The filmmaker talks to BT about his bond with the late actor
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 18, 2020)

Filmmaker Anand Gandhi, known for his critically appreciated projects like Ship Of Theseus and Tumbbad, was looking forward to collaborating with Sushant Singh Rajput. The actor’s sudden death by suicide has left him shattered. Talking to BT about their plans to work together, Anand said, “Sushant was always extremely enthusiastic about working with me, and I really started liking him. I never saw any of his films. I liked him a lot as a person and what he was. I liked him for his pursuit, for his enquiry and his ideas. I thought those need to reflect in the characters he plays. I don’t make a film till I feel it is absolutely necessary to make one. And that is why people who want to work with me end up having to wait for too long. Over the last three months, we had discussed a lot of ideas that he wanted to be a part of, including Emergence. He loved that story very deeply, it was something that he kept bringing up. He told his assistants, managers and friends constantly that he wants to make it happen. Everyone wanted us to work together. I would have been delighted to actually turn our aspirations into something more concrete, into something that everyone could hold on to and look at.”

Anand and Sushant first met in Goa in 2017. Recalling that meeting, the filmmaker said, “I was walking out of a hotel in Goa, where we were both keynote speakers for an event by International Film Festival of India (IFFI). I met him on the steps, outside the hotel. He walked up to me and introduced himself and we started talking right there, and it lasted three hours. We talked about a million things, and exchanged so many ideas. He brought his lens of physics to all my frameworks of cognitive biology. And we shared ideas on possibilities, on the future of life, humanity and pretty much everything. He would draw diagrams on a piece of paper and I would show him the connection that I would see in the systems he would illustrate. That was our first meeting.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the filmmaker had shared an emotional post about his association and equation with Sushant. In his long tribute, Anand had talked about the kind of person Sushant was, and his friendship with the late actor. He wrote, “Sushant was made of flesh, blood and ideas. He played with ideas just like a child plays with toys, and for the same reasons — to discover, to invent and to learn. The distinction between success and failure didn’t matter much to him, because both lead to the same outcomes — discovery, invention and learning. If it did, it was only to the extent of arriving at places nobody else before did, so roads can be paved for the next in line. That’s what brought us together — our desire to create infrastructure and institution for those who sought them, but found no joy in the ones that already existed...”

Mayank Shekhar (MID-DAY; June 15, 2020)

For an artiste who passes on at 34, you don't quite look back at their works, as much as you genuinely wonder what was in store for the future. Not what was. But what will never be. The shadow cast in front being so much longer.

The last time I met Sushant Singh Rajput, he was deeply engrossed explaining to me, over a smoke, his move to theatre. The project he was working on involved a series of performances of the same play, before live audiences, over time. But captured with multiple cameras for the screen — editing/picking best angles, shots, takes — the way it would be done for any other film! Didn't ask him if Virtual Reality (VR) had anything to do with it, because that's what he saw as the future of film.

This was in September last year. Right before the release of Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore — returns plus expectations wise, arguably, the biggest sleeper-hit in Bollywood ever! Stage would've been Rajput's next big step. And he came from television. Having trained in acting under Barry John, he dropped out of a prestigious course (engineering) in a top Delhi college, before moving to Bombay.

These are the exact footsteps of the other Bollywood star, who moved from the capital — Shah Rukh Khan. Rajput's life in many ways would be a dream, coming true — the kind of success story that inspires the middle-class, metropolitan young. He said he had also based it on the SRK line from Om Shanti Om: "Kabhi kisi cheez ko shiddat se chaho, toh saari kaynaat... (If you will it; it happens)." Can tell you one thing – it works, he said.

At a more practical level, traditionally, the transition of lead actors from television (small screen, as it were) to cinema has been seen as tough, to near impossible — with the former deemed as graveyard for the latter. Chiefly because people begin to identify so strongly with the characters on TV that the actor's actual persona disappears from public imagination altogether. It's the opposite of stardom, as it were. Rajput instantly connected with the masses, first, as Manav in Ekta Kapoor's Zee TV soap Pavitra Rishta (2009-11).

At the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), in Goa in 2017, I witnessed a very different kind of stardom, walking through the aisle towards the stage with Rajput, with crowds on both sides chanting what sounded to me like, “Modi, Modi, Modi.” Was actually “Dhoni, Dhoni, Dhoni!” That's the part he'd played in the Indian cricket captain's biopic, Neeraj Pandey's M S Dhoni - The Untold Story (2016).

He began his film career also as a cricketer, in Abhishek Kapoor's Kai Po Che (2013). That hit film, in many ways — and this happens once in few years — became the fountainhead for multiple stars/careers. Amit Sadh became a popular actor from the same film. Rajkummar Rao's filmography as one of Bollywood's top lead actors kicked off from Kai Po Che.

Rajput, of course, shone over the rest. He had the dominant role in the film. What followed was a contract with Yash Raj Films — the huge-budget detective thriller, Dibakar Banerjee's Byomkesh Bakshy (2015) and Maneesh Sharma's rom-com Shuddh Desi Romance (2013). Both films centred on him, besides a supporting role in the Rajkumar Hirani blockbuster PK (2014).

No matter what your personal opinion on his choices may be — whether it's Rajput as the coolie Mansoor Khan in Abhishek Kapoor's Kedarnath (2018), or the bandit Lakhna in Abhishek Chaubey's Sonchiriya (2019) — he was new, merit-based Bollywood.

Risen up the ranks from TV soaps, and dance reality shows (Zara Nachke Dikha and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa). Proving his worth as a household name, and dancer, essential entries on a mainstream star's CV. Part of Bollywood's competitive audition culture. Attaining stardom based on the content of films, rather than the accoutrements of show-business alone.

Check that filmography again. It's worth a retrospective already. Can't say the same for a lot of veterans. I asked Rajput about Kai Po Che being a pleasant pivot for new talents from outside those with family businesses in films. He gave the audience in Goa gyan on how “we derive security from prediction, which is evolutionary. But preparation is only essential to know what not to do.” Okay, had to leap to connect with that bouncer!

On the idea of success, he spoke further about “impact bias — a popular, revolutionary subject in behavioural economics, because it's counter-intuitive to how we usually think,” since it practically proves that “successes or failures actually don't affect us in the same way that we imagine. If you enjoy a process itself though, you get so good at the skill, that it automatically places you in the top percentile of people on the (happiness) index.” Hmmm.

On script selection, he declaimed, “This is absolutely the time to encourage failure, rather than success. According to research, 65 per cent of school kids right now will eventually take up jobs that don't currently exist. The disruptive technology to enable those jobs is yet to happen. We're at the stage of deception, since we're unaware.”

One-on-one with Rajput, to me, felt like engaging with an esoteric, futuristic seer — a Sadhguru for the Silicon Valley — at any rate, the most well-read among new Bombay stars. He was a rank-holder across India's top engineering entrance exams — the other middle-class aspiration gone right. This, after having nearly flunked his Class 12 pre-boards, because his mother had just passed away.

He also held entrepreneurial ambitions, networked with the government's think-tank NITI Aayog, and generally came across as someone trying to build his brain, besides his body, in a Bollywood gym. And, yeah, he could take a socio-political stand. Over the Karni Sena controversy over Padmaavat (2018), Rajput decided to drop his last name, ashamed of people from his caste baying for lead actor Deepika Padukone's blood.

The first time I saw him, will admit, I did not like him at all. We were on a flight from Delhi together. He was returning from Chandigarh, where his sister lives. This was right after Dhoni's release. The entire flight-crew had taken a picture with him. One flight-attendant had missed out. He refused to get up and pose for her.

While chatting with him, I kept bringing up Bihar, since he was a Patna-born. He kept deflecting the conversation to Delhi. We spoke about the film Dhoni and the digital technology used to merge MSD's body with his, for a couple of hours straight. That's when he seemed most comfortable. Maybe his work alone gave him the sanctuary to ease out, and feel at home.

