a regional film, it is an Indian film," says the unassuming filmmaker, who is now eager to show his labour of love to the Indian audience. "There is so much uncertainty whether cinemas will reopen soon. We are also in talks with OTT platforms for the digital [premiere] of the film."
You can never get used to such acclaim-Chaitanya Tamhane
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Chaitanya Tamhane opens up about his historic double win at the 77th Venice Intl Film Fest & reminisces about his directorial debut, Court
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 14, 2020)
In 2014, his directorial debut, Court, was adjudged Best Film (Horizons) at the Venice Film Festival. He had also bagged the Lion of the Future Award. Six years later, The Disciple was honoured with the prestigious International Critics’ Prize, awarded by Federation Internationale de la Presse Cinematographique (FIPRESCA) jury. A day later, Chaitanya Tamhane also won the Best Screenplay Award for his Marathi feature film at the closing ceremony of the Venice Fest that was live-streamed globally. And that prompts the first question to the 33-year-old director who has done India proud…
How different were your reactions to the dual honours, given that six years later, you are no stranger to acclaim?
It was a big moment for us because even if your previous film has won some awards, every film is a new battle. So, there was a lot of curiosity and suspense over how The Disciple would be received, and it was nice to know that the FIPRESCA jury thought it was the best film for them in the competition. Also, to win the Best Screenplay Award given by the official jury with such stalwarts in the mix made it very special given that this time it was the main competition. You can never get used to such acclaim.
The last Indian to win the FIPRESCA in Venice was Adoor Gopalakrishnan for Mathilukal 20 years ago...
Yes, we are honoured and humbled because my generation is standing on the shoulders of such giants as Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Satyajit Ray, and so many Indian filmmakers who have had a great history with Venice.
And what was it like being a part of a festival during the Coronavirus pandemic?
Well, we were curious to see how a festival would be organised this year and were pleasantly surprised to see the energy and vibe were intact despite the safety protocols. It was heartening to see cinema lovers watch films together, even though everyone was wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
Has the lockdown brought about any changes in you as a person and a filmmaker?
The lockdown has made everybody pause and reflect. It’s the most apt time to watch a film like The Disciple. It will definitely have a direct or an indirect impact on not just me but what everyone does in the world.
Your mentor and executive producer, Alfonso Cuaron, won the Best Screenplay Award for Y Tu Mamá También in 2001. Would you say you are a disciple too?
Alfonso is very chilled out and modern in his mindset. So, the equation between us is like a dialogue between two artistes. He generously calls me his friend and collaborator. For me, he will always be one of my mentors who helped me grow as a filmmaker and expand my vocabulary. I hope to retain the values and lessons learnt from him in the last five years and will continue to be a good student in that sense.
You’ve said that The Disciple is influenced by the play, The Grey Elephants in Denmark, that you wrote in 2008. Any plans to revisit it on stage?
It’s a spiritual successor, a grownup adaption. The setting and mediums are very different but the core conflict and theme comes from there. Vivek Gomber, my producer, was the lead actor of the play. But now, I am done with that story. I will tell others.
How difficult was it for you to enter the closed world of Hindustani classical music? Will The Disciple revive interest in a dying art?
I see it as a dynamic, thriving art form and sub-culture, with many affordable concerts, music schools and brilliant artistes. Maybe it’s not as dominant in the mainstream as it was in the 19th century, but there’s still an audience that appreciates this music. And online platforms give you unlimited access to all music recorded, officially and unofficially. With all the material available, I was like a kid in a candy store, I just had to decide what to retain and what to let go. The intention wasn’t to revive it, but if that happens, great.
Venice, Toronto, New York, three big festivals are showcasing your film…
Yes, we couldn’t have asked for a better Fall festival launch. We feel incredibly grateful that in such an uncertain year, we could put our film out there for people to watch. The idea is to take it to a wider audience now.
With theatres in India still shut, what is the plan?
We will definitely bring it to India, be it a theatrical or an online release. We are talking to different players but nobody has an answer yet.
Court was India’s official entry for the Academy Awards. If The Disciple is picked, are you confident of bringing the Oscar home this time?
So far, we were only focused on the world premiere in Venice. If we do get picked, it would be a massive honour and we will do our best not just to promote our fim, but represent Indian cinema on a global stage.
Looking back, what do you recall about Court, and what will you remember The Disciple by?
I remember Vivek and my naivety, the innocent energy with which we got a crew together, convinced them to believe in our vision and with no film background or reference, just made Court. We were lucky that it turned out well, and proud that it was accepted. The Disciple is more ambitious in its scope, scale and budget. And I will always remember the time, patience, sweat and blood that has gone into its making. A two-year writing process, one year of prep and shoot and then, one more year on the post production.
You had mentioned that you were working on another subject when you were hooked by The Disciple. Will that be your next?
That was back in 2015-2016, when one was in a certain frame of mind. That project has been abandoned and I’m curious to know what I will give so many years of my life to next. It will be something new and totally different. But yes, maybe some ideas from that project will return in some form in a future one.
Both Court and The Disciple are about singers…
That’s a coincidence. In Court, the singer was just a catalyst, a springboard for us to get into the lives of people who are a part of some institutions. The Disciple is really about a singer, his inner struggle and survival, his artistic journey in the city of Mumbai.
So, are you a singer yourself now?
(Laughs) No, I’m not a singer, I’ve never even learnt music.
30 years on, Indian film The Disciple wins critics’ award at Venice Film Festival
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Chandrima Banerjee | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 13, 2020)
The last time an Indian film won the international critics’ award at the Venice Film Festival, the world’s oldest, was in 1990, for Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s ‘Mathilukal’.
On Saturday, Chaitanya Tamhane repeated the feat with ‘The Disciple’.
The 90-year-old Fipresci, or The International Federation of Film Critics, hands out awards at major international film festivals.
“I’m feeling good, very grateful actually. It’s great for the entire team,” Tamhane told TOI, hours from the announcement of the Golden Lion, which his film is in competition for — a first in 20 years for an Indian feature.
Is he nervous? “No, I am ok. I am already happy that we got the Fipresci. I was happy since the time the film was selected and we made it to Venice. But yes, obviously, it does feel nice when you get that kind of recognition.”
To watch our film with other people at the Venice Film Festival was a surreal experience-Chaitanya Tamhane
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Mihir Bhanage (BOMBAY TIMES; September 12, 2020)
It’s been a few days since filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane returned from Venice and the jet lag is yet to wear off. “I am just getting some rest for now,” says Chaitanya, who had been to the beautiful Italian city to attend the screening of his second feature film — The Disciple — at the Venice Film Festival.
The Marathi feature film is in the running for the Golden Lion at the fest, the first Indian film to do so in the last two decades after Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001).
Speaking to us about his experience of attending the screening, which happened recently, Chaitanya said, “It was a surreal feeling to just be there. Actually, we were not even sure if we would be able to fly to Venice because international flights haven’t resumed normal operations. We had bought our clothes and were prepared, but it was a very last minute thing.” So how did they make it happen? “Well, we had sought permission from the foreign ministry and the Indian embassy. Luckily, things fell into place and we managed to attend the screening,” adds the Court filmmaker.
Though Chaitanya has been at the festival twice before, once for the screening of Court and then as a jury member, this visit was entirely different compared to the previous ones. He shares, “This was not a virtual event. People were physically present and our film was screened in a cinema hall on the big screen. Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but given the current scenario, a big screen world premiere was exhilarating.”
Chaitanya, who is in compulsory home quarantine after returning to Mumbai, says that the entire process of going to Venice, partaking in the festival and returning was something none of them had experienced before. “We got Coronavirus tests done before leaving India. Another a swab test was done when we reached Italy. Social distancing and strict hygiene protocols were followed at the festival, and once we returned, we are now adhering to the 14-day home quarantine. Even the cinema hall where The Disciple was screened was only half-full as per the new norms,” he says. At the fest, the team, which also included producer Vivek Gomber and lead actor Aditya Modak, was allowed to lower their masks only during the photo-call.
Despite the representation on a global stage and raving reviews that the film received after its premiere, there was hardly any buzz around it back home. Did that bother Chaitanya? “The Disciple not getting any press coverage in India is the least of my concerns. We got enough coverage in the international media, in fact, beyond our expectations, and we are happy with that. Frankly, there are many other issues that the Indian media should be focussing on and it isn’t. So, I am not complaining at all,” he says.
With the world premiere done, the team of the film, which has Gravity and Roma director Alfonso Cuaron as its executive producer, is bound to be looking at showing the film to the Indian audience. Chaitanya agrees and shares, “We can’t wait to show it to the Indian audience because it’s a film set in India, with Indian cultural contexts and Indian classical music at its core.” And will they stick to a theatrical release? “We would love to do that. But we are in no hurry. Right now, everyone’s focus should be on flattening the COVID curve. When it’s safe, people can and will venture out to catch a movie. Till then, it’s all about waiting and watching,” he concludes.
Chaitanya Tamhane's Marathi film The Disciple selected for Venice Film Festival
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Big moment for India as Chaitanya Tamhane's The Disciple selected in the competition section of Venice Film Festival, 20 years after Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding bagged top honour
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; July 30, 2020)
Almost two decades after Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding (2001) bagged the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Chaitanya Tamhane's Marathi film, The Disciple, has been selected in the competition section of the 77th edition of the prestigious gala. Scheduled from September 2 to September 12, it is one of the first film festivals to be held in the wake of the pandemic with strict social distancing guidelines and screenings in outdoor venues.Tamhane is overwhelmed that his sophomore directorial venture is set to compete with Majid Majidi's Sun Children and Andrei Konchalovsky's Dear Comrades, among others. "The competition section has showcased some of the best films in cinema history. The selection of The Disciple is a milestone in the Indian independent cinema movement. I am relieved that it has found such a great start even in these tough times," says the director. The Disciple, which is set in the world of Indian classical music, chronicles the journey of a vocalist, who has to balance life in contemporary Mumbai with his chosen vocation. "We have poured every ounce of energy and effort into the film over the last four years," adds the filmmaker.
Counted among the finest storytellers in Indian cinema, Tamhane will return to the festival after six years. His directorial debut, Court (2015), had premiered at the gala, where it bagged the Best Film in the Orizzonti section and the Lion of the Future award. Back home too, the film — a commentary on the Indian judicial system — bagged the National Award and was India's official entry to the 2016 Oscars.
Producer Vivek Gomber, who has teamed up with Tamhane after the 2015 outing, says, "I hope this makes it easier for new voices in our country to follow their paths."