He was self-admittedly an introvert, painfully shy; seeming socially awkward. This may seem ironic about a person who picks up acting, the most public profession there is. But it's quite a common trait. Some of the best actors I've interviewed — Akshaye Khanna, Ranbir Kapoor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui — have seemed the hardest to break ice with. That apart, the inert personality, in fact, helps them inhabit other humans/characters/parts more easily, perhaps.

Also there is this bizarre drug called fame that comes with an actor's success. In ways that it is so unique to the profession, that it's impossible to tell how the psyche might respond to public love and adulation, tending towards obsession, that surrounds every move you make, every step you take. Somebody's watching you. Don't know, does it get lonelier then?

How do you take third-rate gossip about yourself, sold to millions of salivating voyeurs as the “blind item” — written by moralistic cowards, with not even the courage to name the person they're maligning in public? Rajput regularly featured in this high-brow literature — often made out to be a wannabe, sex-crazy drunk. It's hard enough to make it as an outsider. Look at that six-pack/stamina, besides the healthy body of work. I'd want to be that drunk.

By all accounts, Rajput suffered from clinical depression. The Hindi television news reporter covering his death on my screen says, “The police are going to investigate depression ka kaaran.” Exactly. Depression has no kaaran (reasons). That's the lesson he taught us and left. Surely there must've been some trigger. But observe his life from the outside. Most of India would give their right arm for it. Yet, no one I know could sense the darkness that lay within.

In the first scene of his last release, Chhichhore, the young boy in the film jumps off a building to kill himself. Rajput plays the father. The entire film is about him explaining to the son the futility of suicide. And the various chances that life has on offer. Nine months later, Rajput hangs himself to death in his own Bandra apartment. This can't be the end of that. The world is already in the middle of a pandemic. For too long, we've been characters in a zombie script. Whoever wrote this sub-plot, screw you boss; seriously.

As told to Nishi Tiwari (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 9, 2019)

My association with Katrina Kaif is over nine-10 years old. I started out in my early 20s and I was styling Sonam (Kapoor), Bebo (Kareena Kapoor) and Lolo (Karisma Kapoor). Katrina was literally the fourth person with whom I started off as a stylist. It’s a relationship that has grown over time. I have understood her work and her style, which is very simple and elegant.

Over the years, I have realised that Katrina is someone who takes her time to open up to people. Now, I understand her style completely. I can look at a garment and tell if she will like it or not.

She really moves with the times. When I had first met her, she liked to stay in her comfort zone. Katrina is a sort of a comfort baby in that she likes to wear silhouettes that she knows work on her. It could be a sheath, something shorter with an A-line or a fit-and-flare dress.

When I had just started working with her, she had told me that there’s this one dress that she really liked so she picked up one in every colour from the label. Once, she went to two events in the same dress in different colours. When I asked her why she did that, she said, “Because it’s comfortable and I feel good in it. It doesn’t matter if people think I am repeating a dress in different colours.”

Over the years, however, Katrina has become more open to trying new silhouettes and experimenting with different styles. Within dresses she will try an asymmetrical, a deconstructed, sheaths, flairs, a geometric… She loves wearing a well-made pantsuit. But above all else, she is extremely particular about the way a garment fits her.

She prefers soft fabrics like chiffon, georgette or silk; stuff which feels easy and comfortable on the body. She doesn’t like stiff material or anything bulky, like organza or taffeta. She doesn’t like raw silk that much either. In colours, she loves red and enjoys wearing a white dress or even a salwar-suit. She likes Indian clothes and is particular about them, be it Lucknowi anarkali or a lehenga. If you notice these clothes on her, you will see how well they fit. Other than that, bright colours really work for her, like mango yellow, coral… She even wore a popping pink sari in Singh Is Kinng, which became famous. Whenever in doubt, she likes to wear black but for Indian clothes, she prefers colour.

You can say that Katrina plays safe but within her zone, she is experimenting. She will not go out there to make a statement because she doesn’t care about that. One of her standout looks from recent years was this red pantsuit which had an in-built waist-coat and a cut-out back. A few years ago, she wore this electric blue lehenga with a tie-up crop top, for International Film Festival of India in Goa. For Filmfare Style and Glamour Awards a few years ago, she wore this edgy Jean Paul Gaultier gown with a very ’80s shoulder and a slit on one side… a cool, classic dress.

Katrina is really tall and she has a very proportionate body. I have never heard a stylist say they can’t give certain things to her because they won’t work on a certain part of her body. Anything you put on her, she works it. Also, the fact that she was a model before she became an actress; she can carry different kinds of outfits.

Film bans, censorship and death threats — the veteran actor says it like it is!
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 26, 2017)

Naseeruddin Shah is known to speak his mind. This actor doesn’t mince words or thoughts — a rare quality these days. While there’s plenty on his mind all the time, right now, he’s irked about Nude, a Marathi film that features him, and the ire it’s facing, owing to its title and supposed content. In a conversation with BT, the actor makes a terse point about how the definition of freedom of speech has changed over the years, and how we have lost our sense of humour with it. Excerpts:

Nude was dropped from the list of films that were screened in the Indian Panorama section at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which led to an outrage. What do you make of it?
It’s absurd! The reason they gave, finally, after much begging, is that it’s an incomplete film, which is absolute rubbish because several times, films are sent to festivals as work-in-progress copies. I don’t think anyone even knows what the film is all about. They’ve simply recoiled at the mention of the title. I think it’s an appropriate title and the film deserves to be seen. It’s arbitrary and scary that the government has now decided to assume the role of a censor.

What do you think has triggered all this?
Nude has not even been seen by the Censor Board, they’ve just recently passed the trailer. I feel Pahlaj Nihalani was only a mouthpiece. That his reasoning was completely idiotic is a different matter. This is an age of moral policing and prudery. Look at the rising number of young couples being harassed on the roads, or even the way Mithali Raj and Priyanka Chopra were trolled for merely wearing a skirt and a dress. Sania Mirza has been a regular target for these people. We live in scary times. Are these the things we should be getting habituated to? We can’t expect the film industry to come out in support of movies like S Durga and Nude, can we?

But during the Udta Punjab controversy, sections of the film industry did come out in support of it...
(Cuts in) Let’s see how many come out in support of Padmavati. No one has spoken yet. Just how thin-skinned have we become that we take offense against just about anything. Is our faith so small that it gets endangered by a movie? Are our beliefs that fragile that the world will start believing a movie, and not what has come down as legend? How insecure are we? Today, when thousands are rising in protest, I wonder how easily our sensibilities can be flamed.

What runs across your mind when you hear threats to maim and behead people being made on public platforms?
What is frightening is that none of these people have really bothered to see the film. They are just determined to crush anything that has a whiff of an independent sensibility. For God’s sake, it’s just a movie! That is the trouble with our country. Our audience swallows so much crap because they think that the actors and technicians were out on a holiday while making a movie. I am not a part of Padmavati, and neither have I seen it, but I’ve seen Bhansali’s work. He puts his all into the film.

Most people who’re commenting about Nude also have probably not seen the film. Do you think it’s a reactionary syndrome where people act merely on what they hear?
It’s beyond comprehension for me. Probably, it’s just the title in case of Nude. These days, it’s difficult to make a small film like Nude without facing issues like money and time crunches. We expect a more enlightened reaction from the government. People believe a film like S Durga is defaming the goddess, as if there is no other girl by that name. There are so many books that mock the Bible and aspects of Christianity. We had also banned Jesus Christ Super Star (a stage musical that faced a ban for about 25 years). We’re the protectors of every government’s faith, or so it seems, whether they care or not. Some people are convinced that what they are doing — threats of arson and all — is right. They are misguided people. I’m sure we have an equal number of people who feel alienated from this kind of philosophy.