Court director Chaitanya Tamhane is getting mentored by Alfonso Cuaron
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Chaitanya Tamhane has been watching Alfonso Cuaron at work on Roma while also wrapping up a Marathi script that rolls this year
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 8, 2018)
After his 2014 legal drama Court won the Best Feature National Award, Chaitanya Tamhane was picked by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón under the Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative. The 30-year-old director joined Cuarón on the sets of his new film, Roma, in Mexico in late 2016 where he spent a month observing the filmmaker at work. He has now flown to Los Angeles to work with the 56-year-old Mexican on post-production.
Speaking to Mirror from LA, Chaitanya admitted that he was delighted when, after a five-month process and a personal interview with Cuarón in London, he was selected as his protégé for the initiative that has featured Martin Scorsese and Mira Nair as mentors in the past. “Cuaron had seen Court and had really liked it,” exults Chaitanya, informing that one of the first foreign films he had seen was Cuarón’s 2001 Mexican drama Y Tu Mamá También, and was blown away by his 2006 British-American dystopian thriller, Children of Men, as also the Sandra Bullock-George Clooney starrer Gravity. “I’m not really assisting Alfonso, it’s more of a creative dialogue between two artistes and since he’s so accessible and caring, I can ask him whatever I want. It feels surreal to spend time with him and get to see him at work,” Chaitanya says.
The young director also admits that having debuted with a low-budget indie, watching Cuarón who’s not just directing and producing Roma but has also scripted it and is the cinematographer, is an eye-opener. “His expertise in executing his vision is staggering and I feel privileged to be privy to this process,” says Chaitanya, who will be joining Cuaron early next month in Berlin for the closing ceremony of the initiative.
The gala will have mentors and protégés from across disciplines, including dance, theatre, visual arts, music, literature and film. Cuarón and he will do a small talk after which, towards February-end, he joins his mentor in London to observe sound mixing. “I asked him how he dealt with big studios and Alfonso told me that he had five magic words which was his response to any feedback, ‘I will think about it,’” Chaitanya narrates with a laugh.
He was in touch with Cuarón all through 2017 over emails and has even shared his new script with him, hoping to get some feedback on his current trip. Siddharth Roy Kapur will produce the film. “It’s a coming-of-age Marathi film set in Mumbai and very different from Court. I will be working with non-professional actors mostly and plan to shoot this year,” says Chaitanya who is open to a Hindi film if he finds the right subject.
Adding to his joy, the DVD and the Blue Ray of Court will now be released in the US by Kino Lorber. “The cover has two-time Oscar-nominee Joshua Oppenheimer describing it as a ‘masterpiece’ and Sean Baker asserting it as one of the strongest debuts ever,” says the excited maker acknowledging that after Court it’s been easier to find support for his next film.
Court director Chaitanya Tamhane to be mentored by Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron
8:08 AM
Subhash K Jha (DNA; June 12, 2016)
Chaitanya Tamhane, director of the Marathi film Court, one of the most acclaimed Indian films in recent times, is all set to spend six months with celebrated Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron of Gravity and Children Of Men fame.Says Chaitanya, “It’s an initiative by Rolex, the Swiss watch makers, in their Mentor & Protégé Arts endeavour. I will be joining Cuaron in October to observe and assist him on his next feature film.”
Chaitanya says he is not at liberty to reveal more about Alfonso’s next film or its location. “All I can tell you is that I’ll be with Mr Cuaron from October on location for three months. And I am truly looking forward to it. He is a master filmmaker and I am sure he has plenty to teach me.”
The 29-year-old says he was pleasantly surprised to be selected for this honour. “It was Cuaron who personally selected me from filmmakers across the world. I met him for two hours in London after I was selected. It was an amazing experience to just speak to him. He has travelled to India. He knows so much about us and about Indian cinema.”
Cuaron had seen Court. Says the Indian director, “I was bowled over by his understanding of the film. He is familiar with Marathi cinema and literature. He has read the entire Dnyaneshwari! I was deeply impressed and embarrassed. I have not read the Dnyaneshwari.”
Meanwhile, Tamhane will also be scripting and preparing for his next directorial venture. “Court fetched me immense recognition. When it was selected as India’s entry to the Oscars, my producer and I went to Los Angeles and spent months lobbying. Though Court did not make it into the nominees’ list for Best Foreign Film, I got to learn a lot about the way the West perceives Indian cinema.”
Court goes to Oscars; a rare case which attracts positive response from all film folk
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Industry folk hail Court’s selection as India’s official entry to the 88th Academy Awards, cast and crew elated over big feat
Anirban Das & Sonali Joshi Pitale (MID-DAY; September 24, 2015)
It is finally official. Court, Chaitanya Tamhane’s multilingual arthouse drama which struggled long for a theatrical release, has been chosen as India’s contender in the foreign language film category at the 2016 Oscars. Earlier this year, it had bagged the Best Feature Film honour at the 62nd National Film Awards apart from 20-odd international awards, including the Lion Of The Future and Best Film in the Orrizonti category at last year’s Venice International Film Festival.
For the official entry to the 88th Academy Awards, the low-budget movie sans big names edged past strong contenders like Baahubali, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, PK and Piku. In fact, until yesterday, Tamil movie Kaakka Muttai was said to be leading the race to the Oscar competition. But now Court, which highlighted the working of India’s bureaucracy-ridden judicial system, is being labelled as a worthy choice for Oscar consideration. This is also the first time in years that the selection has not generated difference of opinion or dissent among industry folk.
Filmmaker Amole Gupte says, “Court is a good choice. My pick, however, was Killa.” His contemporary, Sudhir Mishra welcomes
the decision of the Film Federation of India jury headed by Amol Palekar
and states: “Court is a wonderful choice. I congratulate Amol and his
team for the fantastic selection. The way the story has been told is
great. It has a unique voice, an ability which is rare and shows the
direction that new Indian cinema is headed in.”
Elated over the news,
Court director Chaitanya Tamhane, who is currently in Japan, issued a
statement that reads: “At every juncture of the film’s journey, we have
felt that it has given us more than we could ever imagine. Once again,
this has come as a genuine surprise to both Vivek (Gomber,
actor-producer) and me. Ever since we started working on the film, we
kept our expectations low. Especially in this case (Oscar selection),
since these results tend to be so unpredictable. It just felt
like a wise thing to not expect too much. Now that it has actually
happened, we would like to thank the jury for its decision and everyone
who has supported the film so far.”
Well known theatre actress Geetanjali Kulkarni, who played a public prosecutor in the film, recalls how Vivek took the responsibility of producing the film, which was struggling to get a financer on board. “I must say he did a good job and fulfilled his responsibilty. He never got into mathematics of production, otherwise the film would not have reached the audience. It was Chaitanya’s debut film and whenever he approached people, they told him it should be his fifth film and not the first one. However, he was ready to take a risk and went ahead with his conviction. He was not scared of failure or rejection. The team dedicated its time to work on post production and patiently waited for its release,” she adds.
With so many big films in the race for the Oscar selection, the Court team hardly had any expectations of making it through, admits Geetanjali and adds: “This is the first time that a film which won a National Award is going to the Oscars. Incidentally, that announcement (about National Award win) also came when our film was about to release, which helped us immensely.”
The celebrations, however, have to wait since Chaitanya and Vivek are both currently in Japan. “I have spoken to them over text messages and rest of the cast members are also in different cities now, so we could not celebrate the big news. Once they come back, we will have a party,” she says.
Geetanjali, however, refuses to tag Court as a ‘regional’ film. “It has Gujarati, Hindi and English content as well. It is, in fact, an advantage that we have so much diversity which gives us the opportunity and energy to present different subjects in different languages. We should feel blessed that we can represent ourselves in various ways,” adds the actress.
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Shortly after news trickled in about 'Court' being named as India's entry to the Oscars' Best Foreign Language Film category, veteran filmmaker Rahul Rawail resigned from the jury. Speaking to hitlist, Rawail said, "I had no disagreement over the selection of 'Court'. I am proud of the choice, in fact. So, my resignation had nothing to do with it.""We had a lot of great films in the reckoning and were proud that those films were made in India. We had a great jury and all the people have great knowledge of cinema. I only had a problem with the way the whole process was conducted."
"Two films were in a neck-and-neck race, and the film, which I had voted for, was being manipulated for more votes to come to it. I resigned because of the manipulation of the whole system which did not suit me. From day one, it had been such. I don't want to take names right now. But I can tell you that my whole grouse was with the chairman, Amol Palekar, not with Court's selection."
Rawail later tweeted: "Jst wanna clarify tht am proud of Court n fully support its selection I resigned from the Oscar jury bcoz of Mr Palekars obnoxious behaviour (sic)."
I may not have the same power and networking Aamir Khan did-Court producer Vivek Gomber
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Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 24, 2015)
Actor-producer Vivek Gomber and debutante director Chaitanya Tamhane decided to go sightseeing after their film, Court, screened at the Asia Fukuoka Film Festival, in Japan, on Wednesday, when their phone began to ring and congratulatory messages started pouring in. Their debut production was India's official selection to the 88th Academy Awards, 2016 in the Best Foreign Language Film Category.
Their Japanese translator, jumped in, borrowing chargers from a local restaurant, to help them answer all their calls. "This is as unexpected as our selection to the National Awards. I have no idea what kind of paperwork is required. It will now be two months of research, prep and planning. We've put our all into this film, monetarily, creatively, emotionally. It was this time last year, that the film had premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. The journey continues," Vivek told Mirror from Fukuoka.
Equally surprised by the news, Chaitanya added, "At every juncture of its journey, the film has given us more than we could ever imagine. Since, we started, we have kept our expectations low and we are truly thankful to the jury."
Court was adjudged Best Feature Film at the 62nd National Film Awards and went on to win 18 other awards at festivals in Mumbai, Vienna, Antalya, and Singapore.
Chaitanya met Vivek in 2011 with the script of the courtroom drama. The 36-year-old-actor decided to come on board as first-time producer-presenter, also playing Vinay Vora, a lawyer in the film.
The Marathi-Hindi drama follows the life of a radical poet who is accused of waging war against the state. Vivek whose English has a hint of an American accent owing to his schooling in Singapore and college in Boston where he studied acting, laughs, "Maybe now someone will give me an acting job. I put all my savings on the line for this one, but the true goal is to be an actor."
Recalling Aamir Khan's Lagaan nominated in the same category for the Academy Awards in 2002, he adds, "I may not have the same power and networking Mr Khan had, but I will raise the money for campaigning. I have a unit of over 100 talented people depending on me to make it happen. I cannot let them down."
Is he is aware that jury member of the committee, Rahul Rawail, resigned, alleging manipulations? "I haven't been able to get through to my mom, let alone anyone else. I'll back on October 5 and better equipped to comment," Vivek says.
I RESIGNED BECAUSE OF AMOL PALEKAR NOT COURT
Filmmaker Rahul Rawail who resigned today after the selection of Court as India's official entry for the Oscars, says that his leaving the jury has nothing to do with the film.