Years ago, we could make a film like Bombay with relative ease, although it also had its share of controversies. Do you think one can attempt a film like that today?
Today, you can’t even shoot the last scene of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, let alone a film like Bombay. Why? It’s because we’ve clearly lost our sense of humour. What everyone talks about till date is Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro’s last scene. You wouldn’t be able to shoot it if it were to be made today because of self-censorship, the threat of someone damaging your set, or for that matter, the fear of your film not releasing.

Come to think of it: several interesting films have been screened at IFFI, but it was S Durga and Nude’s elimination that grabbed headlines.
The controversies around the festival have done films like S Durga and Nude some good. Everyone is at least talking about them. People were curious about Nude anyway. It’s heartening to see the way the Marathi filmmakers are rallying for the film. And it’s not surprising. Neither is the fact that not one filmmaker (from Bollywood) has come forth to speak for Padmavati. Maybe it’s difficult to do that.

Do you think all these episodes will ever let any filmmaker present an independent interpretation of literature, culture or a popular thought in our movies?
At the moment, it seems difficult, though this can’t last. These two films (S Durga and Nude) deserved to be seen internationally. Now, it’s to be seen whether they are barred completely from being sent to any film festival. I won’t be too surprised if that happens. The definition of freedom of speech has changed. Now, anything dissenting is seen as abuse of freedom of speech. The space for rational debate has shrunk. It’s not possible anymore. I posted a statement by Albert Einstein once on a social media page, which had something to do with war. The amount of abuse I got for it was astounding. I can understand what happened when I commented on Rajesh Khanna, he has a fan-following. While I don’t take back what I said, I apologised to Dimple Kapadia and her daughter (Twinkle Khanna). These days, you just can’t speak. It’s scary.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 25, 2017)

An exhibition of rare posters and memorabilia from films tracing the journey of women characters in cinema has caught the eye of several filmmakers and technicians at the ongoing International Film Festival of Goa. Titled ‘Stree’, the collection of posters — each depicting the emotions of female protagonists — has been curated by the National Film Archives of India (NFAI).

“On the second day of the eight-day exhibition, A R Rahman walked in and was instantly taken up by the poster of Avvaiyar, the 1952 Tamil biopic on a poetess from the Sangam era (3rd century BC to 3rd century AD of Tamil literature). He was so mesmerized that he began recollecting his favourite songs from the film. To top it, he left bystanders spellbound with an impromptu rendition of songs from the film,” Prakash Magdum, Director of NFAI, told Mirror, adding that the two-time Academy Award winning composer went on to make an official request to the NFAI to send him copies of over 50 posters on display so that he can frame them for his personal collection at his home studio in Chennai.

Some of the most prized posters in the exhibition include Nargis’s Mother India, an English poster of Tapan Sinha’s Bengali film Adalat O’Ekti Meye, featuring Tanuja, the unreleased Bengali poster of Goutam Ghose’s Antarjali Yatra featuring Shatrughan Sinha and Basanta Choudhury, a handpainted poster of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Abhimaan with Jaya Bachchan, Jabbar Patel’s Marathi film, Umbartha, with Smita Patil, Dilip Kumar and Nargis’s Jogan by Kidar Sharma and Amiya Chakraborty’s Patita.

Among other star visitors to the exhibition was Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, who purchased what he referred to as “an iconic poster of Mahanagar, Satyajit Ray’s 1963 Bengali film. “Majidi was amazed by the red lipstick and the simplicity of the woman, actress Madhabi Mukherjee, on the poster. Interestingly, the first poster of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming period-drama, Padmavati, is one of the only films in contemporary times to feature a woman — Deepika Padukone in the titular role— on the poster,” Prakash said.

After her visit to the exhibition, Bareilly Ki Barfi director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari said, “The portrayal of women in cinema was initiated into the posters from as early as 1913. This glorious exhibition is proof that the history and evolution of Indian films has always focussed on women heroes. But somewhere, over the years, womanhood in cinema has got lost.”

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 25, 2017)

On Friday, the division bench of Kerala High Court, comprising of Acting Chief Justice Antony Dominic and Justice A Muhamed Mustaque, declined to stay a single-bench order directing that Sanal Kumar Sashidharan’s thriller, S Durga, be screened in the Indian Panorama section of the ongoing 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. However, later in the afternoon, the case was called back to the chambers.

The order passed in the pre-noon session was recalled and modified. The court has now directed the jury to view the censored version of the Malayalam film and decide if it should be exhibited at the festival. However, it was clarified in the modified order that there is no stay on the directions of the single bench. On Thursday, in its appeal to the division bench, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry had contended that though a 13-member jury had selected the film, it had been screened without censor exemption, as required by the Indian Panorama regulation in the absence of certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Playing the card of practical impossibility, it was also contended by the Ministry that inclusion of the film would disrupt the schedule of IFFI at this late date, which comes to a close on November 28. Earlier, the single bench had rejected this argument and observed that if the jury found the uncertified version eligible for exhibition, then the certified version would be all the more eligible.

Rahul Rawail, the current jury chairperson (brought in after Sujoy Ghosh, along with two jury members, Apurva Asrani and Gyan Correa, tendered his resignation over the exclusion of S Durga and Nude from the final list of 26 films issued by the Ministry), was noncommittal on the subject. “You are the first person to tell me about this. I will wait for the Ministry to apprise me of the situation.

I don’t wish to comment as of now,” he said. Two other jury members, Nikkhil Advani and Ruchi Narain, echoed his views. “I am waiting to be officially conatcted. But if the court has directed us to see the film again, the jury is legally bound to do so,” said Ruchi, while Nikhil reiterated, “I will wait for the Ministry and the present chairperson to inform me on the development.” As of now it is not clear if the earlier 13-member jury or the current 10-member jury will have to see the film.

With just four days left for the festival to end, it would be impossible for all the members, who are across the country and even abroad, to meet and debate the issue. Can Sasidharan send them a link of the film to view individually and mail their decision? Will the final decision rest on a unanimous vote or will a majority decision suffice? These are all unanswered questions at the moment.

Sasidharan, who was in Australia for the Asia Pacific Award for which he was nominated in the Achievement in Direction category for S Durga, stated in a Facebook post early on Friday, “The government of India has every right legally to file an appeal against the order of the Honourable Kerala High Court directing it to screen S Durga in IFFI. But it is petty from the part of a Government to declare a war against its citizen, an artist for the reason of making a film. Union of India Vs Sanal Kumar Sasidharan is a symbol. This is a beginning of a new era in the history of Indian democracy.

The only idea is to delay the matter further and to avoid the screening of the film in IFFI at any cost. If all the legal battles I won, I fear what kind of weapon the state is going to use against me. Will it rethink the self moratorium in using those mighty warheads? (sic).” Rajshri Deshpande, the film’s lead actress, was recently quoted as saying that the film is every woman’s story, played out every day. “There’s nothing in the film that will hurt anybody’s religious sentiments. I am really requesting, please watch the film and then decide,” she urged. Festival director Sunit Tandon and Steering Committee member Vani Tripathi Tikoo did not wish to comment on the matter.

The veteran filmmaker’s Saawan,also Pakistan’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards, couldn’t be accommodated in IFFI’s final programming owing to “scheduling constraints”
Dean Lobo (BOMBAY TIMES; November 24, 2017)

Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Malayalam film, S Durga, might have earned its rightful place back in the Indian Panorama section of the ongoing 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) after its screening was ordered by the Kerala High Court this week. However, after Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi film Nude (also dropped from the Indian Panorama section), Saawan — Pakistan’s official entry to the 90th Academy Awards — hasn’t been featured as part of the final programming. The film was to be screened as a part of IFFI’s Cinema of the World section.

Directed and shot by Virginia-based Pakistani filmmaker Farhan Alam and edited by Indian film editor Aseem Sinha, Saawan is inspired by true events. It revolves around a polio-stricken nine-year-old child (Syed Karam Hussain) who is rejected by his father and left to die in Baluchistan’s wilderness. Driven by the memories of his mother, the child embarks on a perilous journey back home.