"Court is a fabulous film. I have not quit because of the film, but because of the obnoxious behaviour by Amol Palekar," Rawail told Mirror.
Claiming that Palekar had hated the film which was only selected because of the efforts by the other 16 members on the panel, Rawail added. "I am in Hyderabad right now and will be visiting the Indian Film Director's Association tomorrow to release an official statement on this matter."
Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt shoot for short film to call for entries from filmmakers for MAMI
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The duo is joined by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, Karan Johar, Chaitanya Tamhane and festival director Anupama Chopra in a short film which calls for entries from young filmmakers
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 15, 2015)
This year, in an effort to make the 17th edition of the Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) the country's biggest film event, the organizing committee has come up with brainwave--a 60-second short, with a 30 second cut, calling for entries from young filmmakers. The short boasts of the star power of Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, and also features filmmakers Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, Chaitanya Tamhane and film critic Anupama Chopra. It will release digitally on May 18 and play in PVR theatres from the first week of June.
Anupama, who is also the festival
director, describes this film as one of the many miracles that is
enabling this festival to survive and thrive. "Four production houses, artistes and crew gave us their talent and time free of cost and made this happen," she informs. Priyanka Ghose, who came up with a script overnight and directed the film, shot for five days over a couple of weeks to get the conversational bites she wanted from these B'town A-listers. She spent another two-three days to edit and set it to music. The support of four major production houses made the job easier.
"It's not a gimmicky film, it's hand-held, vox-populish and gets into real space. I've invaded homes, sets and even Karan Johar's cabin which no one is allowed to enter, to capture my 'stars' in their day-today life. And returned with lots of interesting takes and tales," smiles Priyanka who recalls how Alia was reluctant to take off the cap she was wearing because it would reveal the new hairstyle she sports in an upcoming film. "So we changed the lighting to ensure that the cap did not cast a shadow on her face."
The Chopras are experts at giving interviews and rock-solid opinions, so filming them was easy. But Priyanka had to chat up Raju Hirani, whom she describes as a 'sweet, humble introvert', before the shoot so he wouldn't look like he was 'acting' on screen.
"Karan was a huge surprise. I'd gone to him with a prepared script and ideas I wanted to plant in his head, but he had his own ideas about what he wanted to say and gave me a crash-course in filmmaking," she laughs.
Says the actor-filmmaker, "It's important for the city, which mothers a large part of Indian cinema, to have a festival of its own. MAMI is the largest platform endeavouring to spread the power of cinema through this city of dreams."
Ranbir and Ali too, being actors, knew exactly what Priyanka was looking for. She has five versions of the five takes she took and has used all of them in the film. "It was bizarre to see RK, a huge star and a brilliant actor, industriously rehearsing and practising his reactions before I called for 'Action'," she reminisces.
Chaitanya Tamhane whose film, Court, was adjudged Best Film in the International Competition section of MAMI in 2014, going on to win the National Award for Best Film, urges young filmmakers to showcase their works at the festival, insisting that for him MAMI is a window to the best of world cinema amidst a celebratory atmosphere and an infectious spirit.
"It's that one week in a year where film lovers from not just Mumbai, but all over India, flock to the festival venues like kids in a candy store. One is almost spoilt for choices with such a diverse and exquisite selection of films, and that too for the minimal cost of an all access pass," he points. "I think of myself as a perennial film student, and MAMI is one of the best film schools out there."
Forget a National Award, we were expecting sedition charges-Chaitanya Tamhane
10:20 AM
An aging Dalit revolutionary, bizarrely charged with abetting the suicide of a sewer worker with his protest songs, is imprisoned and goes through an endless trial. That's writer-director Chaitanya Tamhane's Court, a stark Marathi film spun off from real-life incidents like the Maharashtra government's dubbing of cultural organization Kabir Kala Manch as a terrorist outfit. It's a film that is at once heartbreaking and darkly humorous, an indictment of a callous system that plays with the lives of people. Tamhane, all of 28, has no formal training in film-making. But he's written and directed a play, a documentary and a short film -besides scripting a daily soap for Balaji Telefilms at age 17 (believe it). Now with 22 global awards and the National Award for Best Film under his belt, he's the new cinema wunderkind on the block.
Radha Rajadhyaksha (THE TIMES OF INDIA; May 10, 2015)
Court is a complete
subversion of the high pitched courtroom drama genre. What inspired you
to make it?
There were several inspirations. The imprisonment of Jharkhandi cultural activist Jeeten Marandi was one; the possibility of exploring a Kafkaesque nightmare of a trial was another. Then I was interested in the setting of a lower court and those who peopled it - litigants, lawyers, judges. I attended hearings and was surprised at the utter mundaneness of the proceedings, so different from the grand oratory and life-and-death issues depicted in Hindi films. The unintended dark humour in those proceedings also drew me.
Your exploration of the personal lives of your main characters outside the courtroom lends a lot of weight and subtext to the dysfunctional judiciary issue.
Yes, that was my big script breakthrough. I had interviewed human rights lawyer Irfan Engineer, who told me that the socio-cultural milieu, prejudices and political-moral stands of judges and lawyers definitely influenced their interpretation of the law and had a huge impact on judgments. I found that fascinating and thus began observing my characters - the judge, the wealthy Gujarati defence lawyer and the lower-middle-class Marathi public prosecutor - outside the courtroom to see what their social milieus could bring to the case.
You've said that this dual viewpoint was also influenced to some extent by The Office, Kieslowski's short satire on the soulless nature of bureaucracy.
That's right. What particularly fascinated me about The Office was the switching of perspective. One sees all these old people waiting patiently at the social security office and then being asked by the clerks to come back with fresh documentation. But Kieslowski also shows us the people behind that counter, who have to go through this mind numbing, automated process every day because it's their job. Similarly, people have interpreted Court as an indictment of this and that, but it's largely an observation of how we all become cogs in a great wheel. I'm not saying my film is not political or not a condemnation but I leave that to my audience to interpret - I prefer not to spell out everything.
Court has a unique aesthetic... very long takes, wide shots, mostly nonprofessional actors, extremely wordy sequences in court. Several people have said this 'distance' dilutes the emotional impact of the story. Did you ever think you were taking a risk with this kind of form?
The distance and objectivity are intrinsic to the narrative - the narrative would change completely if that distance wasn't there. As for the wordiness and long takes, friends had warned me that certain shots like the public prosecutor reading out four pages of a certain law could get excessive. They said, “We get the point, you don't have to go to this extreme.“ But it was a very deliberate choice to have that wordiness, those long, monotonous, repetitive arguments. Because there is a kind of psychological violence hidden in that wordiness - it's utterly drab, tedious, technical, unintelligible even to the person whose case it is but the results of those arguments can impact lives in a horrible way.
As for the form being an audience-alienating risk, I never thought it was. You see, we had no great hopes in the first place - in India, films like Court make no money, get no exhibition platforms. We had nothing to lose and this liberated us and helped us make the film without compromise and fear.
Are mainstream producers chasing you now?
I'm getting offers from big production houses that haven't even seen Court. It's very amusing, and I'm trying to keep away because the motivation is a bit suspect. Also, many people seem to think Court was a stepping stone, my audition show reel to get mainstream work. I am not anti-mainstream - if I have a project that requires a big production company and budget, I'll do it - but right now I'm not looking to do big films or work with bigger stars.
How did it feel to receive the National Award for your very first film?
When they announced the awards, I was utterly surprised. Because forget a National Award, we were warned to expect sedition charges or lawsuits from people offended by the film. (Laughs) Because you cannot even predict what people will be offended by in India. We have a long history of people taking offence at baffling things.
So has Court faced any such criticism?
Oh yes. It's been cited as a Brahmin conspiracy (although I'm not a Brahmin) to co-opt Dalit issues. There are hate posts on Facebook saying Tamhane has appropriated our issues and is flying around the world collecting awards. Oh, well.
There were several inspirations. The imprisonment of Jharkhandi cultural activist Jeeten Marandi was one; the possibility of exploring a Kafkaesque nightmare of a trial was another. Then I was interested in the setting of a lower court and those who peopled it - litigants, lawyers, judges. I attended hearings and was surprised at the utter mundaneness of the proceedings, so different from the grand oratory and life-and-death issues depicted in Hindi films. The unintended dark humour in those proceedings also drew me.
Your exploration of the personal lives of your main characters outside the courtroom lends a lot of weight and subtext to the dysfunctional judiciary issue.
Yes, that was my big script breakthrough. I had interviewed human rights lawyer Irfan Engineer, who told me that the socio-cultural milieu, prejudices and political-moral stands of judges and lawyers definitely influenced their interpretation of the law and had a huge impact on judgments. I found that fascinating and thus began observing my characters - the judge, the wealthy Gujarati defence lawyer and the lower-middle-class Marathi public prosecutor - outside the courtroom to see what their social milieus could bring to the case.
You've said that this dual viewpoint was also influenced to some extent by The Office, Kieslowski's short satire on the soulless nature of bureaucracy.
That's right. What particularly fascinated me about The Office was the switching of perspective. One sees all these old people waiting patiently at the social security office and then being asked by the clerks to come back with fresh documentation. But Kieslowski also shows us the people behind that counter, who have to go through this mind numbing, automated process every day because it's their job. Similarly, people have interpreted Court as an indictment of this and that, but it's largely an observation of how we all become cogs in a great wheel. I'm not saying my film is not political or not a condemnation but I leave that to my audience to interpret - I prefer not to spell out everything.
Court has a unique aesthetic... very long takes, wide shots, mostly nonprofessional actors, extremely wordy sequences in court. Several people have said this 'distance' dilutes the emotional impact of the story. Did you ever think you were taking a risk with this kind of form?
The distance and objectivity are intrinsic to the narrative - the narrative would change completely if that distance wasn't there. As for the wordiness and long takes, friends had warned me that certain shots like the public prosecutor reading out four pages of a certain law could get excessive. They said, “We get the point, you don't have to go to this extreme.“ But it was a very deliberate choice to have that wordiness, those long, monotonous, repetitive arguments. Because there is a kind of psychological violence hidden in that wordiness - it's utterly drab, tedious, technical, unintelligible even to the person whose case it is but the results of those arguments can impact lives in a horrible way.
As for the form being an audience-alienating risk, I never thought it was. You see, we had no great hopes in the first place - in India, films like Court make no money, get no exhibition platforms. We had nothing to lose and this liberated us and helped us make the film without compromise and fear.
Are mainstream producers chasing you now?