On October 26, Farhan had received an official letter from Sunit Tandon, festival director of IFFI (a copy of the email is with us), inviting him to present the film and interact with the audience. Speaking from Virginia, Farhan says, “Subsequently, I sent the DCP (Digital Cinema Package), the shipping cost of which was taken care of by the organisers. As mentioned in the letter, I was also offered an economy ticket and a four-night accommodation for the festival.” The letter was also copied to the High Commission of India, Pakistan, with a request to issue a gratis visa to Farhan.

However, on November 4, 16 days before IFFI commenced, Farhan received another email from Deepika Suseelan of IFFI’s Film Selection and Programming Department, stating that “Due to scheduling constraints, (they were) unable to showcase some of the titles originally planned.” Apologising for the inconvenience, the email mentioned that immediate arrangements would be made for the film DCP to be returned to him.

“It was upsetting to find that the film had been dropped. I was excited to come to India and share my film with the audience, and meet fellow filmmakers,” says Farhan, who had also heard about Nude and S Durga’s fate at the festival from Aseem.

At a time when India and Pakistan do not share great cultural relations, this film with a universal message could have served as a great unifier. Farhan says, “I was excited to participate in the festival. The subject of Saawan is not just a ‘Pakistani’ issue; it’s an issue that is shared across the globe.”

Now since the arrangements would have to be made for the screening of S Durga, we were keen to know whether there was a possibility of accommodating Saawan in the schedule, too.

We reached out to Sunit Tandon but did not hear from him till the time of going to press.

THE TIMES OF INDIA (November 23, 2017)

Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chairman Prasoon Joshi said that “it is important not to brush things under the carpet” and to “acknowledge it if people are becoming sensitive”. India is going through huge changes and it is important to be patient at this point, Joshi said in response to a question over the Padmavati row at a panel discussion at IFFI.

“Society as a collective should know where we stand. And it is important not to suddenly take a high ground and say I don’t want to acknowledge it. If people are becoming sensitive or insensitive, acknowledge it. Because eventually the intent of society should be good. Together things will work out in a positive direction,” Joshi said. He said in a huge and complex country like India, everyone has a different language of argument as not everyone is privileged in use of language to put their point across effectively.

He said the privileged few may not be aware about the realities of the larger section of society in India. “I don’t think we should have a knee-jerk reaction to anything. There is a change and the change will require patience,” said Joshi.

MP schools to teach life of Padmavati
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Wednesday that the life of Rani Padmavati will be a part of school education in the state. “Rani Padmavati is the Rashtramata and a chapter on her life will be included in school textbooks in the state from next year,” the CM said on the sidelines of a programme organised for distribution of benefits to farmers under a government scheme. On November 20, the CM had announced that the controversial film ‘Padmavati’ will not be released in the state unless corrections were made, making MP the first state to ban the movie. That was the first time the CM called Rani Padmavati “Rashtramata”.
-------------------------------------
CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi on the many controversies surrounding the ongoing IFFI and the Censor Board
As told to Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 23, 2017)

The fact is that there is a churn. All perspectives are important, and it is important to not brush things under the carpet. Things should be upfront and tabled. If you will not express - pleasure or displeasure - society together as a collective will not know where to stand. As a society, we are shaping up as we speak.

It is also important to not take a high ground suddenly and say, "I do not want to acknowledge this issue". If people are becoming sensitive, acknowledge it. If people are becoming insensitive, acknowledge it too. Eventually, what matters, is that the intent of the society should be good — we should be going ahead from where we formerly were to a better place. As long as that intent is there, I think things will work out in a positive direction.

It is imperative to know that we are going through a huge phase of change. We are the fastest growing country — economically, culturally, and with respect to our thinking and lifestyle. Few are privileged and a lot of people are joining the progress now. Progress is reaching out to more and more people every day.

I was in the US for a brand conference recently, we were discussing television advertisements and someone said firmly, "The 30-second advertisement is dead. Gone!" But I was remembering a staff member who told me that he had just purchased his first ever television set a few months ago. So, as a country, our problems are different. We are living in a country where so many things are happening for the first time. But I think that everything is much larger than that. We are a huge, complex and layered country and we should be able to take a step back and look at the larger picture. To be able to take cognizance of situations requires patience and effort. In order to understand what is happening in a larger way there cannot be a knee-jerk reaction to anything.

The change will require a sense of understanding from the people who are already privileged. A few of us have the ability to argue and a few of us do not have the ability to argue. I watch TV debates, I am at literature festivals and I see people struggling to ask questions because they are dismissed before they have a chance to say what they want to. Some have the facility and the right knowledge of language, so being dismissive is condescending. We are at a time where people are using language extremism to prove a point. But a lot of people are not used to this debate. They are feeling it but they are unable to put their point forward in a nuanced way. So I think the people who are privileged need to take a step forward and help the others. Help each other, join hands.

Deep down, the people feel and mean well, but not everybody is articulate enough to use the right choice of words. I believe that the right noise is very different from the right intent. A festival like IFFI is not an award show. It is not four performances put together for one televised program. IFFI is an institution. A platform like IFFI is extremely necessary. It should be supported whole-heartedly because only after coming here, can you raise all kinds of questions. IFFI is for people who want to make movies. The purpose this festival serves is far greater than anything else and that is why it should be attended.

THE TIMES OF INDIA (November 22, 2017)

The Kerala high court on Tuesday ordered that Malayalam film ‘S Durga’, earlier called ‘Sexy Durga’, be allowed to be screened at the ongoing 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

A HC issued the order to the I&B ministry on a petition filed by the film’s director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan challenging its exclusion from IFFI, which began on November 20. The ministry had told the HC that ‘S Durga’ did not have censor board clearance and there were complaints that it offended religious sentiments as ‘Durga’ is the name of a goddess. The IFFI jury had shortlisted it without CBFC certification, it argued.

No one can object to ‘S Durga’, says HC
'Sexy Durga’ was the first Indian movie to win the Tiger Award for budding filmmakers at Rotterdam. The Kerala HC said the film had got CBFC certification on October 10 by changing the title to ‘S Durga’. A certified version of the movie should be allowed to be screened as no objection had been raised regarding the certification, it held.

Lead actor of ‘S Durga’ S Kannan said the “court has stood with the right side” and the festival organizers should also screen ‘Nude’. Festival director Sunit Tandon declined to comment on the status of the film’s inclusion, saying, “I am not appropriately placed to talk.”

"The court is the only hope for people like us. They (makers of ‘Nude’) didn’t go to court. They made that mistake. But the film should also be screened here. Because the jury had unanimously selected both movies,” Kannan told TOI.

The ministry had also contended that the petitioner could not challenge the rejection in the Kerala HC as the festival was being conducted in Goa and the ministry’s decision was taken in New Delhi. But, the court ruled in favour of the petitioner’s argument that the certification was made at CBFC’s regional office in Thiruvananthapuram.

Director Sasidharan told PTI, “I am very happy. It’s a victory of cinema and democracy. People stood by us. The chairman resigned, other jury members also resigned”
--------------------------------
Mihir Bhanage and Dean Lobo (BOMBAY TIMES; November 22, 2017)

On Tuesday afternoon, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan tweeted about his film S Durga being screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI)’s 48th edition. After his film was rejected from being screened in the Indian Panorama section, Sasidharan had informed us about petitioning in the Kerala High Court against it.

A week after the petition, Sasidharan and his team are celebrating a win. The Kerala HC, hearing the petition, has directed the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) to screen the film at the festival. When contacted, an elated Sasidharan, who is currently in Australia, said, “I would call it a win for cinema and all those championing the cause of artistic freedom. A lot of people have put in their hard work and time for the film and the court’s directive reinstates our belief in democracy and the judiciary.”

Justice K Vinod Chandran, the judge who heard the matter, overruled the objections raised by the ministry and asked for the film to be screened with CBFC certificate. Over the last few days, plenty has been written and spoken about S Durga and the Marathi film Nude’s exclusion from the list finalised by the 13-member jury for the Indian Panorama section. As a mark of protest, director Sujoy Ghosh, the head of the jury and co-juror, writer-editor Apurva Asrani even stepped down from their respective positions.