I'm getting offers from big production houses that haven't even seen Court. It's very amusing, and I'm trying to keep away because the motivation is a bit suspect. Also, many people seem to think Court was a stepping stone, my audition show reel to get mainstream work. I am not anti-mainstream - if I have a project that requires a big production company and budget, I'll do it - but right now I'm not looking to do big films or work with bigger stars.
How did it feel to receive the National Award for your very first film?
When they announced the awards, I was utterly surprised. Because forget a National Award, we were warned to expect sedition charges or lawsuits from people offended by the film. (Laughs) Because you cannot even predict what people will be offended by in India. We have a long history of people taking offence at baffling things.
So has Court faced any such criticism?
Oh yes. It's been cited as a Brahmin conspiracy (although I'm not a Brahmin) to co-opt Dalit issues. There are hate posts on Facebook saying Tamhane has appropriated our issues and is flying around the world collecting awards. Oh, well.
Screening of Court stopped in Bengaluru; director Chaitanya Tamhane aghast
8:57 AM
Subhash K Jha (DNA; May 3, 2015)
Bengaluru is never likely to see Court, Chaitanya
Tamhane’s National Award-winning film about the paralysing paradoxes of
our legal system. On May 1, when Court was supposed to open in
Bangalore the screening was stopped, apparently because of legal issues.
Dismayed director Chaitanya protested, “The non-release in Bengaluru has nothing to do with my film’s content. What I’m told is that Marathi films are not released there.” Chaitanya, however, is not sure if his film could be said to be in Marathi alone. “My film is multi-lingual. Marathi is one of the languages spoken by the characters along with Hindi, English and Gujarati. But the censor certificate says the language of my film is Marathi. And there is a problem releasing Marathi films in Bengaluru.”
Apparently, some local associations in Bengaluru attack exhibitors who screen films in certain regional languages. Says Chaitanya, “No exhibitor wanted to take a risk. I think these days exhibitors are exercising self-censorship. Even with the Censor Board’s approval they don’t want to release films that may cause a problem on release.”
Kamal Haasan’s Tamil movie Uttama Villain was also stopped from screening in Chennai on Friday. Chaitanya says, “There is something known as artistic freedom, and everybody should respect that. I don’t think any kind of politics should come into play into any work of art, specially when it’s all set to open before the public. Personally, I am very unhappy about people in Bengaluru not being able to see my film.”
62nd National Award winners speak up
8:07 AM
Roshmilla Bhattacharya & Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 25, 2015)
The 62nd National Awards managed to spring a few surprises. The biggest being a thumbs up to Vishal Bhardwaj's Indianised Othello, despite the controversies it had raked up in the Valley where it was set.
The Central Board of Film Certification may be in the dock for its regressive decisions, but the ministry seems to be open-minded about taboo subjects. Best Actor Vijay plays a transgender in the Kannada film, Naanu Avanalla, Avalu while Best Actress Kangana Ranaut, jilted on the eve of her wedding goes off on a honeymoon alone and returns to turn away the groom who'd caused her so much grief.
Court has courted unexpected success and Mary Kom has punched her way to another gold. And it isn't just experimental themes that have worked, but also unique structures and interesting plots as Best Director, Srijit Mukherji, pointed out. For years, the National Awards have been partial to the South and the East, and occasionally to Bollywood. This year the Best Supporting Actress, Baljinder Kaur, came from a Haryanvi film, Pagdi The Honour. Three cheers to Indiam cinema!
Vishal Bhardwaj
(Best Dialogue, Best Music, Haider)
I'm overwhelmed! I have won four National Awards before but never two together and this takes my tally up to six. I don't have any respect for popular awards, which is why I did not attend any of the award functions. I was waiting for the National Awards to be announced and since there'd been so much controversy over Haider, I was doubtful of a win. But we got the maximum awards, five. When the I & B Minister for State, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, was in Mumbai recently he assured us that the doings of the CBFC didn't have anything to do with the ministry. This proves that their intentions are good and fair.
(Best Dialogue, Best Music, Haider)
I'm overwhelmed! I have won four National Awards before but never two together and this takes my tally up to six. I don't have any respect for popular awards, which is why I did not attend any of the award functions. I was waiting for the National Awards to be announced and since there'd been so much controversy over Haider, I was doubtful of a win. But we got the maximum awards, five. When the I & B Minister for State, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, was in Mumbai recently he assured us that the doings of the CBFC didn't have anything to do with the ministry. This proves that their intentions are good and fair.
Sukhwinder Singh
(Best Male Playback singer, Bismil)
Even when we were recording the song I knew it was special. The word 'bismil' in the lyrics in itself is so pious. The picturisation was amazing and we knew it was a winner. The song was composed and recorded in the style of an opera. The lyrics gave me some anxious moments as some of the words were tongue-twisters. The efforts paid off as the public loved it and the National Award is like the icing on the cake.
(Best Male Playback singer, Bismil)
Even when we were recording the song I knew it was special. The word 'bismil' in the lyrics in itself is so pious. The picturisation was amazing and we knew it was a winner. The song was composed and recorded in the style of an opera. The lyrics gave me some anxious moments as some of the words were tongue-twisters. The efforts paid off as the public loved it and the National Award is like the icing on the cake.
Dolly Ahluwalia
(Best Costume Designer, Haider)
This is the best that could happen to Haider. It doesn't get better. Thank you is a very small term for this occasion, but I would have been zero without my lovely team that helped me get the clothes right for the film. I am humbled. This is the greatest moment of my professional career.
(Best Costume Designer, Haider)
This is the best that could happen to Haider. It doesn't get better. Thank you is a very small term for this occasion, but I would have been zero without my lovely team that helped me get the clothes right for the film. I am humbled. This is the greatest moment of my professional career.
Srijit Mukherji
(Best Director and Best Screenplay, Chotushkone)
It's a rare honour to win two National Awards in the same year. I'm totally awestruck because Chotushkone was not linear storytelling. It starts off as a Bombay Talkies and then turns into a thriller. Its unique plot and experimental structure made me worried about its box office performance but it completed a 100-day run in Kolkata and even before this honour, a lot of producers have shown interest in remaking it and my other films like Baishe Shrabon, Hemlock Society and Autograph in Hindi. I'm just waiting for the right cast and producer so I don't have to compromise on the soul.
(Best Director and Best Screenplay, Chotushkone)
It's a rare honour to win two National Awards in the same year. I'm totally awestruck because Chotushkone was not linear storytelling. It starts off as a Bombay Talkies and then turns into a thriller. Its unique plot and experimental structure made me worried about its box office performance but it completed a 100-day run in Kolkata and even before this honour, a lot of producers have shown interest in remaking it and my other films like Baishe Shrabon, Hemlock Society and Autograph in Hindi. I'm just waiting for the right cast and producer so I don't have to compromise on the soul.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
(Producer of Mary Kom)
It is a huge honour. I've given the film everything and all the hard work that has gone into making it has finally paid off. I wish Priyanka too would have won the award but Kangana's was a spectacular performance. It's a victory for each and every technician associated with the film.
(Producer of Mary Kom)
It is a huge honour. I've given the film everything and all the hard work that has gone into making it has finally paid off. I wish Priyanka too would have won the award but Kangana's was a spectacular performance. It's a victory for each and every technician associated with the film.
Chaitanya Tamhane
(Director of Court, Best Film)
It couldn't have come at a better time. Our film is just about to release next month and boom, comes a pleasant surprise! What's also interesting is that after being recognised all over the world, we've finally got the top honour in India. It will help us in making Court more visible.
(Director of Court, Best Film)
It couldn't have come at a better time. Our film is just about to release next month and boom, comes a pleasant surprise! What's also interesting is that after being recognised all over the world, we've finally got the top honour in India. It will help us in making Court more visible.
Vikas Bahl
(Director, Best Hindi Film, Queen)
I was out the country and just got back last night so I wasn't even aware that the National Awards were to be announced today. Anurag (Kashyap) ran into my room with the news and I hugged both him and Vikram (Vikramaditya Motwane). It's even more thrilling because Kangana (Ranaut) has also won the Best Actress award. No one deserves it more, she brought the character and the film alive. After the Filmfare Award, this is like the grand finale!
(Director, Best Hindi Film, Queen)
I was out the country and just got back last night so I wasn't even aware that the National Awards were to be announced today. Anurag (Kashyap) ran into my room with the news and I hugged both him and Vikram (Vikramaditya Motwane). It's even more thrilling because Kangana (Ranaut) has also won the Best Actress award. No one deserves it more, she brought the character and the film alive. After the Filmfare Award, this is like the grand finale!
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
Best Hindi Film: Queen
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Queen
Best Supporting Actress: Baljinder Kaur for Pagdi The Honour (Haryanvi)
Best Supporting Actor: Bobby Simhaa for Jigarthanda (Tamil)
Best Actor: Vijay for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannada)
Best Direction: Srijit Mukherji for Chotushkone (Bengali)
Best Film On Environment Conservation/Preservation: Ottaal (Malayalam)
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Mary Kom
Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film Of A Director: Asha Jaoar Majhe (Bengali)
Best Feature Film: Court (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati & English)
Best Music Direction: a) Songs - Haider b) Background Score - Nineteen Eighty Three (Malayalam)
Best Choreography: Bismil for Haider
Best Educational Film: Komal & Behind the Glass Wall
Best Exploration/Adventure: Film Life Force - India's Western Ghats
Best Investigative Film: Phum Shang
Best Animation Film: Sound of Joy
Best Dialogue: Haider
Best Costume Designer: Dolly Ahluwalia for Haider
Best Female Playback Singer: Uttara Unnikrishanan for song Azhagu in Saivam (Tamil)
Best Male Playback Singer: Sukhwinder Singh for Bismil from Haider
Best Hindi Film: Queen
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Queen
Best Supporting Actress: Baljinder Kaur for Pagdi The Honour (Haryanvi)
Best Supporting Actor: Bobby Simhaa for Jigarthanda (Tamil)
Best Actor: Vijay for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannada)
Best Direction: Srijit Mukherji for Chotushkone (Bengali)
Best Film On Environment Conservation/Preservation: Ottaal (Malayalam)
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Mary Kom
Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film Of A Director: Asha Jaoar Majhe (Bengali)
Best Feature Film: Court (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati & English)
Best Music Direction: a) Songs - Haider b) Background Score - Nineteen Eighty Three (Malayalam)
Best Choreography: Bismil for Haider
Best Educational Film: Komal & Behind the Glass Wall
Best Exploration/Adventure: Film Life Force - India's Western Ghats
Best Investigative Film: Phum Shang
Best Animation Film: Sound of Joy
Best Dialogue: Haider
Best Costume Designer: Dolly Ahluwalia for Haider
Best Female Playback Singer: Uttara Unnikrishanan for song Azhagu in Saivam (Tamil)
Best Male Playback Singer: Sukhwinder Singh for Bismil from Haider
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