Sasidharan adds, “My lawyer told me about the decision. I am not sure when the film will be screened. Also, I won’t be able to attend the festival as I am not in the country.”

Confirming the same, filmmaker Satarupa Sanyal, an IFFI jury member, said, “There’s no news about the screening at the festival yet. Programmes are going on at the venue as per schedule. However, now that the screening has been ordered by the Kerala HC, arrangements will have to be made. S Durga and Nude were dropped without any explanation. So the court’s decision is a welcome one.”

When BT spoke to Apurva Asrani, he said, “As someone who loves good cinema, it was heart-breaking to learn that Nude and S Durga had been dropped from the final list of the Indian Panorama. I just silently stepped aside as a jury member because the final list didn’t reflect what we signed off on. There was never any intention to get political about it or to point fingers, so I can’t say where and why it got dropped. I congratulate Sanal for believing in his film and for believing enough in IFFI as a festival to fight to get S Durga screened.”
--------------------------------
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2017)

Ten days after the Information & Broadcasting Ministry dropped Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Malayalam thriller, S Durga, from the final list of films to be screened at International Film Festivals of India's (IFFI) Indian Panorama section, a single judge bench of the Kerala High Court has directed the organisers to exhibit the film at the festival. Justice K Vinod Chandran, who considered the matter, overruled the objections raised by the I & B Ministry which had contended that, among others, the original title of the film, Sexy Durga, offended religious sentiments. Sasidharan, the film's director, wrote on his Facebook page yesterday that the court's decision was a victory for cinema. "...This is the victory of our democracy. This is the victory of those people from the jury who sacrificed. Cheers India! (sic)," his post said.

Mirror was the first to report about the I & B Ministry's decision, which overrode the choices of the 13-member jury of the Indian Panorama section. Apart from S Durga, Ravi Jadhav's Marathi film, Nude, also faced the axe. This led to the resignation of jury chairman, filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh, and two other members, National Award-winning editor Apurva Asrani and writer-director Gyan Correa. Asrani told Mirror he was happy for the film's director and happier for Indian cinema "in general".

"Films like S Durga that make a strong case for women's safety, while also using ingenious storytelling methods, are hard to come by. I was gutted when it slipped through our fingers and resigned because I felt we had failed these films. But Sanal's persistence paid off and I'm thrilled that delegates of India's most prestigious film festival will get a chance to see this film. I strongly believe if our respected I & B Minister (Smriti Irani), who is an empowered woman herself, watches the film, she will go all out to support it." Sasidharan moved the Kerala High Court against the decision on November 14, and when his case did not come up for hearing by the single bench on November 16, he filed a writ petition with the Division Bench of the Kerala HC.

After referring to the statements filed by the Central Government Counsel and the petitioner, the Division Bench made two key observations. First, the I&B Ministry had behaved in a high-handed manner, and two, Sasidharan should have been given an opportunity to screen the censored version of S Durga for the jury and the Ministry. It suggested that the single bench list the petition and give Sasidharan a hearing by November 20 — the opening day of IFFI this year. The case finally came up for hearing yesterday. "It's a moral victory for the film," said Sasidharan's advocate Manu Sebastian.

IFFI officials told Mirror they had not received any official intimation about the court's decision. "I came to know about the issue via media," said Vani Tripathi Tikoo, a member of IFFI's steering committee. Sunit Tandon, festival director, IFFI, said, "I have nothing to say for now. I, too, got to know about it only a while ago from news reports." Six of the Panorama section's jury members — Hari Vishwanathan, Satarupa Sanyal, Ruchi Narain, Gopi Desai, Suresh Heblikar and Sachin Chatte — had written to Smriti Irani to voice their concern with regard to the exclusion of the two films without any intimation, discussion or recourse to the jury, which has a final say, as per Indian Panorama regulations. Pointing out that their written correspondence to the Directorate of Film Festivals and the National Film Development Corporation of India went unheeded, the members urged the minister to give the films under dispute a fair chance to be viewed. IFFI ends on November 28.
--------------------------------
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 22, 2017)

Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s battle came to a fitting end yesterday. The Kerala High Court yesterday directed the Information & Broadcasting Ministry and the International Film Festival of India ( IFFI) to screen his Malayalam film, S Durga, which was dropped from the film festival’s line- up of movies despite being selected by the Indian Panorama jury. In his judgment, Justice K Vinod Chandran deemed that the CBFC certified version of the film was entitled to be screened.

Overjoyed by the ruling, Sasidharan, who is currently attending Asia Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane for the same film, told mid-day, “I am not the one to usually celebrate victories. But I can’t stay away from being ecstatic about this one. This is the victory of cinema and of our democracy.”

S Durga was one of the two films that were unceremoniously dropped from the line-up on November 11, days before the film festival was to kick off. Sujoy Ghosh had stepped down as the jury chief as a mark of protest.

Grateful that many had voiced their protest against IFFI’s dictatorial ways, Sasidharan added, “This is the victory of those people from the jury who sacrificed for the film. This is a message that champions freedom of speech.”

He doesn’t deny that freedom of expression is finding itself increasingly under threat, citing Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati as the latest example where artistic expression is being choked. “But this ruling reinstates my faith in the judiciary.”

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2017)

More Bollywood A-listers are scheduled to descend at the closing ceremony of the ongoing IFFI in Goa this year. To mark the beginning of the 49th year of the festival, Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani and her team have got Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt to attend the finale on November 28. “At the last minute, Alia also agreed to arrive a day earlier and conduct a masterclass for young and budding actors,” the festival spokesperson told Mirror.

The closing ceremony was initially expected to reunite former co-stars Rajinikanth, and Amitabh Bachchan, who is being honoured at the ceremony. The two had shared the IFFI stage two years ago and had an hourlong impromptu chat. This year, Rajinikanth had to bow out as he is busy shooting for a film in Chennai. Huma Qureshi, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kriti Sanon will also be there.

Indo-Argentinian filmmaker Pablo César’s Thinking of Him is the closing film. It revolves around the relationship between Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore (Victor Banerjee) and Argentine feminist, writer and activist, Victoria Ocampo.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2017)

IFFI’s controversy-riddled Indian Panorama section opened on Tuesday with a fumble as the name of Sujoy Ghosh, the chairperson of the feature film jury who has since stepped down from the panel, was announced and an IFFI staff member came forward with his certificate and trophy at the felicitation ceremony. This was followed by Apurva Asrani’s name being announced, not once but twice, after which the host said, “guess he is missing in action,” after four members from the team ran into the venue waving their hands in a big “No”. Asrani has also resigned from the jury. While the name of the third jury member who has resigned, Gyan Correa, was omitted, that of Satarupa Sanyal, who was not present, was announced too till festival director Sunit Tandon asked the host to move on with the list.

Many other jury members, including Gopi Desai, Nikkhil Advani and Nishikant Kamat were present on the occasion. “We are here to support Pihu, the incredibly beautiful opening film. As an industry, we stand by each other and if anyone has any problem, they are free to express it as we live in a democracy,” asserted Sudhir Mishra, chairperson of the jury of the nonfeature section, adding that they were all there to celebrate cinema. “IFFI is the platform where I started my journey as a filmmaker. I was born as a filmmaker here and it is a kind of a pilgrimage for me. And I will come here no matter what the problems.”

Sridevi, who inaugurated the segment, kept her speech short and snappy, “I’m happy to be here. I declare the Panorama section now open.”

New kid on the block, Ishaan Khatter, on his much-talked about debut with Majid Majidi
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2017)

Ishaan Khatter profusely apologizes for being five minutes late. He explains that his bike broke down, as he hands his helmet over to a colleague. The Indian premiere of his debut film, the Majid Majidi-directed Beyond The Clouds, is a huge success and everyone has been showering the "new kid on the block", as his producer Shareen Mantri Kedia refers to him, with plenty of compliments.

His mother, Neelima Azim, who is accompanying him, admits candidly after a dinner gala hosted by the Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar, "Ghar jaake Ishaan ki nazar utarungi..."

Ask the actor if the Iranian auteur was a slave-driver and made him nervous during the shoot, and Ishaan says, "Majidi sir has such strong leadership qualities that everyone working with him is working to fulfill his vision. Nobody brought their seniority to the table, only their experience. It was incredibly empowering. I did not get to meet Rahman sir (composer A R Rahman) during the shooting but working with Vishal Bhardwaj sir on the fantastic dialogues was incredible. With Anil sir (DoP Anil Mehta) and some brilliant technicians it was the greatest learning experience. We were all working in unison for Majidi sir, there was a path to follow and no one intimidated anyone. If Majidi sir wanted something, everyone worked towards it."

The young actor recalls working as a delegate for two years at IFFI in Goa. Quiz him on his debut film and he states that signing it was a no-brainer. "I don't have a manager and this was not a calculated decision. Casting director Honey Trehan called me and I had a brief conversation with Majidi sir. It wasn't a tough decision to make. With Beyond The Clouds, I am not trying to be marketable or accessible to a certain kind of audience. It was an instinctive choice," he adds.

Publicists of Beyond The Clouds are quick to jump in to stop journalists from questioning him about his next, the Karan Johar production, Dhadak, which is the Hindi remake of Nagraj Manjule's highest grossing Marathi film of all time, Sairat. But Ishaan is ready to talk about what he wants to do next. "It is great that I am an actor at a time when varied collaborations are possible. My approach is to work with relevant content that I can relate to. Hopefully I will be lucky to be offered such films. But I would not like to limit myself to a certain kind of cinema. I am happy to explore as many avenues as possible," he says.

Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi insists it's time for Hindi cinema to rethink its choice of stories and preferential treatment to its superstars
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 22, 2017)

Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, 58, is exhausted. He's spent 14 hours on a flight, attended the opening ceremony of IFFI in Goa and addressed two press conferences. Before his flight back to Turkey, Ishaan Khatter, his leading man from Beyond the Clouds, is giving him a back massage. Majidi couldn't be happier.

"Would love to spend more time with you," a fan interrupts them. Majidi replies politely, "Of course", confiding in Iranian that that's the only bit of English he knows.

While every director at the festival is trying to avoid questions about Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati or issues that Bollywood and IFFI are grappling with, Majidi is candid.

Through his translator, Reza, he says that he loves India and has kicked off his second production here. But he refuses to work with Bollywood superstars despite them queuing up for him. "I didn't want to work with Bollywood superstars. I always wanted to shoot at different locations in Mumbai, because places are also characters in my films. But even for one audition, it was difficult with Deepika (Padukone) as there was a large crowd and even more curiosity. That was the reason for not wanting to cast a superstar," he explains, adding that the quality of a real superstar is adjustment and talent, and applauds Vishal Bhardwaj's dialogues, A R Rahman's music, Anil Mehta's cinematography and makes a special mention of producers Shareen Mantri Kedia and Kishor Arora, with whom he is reuniting for his second Indian film. "I chose my cast and crew from India because I needed them to understand the social situations. Anil's shooting style is close to mine. We scouted for locations for months. Rahman is my special friend and a real star. He scored a track which I didn't like. One day when I was going to sleep, he asked me to listen to a song. The biggest challenge with him is that he wants you to work all night with him," Majidi adds.

The opening sequences of Majidi's film showcase Mumbai slums and fish markets. He says that his heroes are real men and like Amir (Ishaan's character), they fight for hope. "For the opening sequence, we chased life with the camera. It took three days just to get the set right. We used natural lighting and Anil captured the city beautifully," he says.

He is all praise for India, "the land of stories" and is sad with Bollywood's choice of subjects and casts in its films. "In countries where cinema is a prolific industry, younger filmmakers don't understand the scope for innovation because they believe they are working under a shadow. India has the most brilliant young talent that does not stand a chance of getting cast. It is our responsibility to see that this changes," he says, ruing that Hindi cinema isn't highlighting the social problems that exist in a large population and democracy. "I have no problem if it continues with its set patterns but if you don't give new talent a chance you are walking into a dead-end."

A fan of American classics and the Italian school of filmmaking, Majidi believes Bollywood needs to look at his favourite filmmaker Satyajit Ray for techniques and hidden stories. "A commercial filmmaker came to me once and told me how much he loves my work. I asked him if he loved it so much, why was he making such horrible, commercial films. He insisted he'd never be able to raise the budget needed to make a Children Of Heaven. Valid point but I don't think that is the case with Bollywood anymore," he adds.

He shared these thoughts with I & B Minister Smriti Irani who told him about the NFDC and how it encourages regional and indie films. "While I appreciate that, I believe mainstream cinema needs to change too in the way it writes and casts its actors for the movement to begin," he reasons.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 21, 2017)

The luxurious restaurant of a North Goa five-star buzzed with activity as delegates of the 2017 International Film Festival of India (IFFI) filed in to network and binge on the local delicacy of fish curry and rice. 'Showman' Subhash Ghai regaled veteran journalists with tales from his films, Hero and Karz, that had previously been the opening films at IFFI, while FTII chairperson Anupam Kher's brunch was briefly interrupted with selfie requests from two young fans. Filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj and Nagesh Kukunoor, and cinematographer Sameer Arya discussed the opening film of this year — Majid Majidi's Beyond The Clouds — which marks the acting debut of Shahid Kapoor's younger brother, Ishaan Khatter.

Ahead of the inaugural ceremony, the youngster walked the red carpet in an eye-catching blue kurta, while Shahid, who'd suited up, was accompanied by his entourage. Sridevi chose the back exit for her arrival with producer-husband Boney Kapoor and daughter Janhvi, who is gearing up for her own acting debut, incidentally opposite Ishaan in Karan Johar's Dhadak.

A senior filmmaker told Mirror, "Deepika Padukone had confirmed her presence at the festival but was asked not to attend in light of the threats to her life as well as the growing controversy surrounding the film." Her Padmavati co-star Shahid Kapoor, who plays Raja Rawal Ratan Singh in the film, when asked about the fate of the Sanjay Leela Bhansali period-drama, said, "I believe that the film will release. I believe that this process is difficult but I went through a similar process with Udta Punjab. I eventually saw the film come out and I saw the film being loved and celebrated. So till I am disappointed, I will choose to be optimistic."

Former Goa CM Manohar Parikkar was among other eminent attendees, as well as Nana Patekar. Between 3-4 pm, over 100 cars left for the Panjim Stadium, the venue for the opening ceremony. Bareilly Ki Barfi director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and husband, writer-filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari, new jury chief of the Panorama feature section Rahul Rawail, Chef director Raja Krishna Menon, actor Sharad Kelkar and filmmaker Siddharth Roy Kapur were escorted to the front row. Information & Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani arrived with husband Zubin and headed straight to the back rows to greet the other filmmakers. Before the ceremony kicked off, she had a long conversation with Siddharth and adman Piyush Pandey.

The star presence was not limited to the red carpet, with the venue marked with large screens playing messages from Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Huma Qureshi, among others who couldn't make it.

The opening performance, themed "Drums of India" featuring aerial acts, live music and over 40 dancers, set the tone for the evening, as well as the surprise entry by Shah Rukh Khan who kicked off the evening with an introductory speech on 150 years of cinema. A R Rahman and Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Prasoon Joshi arrived quietly and took their seats in the back rows.

SRK soon made way for the hosts of the evening, actors Radhika Apte and Rajkummar Rao. "Rajkummar took the phrase 'break a leg' a little too seriously. But what a brilliant performance in Newton!" SRK quipped, alluding to an accident the younger actor had recently suffered.

The year's jury, including Maxime Williamson (Brisbane International Jury), Israeli actor Tzahi Grad, two-time Oscar-winning Star Wars actor Roger Christian and Vladistav Opeylants, were felicitated. International jury chairman Muzzafar Ali said, "I've been a part of IFFI since the seventh edition and India is lucky to be showcasing 15 seminal works from across the globe." This year, the fest's 48th edition will also feature the 'Country Focus' segment, that has eight Canadian films curated by Cameron Bailey, Director of the Toronto International Film Festival.

In an opera performance, Goan musician Sonia paid a tribute to members of the fraternity who passed away this year, including J Jayalalithaa, Lekh Tandon, Mukesh Rawal, Om Puri, Cho Ramaswamy, Ram Mukherjee, Reema Lagoo, Ramananda Sengupta, Tom Alter, Vinod Khanna, Inder Kumar, as well as technicians, with a video.

'Utsav', the second performance of the evening, saw Kathakali and Bharatanatyam dancers representing dance forms from all Indian states. Off stage, Majidi hugged 'legend' Rahman. "Iran loves Rahman. This is my second collaboration with him and his work is something to look forward to," the feted Iranian filmmaker beamed. Rahman noted, "It feels extraordinary to stand next to Majid Majidi. We both have received a lot of fatwas and it feels like a privilege nonetheless." Majidi responded with a chuckle.

Shahid joined Rajkummar on stage and the duo recalled bumping into each other at the gym recently. "I did a film called R Rajkummar and Raj did a film called Shahid. But Rajkummar's performance in the film titled after my name was far better," the former noted.

In her closing address, the I&B minister, who had, earlier in the evening, cheered on Rajkummar's film Newton, made a special note of the actor's "terrible" joke on Iranis at the festival. Raj had remarked that Iranians are so keen to be at the fest because "our favourite minister is an Irani". Co-host Radhika had called it a "terrible joke" but it struck a chord with Irani. "Rajkummar Rao should be lauded as he cracked one joke and it was directed at a minister. This only goes to show how tolerant our government is. Now, no one can say that BJP walon ne ek actor ki taang tod di!" Irani said, which drew laughter from the audience.

After banning two Indian films, jury junks critically acclaimed film from across the border
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 21, 2017)

Close on the heels of reports of the I&B Ministry dropping two Indian films, Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi film, Nude, and Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s S Durga from the International Film Festival of India, now comes news of another elimination. Considered among the path-breaking films to emerge from Pakistan, Farhan Alam’s Saawan, was also shown the door.

Recollecting his elation at receiving IFFI’s invite, a copy of which is with mid-day and was also marked to the Pakistan High Commission for the grant of a gratis visa, Alam says, “I was thrilled to receive the invitation in October. But, on November 5, I received an email stating that my movie had been dropped from the festival due to scheduling constraints. I am deeply disappointed. It is shocking and hurtful.”

The filmmaker hasn’t been informed of any other reason behind the decision, but suggests that the strained relationships between the two countries could be to blame. “I am not sure [why the decision to drop the film was taken]. I wouldn’t want to insinuate without certainty. But, there is no denying that India and Pakistan no longer share the relations that they did during [former president] Pervez Musharraf’s government. Since my film was edited by an Indian [Aseem Sinha], I was looking forward to meeting him. Also, my parents were born in India. Culturally, we are tied. I have family there. They were keen to watch my lauded film. I wish it could’ve happened at IFFI.”

Alam’s film is Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars. The film traces the journey of a disabled 9-year- old, who finds his way home after being abandoned set in the deserts of Balochistan. Alam doesn’t sense any foul play in IFFI’s desire to screen his film. Stating that he received an e-mail from the Ministry informing him that his film’s Digital Cinema Package will be duly returned, Alam adds, “They intended to run it, but, I am unable to wrap my head around why they backtracked.”

The resignation of Sujoy Ghosh as jury head of the festival’s Indian Panorama section, apparently over the elimination of the Indian films, made Alam realise that things were amiss. He is however happy that his film will find a place at the Indywood Film Festival, which kicks-off in Hyderabad on December 1. “Festival director Shyam Benegal has chosen the movie. Some of my family members will be present. Being a Pakistani national implies that procuring a visa will be tough for me. But, I will attempt to make it.”

DNA (November 20, 2017)

The 48th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be an extravaganza. IFFI 2017 will have an impressive line-up of films and the biggest stars from various film industries, all of whom are expected to travel to Goa to lend their support to the Festival.

The Festival will be truly power-packed and the festival authorities have confirmed that Salman Khan will close IFFI on November 28, 2017, as the special Guest of Honour. He will be joined by child artiste Matin Rey Tangu, who made his debut in Kabir Khan’s 2017 film Tubelight along with Salman.

We also hear that something special is being planned with the Bollywood superstar, but the details of the actual activity are currently being finalised and the details will be revealed at a later date.

Salman says, “The Festival has a fantastic line-up this year and I look forward to attending the closing ceremony and meeting some of the best names in cinema from across the world.” IFFI begins today and will be on till November 28, 2017 in the beach state of Goa.

Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; November 20, 2017)

Journalist-turned-filmmaker Vinod Kapri awaits the screening of his film, Pihu, which opens the International Film Festival of India’s Indian Panorama section, he has kicked- off work on his next. “I am collaborating with a leading production house for a commercial film called Frock,” he tells midday, as he chronicles his transition from creating documentaries to feature outing.

The success of Akshay Kumar-starrer Toilet - Ek Prem Katha, three years after his National Award-winning documentary Can’t Take This Shit Anymore, dabbled with the same subject of open defecation, made him realise that he needed to “think big”. “I had done research on Paan Singh Tomar for a documentary, but it did not work out. Seven years later, when Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar (2012) released, I realised that the industry is accepting my ideas.”

Frock, says Kapri, like all his past releases, is also inspired by true events. The “strange” society, he suggests, offers enough fodder for filmmakers to put down their creative hats. “Why should we waste time in creating fantasies when our world is so scary? All my films are a reflection of society.”

Pihu, which revolves around a two-year-old, is also inspired by a real-life story. Creating the film, Kapri says, was no mean feat. The narrative rests entirely on the toddler who is the sole actor in the 100-minute-long outing. It puts the spotlight on the problems faced by a married couple and presents it from the point of view of the girl.

“The film chronicles a 12-hour time period in the life of the child when she’s left alone at home. Given that she was only two, and cannot react to acting cues, we incorporated her daily actions. I had to ensure that her actions had the ability to strengthen my screenplay. And even though she didn’t do anything in accordance with our demand, we pulled it off.”

The reaction to his outing as it travels across film festivals has been encouraging. “Viewers have told me they had sleepless nights. One couple said that they apologised to each other for their behaviour after catching a screening, since they realised how their personal issues affected their child.”

Despite international acclaim, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s S Durga has had its share of controversy in India. Originally called Sexy Durga, the Malayalam film ran into censor trouble and was cleared only after 21 audio cuts and a revised title. Now the I&B ministry has abruptly dropped it from the list selected for screening at the International Film Festival of India, overruling the jury. The filmmaker tells Sonam Joshi why he has decided to challenge the decision in court
Sonam Joshi (THE TIMES OF INDIA; November 19, 2017)

S Durga follows the harrowing experiences of a runaway couple after they hitch a ride with two small-time gangsters. Why name the woman Durga?
The idea came to me after the Delhi gang rape in 2012. We say that we treat women as goddesses, yet we don’t even treat them as individuals. If Durga is in a temple, then people will worship her, but if the same Durga is out on the streets, what will people do? This problematic mentality comes from a male-dominated society and is the cause of violence against women. The film is about gender and power politics, and how those who have power use it on the powerless.

You chose a provocative title. What did it convey and how important was it for the film?
The title has a lot of meaning for the film. I was trying to put words which are contradictory, just like the film has so many contradictions. A lot of people came to me and said you can’t put the goddess in your film. If they have a problem, I invite them to see the film. It is not defaming the goddess. For understanding art, you need to see art, but these people are just reading the title. Without seeing it, how can you say that it is about the goddess?

You’ve also received death threats. Did you expect such extreme reactions?
I could anticipate it. When I gave the title, someone told me I’m going to be in trouble. I had said that if someone protests about the film, let us show it to them and converse. But if someone cuts my throat, what is the point of debate? All kinds of vandalism is going on in India, including what is happening with Padmavati and Nude. We are becoming like Saudi Arabia or Iran. Different cultures have co-existed in India, but can we claim that we are an open-minded country now? We had Khajuraho and Kamasutra. Now we can’t talk about sex, and the word sexy is abusive. In the last five years, this fanaticism has been rising. It is getting very hard to live freely as an artist in India.

What cuts had the censor board asked you to make, and why didn’t you challenge it?
The 21 mutes were for small, abusive words in Malayalam that we use every day. These words are not related to the goddess. There are no visual cuts. The censor board said the word sexy in the title can’t be allowed because there are thousands of complaints against it. I could have appealed against it but it would have taken time. I also wanted people to watch the film and thought I shouldn’t stand between the j movie and the audience just because of the title. I didn’t want a controversy.

Have you been told why the film was dropped from IFFI?
I have not received any email or communication from them. I have given Rs 10,000 as jury fee so the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) is bound to inform me if the film is selected or rejected. I only came to know that my film had been selected after seeing news reports that it had been dropped. I submitted the uncensored version because there is a government rule that you can submit a film even without a censor certificate. The jury saw this version. If the film is selected, the film festival needs a special exemption from the I&B ministry to screen it. If it has not given the exemption, even then the DFF is required to inform me. I mailed the I&B minister asking for an explanation but haven’t got any reply.

Why did you decide to file a petition in the Kerala High Court now?
I’m looking for justice. My petition requests the court to implement the jury’s decision and order the DFF to screen my film. Nowadays the judiciary is our only hope. Democracy is being used as a tool to enable fascism. If the government and its ministers treat it like a dictatorship, what is the meaning of saying we are citizens of India? We can say we are in the kingdom of Smriti Irani and Modi. If the system appoints the jury, they should give it some respect. If I agreed to all the changes and got a certificate, I am legally entitled to screen the film. Somebody said that it is a government-run festival, but who is the government? It is an official body elected by the people of India. We are the government, we need to know what is happening.

What next?
I am planning to release the film. People need to see it and understand that it is not about the goddess; it is about the people who claim they are saving the goddess. I am ready to give it to them to screen it for free. I am also working on a film about social censorship, freedom of expression and cultural fascism. It is about my life and what I am going through right now.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 18, 2017)

The controversy over the dropping of two films — Sanal Kumar Sashidharan’s Malayalam film S Durga and Ravi Jadhav’s Marathi film Nude — from the list of 26 films to be screened in the Indian Panorama section of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) led to Sanal moving the Single Bench of the Kerala High Court on November 14. Three jury members — Chairperson Sujoy Ghosh, Apurva Asrani and Gyan Correa have subsequently resigned, while Sanal filed a writ petition with the Division Bench after his case did not come up for hearing on November 16.

After referring to the statements filed by the Central Government Counsel and the petitioner, Mirror has learnt that in the pre-noon session on Friday, the Division Bench heard the case and made two key observations. First, the Information & Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry had behaved in a high-handed and arbitrary manner. Second, that Sanal should have been given an opportunity to screen the censored version of S Durga for the jury and the ministry.

Admitting that dropping S Durga from the film list on the grounds that the jury had seen the pre-censored version was unfair, the Division Bench has suggested that the Single Bench list the petition and give them a hearing by November 20 — the opening day of IFFI.

According to a witness, “If the Single Bench of the Kerala High Court deems that the film can be screened, S Durga might get screened over the course of the eight-day festival.”

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; November 17, 2017)

What is Nude about?
A woman from a less-privileged background earning her livelihood by modelling nude for an art school.

The fallout
Sujoy Ghosh, who was the chairman of the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2017 Indian Panorama section, resigned on Tuesday in protest against the dropping of two films — S Durga (Malayalam) directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and Nude (Marathi) by Ravi Jadhav. Writer Apurva Asrani, who was on the jury, followed suit. Reason: Both the films were rejected by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting despite being selected by the jury constituted as per the Indian Panorama regulations. Soon after that, Vivek Agnihotri, convenor of IFFI, said in an interview that Nude was dropped because it came with a rider from the chairperson that it was incomplete. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, “Even if it is selected by the jury, if it is not completed and unless it gets a certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, unless the entire procedure is complete and it is ready, it cannot be screened.” The man behind the film speaks:

Known for taking up bold subjects and dealing with them sensitively, National Award winning director Ravi Jadhav in his decade-long career has never been in the eye of a controversy despite his risque topics. But for the first time his upcoming film Nude finds itself in a soup thanks to it being dropped from the International Film Festival Of India that is to be held in Goa from November 20. Strangely, it has nothing to do with the content! The reasons for it being dropped range from it being incomplete to the title to not having a censor certificate. We spoke to Ravi to understand how a film that was said to be in consideration as the opening for the Panorama section got dropped...

Is it true that your film did not have a censor certificate?
Let me tell you that Vivek Agnihotri and others are giving funny reasons. Firstly, you don’t need a censor certificate at all for IFFI. When you enter your film, it is clearly written that the film has to be complete before July 31 or it has to be censored. There is an either/or. However, since the last two years censor is not applicable for the entry. Normally, once they select a film, they communicate to the producer one month before that they can get it censored, as the film is selected. There was no such communication.

What about the other point that your film is incomplete?
Four of my earlier films were selected for IFFI. So, I know exactly how to send a film. I don’t know if any of Vivek Agnihotri’s films have been selected for IFFI or not. And if it has been he should show it to me first! Since I have done it earlier, according to me, I had sent my film at least 99 per cent complete. The one per cent that is remaining is basically about the end-scroll that is normally done after the media partners come on board. That has nothing to do with the film. We get a letter from IFFI — at least that’s what used to happen in the last four years — stating your film has been selected and to send the complete movie. If you don’t send, then it gets rejected. Sometimes if there’s some content they feel that is objectionable they tell us to get it censored and give a month’s time, which is more than enough. But that also did not happen this time. There was no letter, no communication at all. The jury saying the film was incomplete doesn’t make sense. I have already won five National Awards so I know exactly know how it has to be sent. Also, only if it’s a complete film, will the jury be able to experience it the way it should. The fact that they were considering it as the opening film means it was complete. Even now they can release it in IFFI.

Do you think there was a problem with the title?
I don’t think there can be an objection to the title because the teaser that I released two days ago on social media has been censored one month ago, and it already had the title on it. I think there has been a miscommunication and now they are giving any reason. But I don’t know what exactly has happened.

What prompted you to take up this subject?
I have studied in an art school. And there are nude models, who are an important aspect of our studies because from them, we learn about anatomy — it is called body painting. It is known as nude art across the world. I was always curious to know how they lead their lives.

What do they tell their families about what they do?
Also, in today’s world when a woman walks out fully- clothed, too, some men look at them in a bad way, but in the art school, even when a woman sits nude before them, they don’t look at her wrongly. If everybody’s gaze became like an artist’s, it would be so good. That was the idea. I did not make the film to create controversy, I don’t want it. I haven’t done that before either. I only feel they should see it for its merit and not for the controversy. My earlier films, whether it was Natrang, Balak Palak, or Bal Gandharva, they would have become controversial, but they didn’t. Even my last film Mitwaa, which was about lesbianism would have been controversial, instead, it won the National Award.

Will you go to court?
I am thinking about it and if necessary, I will go. The list was announced just 10 days ago. Festival is starting on the 20th and there is a Saturday-Sunday in between. I don’t think anything will come out of it. My wish is that somebody sees the film. IFFI has decided whatever it wants. Now, I only want people to watch the film on its merit and I plan to release it in the next two-three months.