Showing posts with label Sooni Taraporevala. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sooni Taraporevala. Show all posts
Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala to re-release in USA on April 15
4:13 PM
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; April 13, 2022)
Thirty one years after it first premiered in France, filmmaker Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala (1991) is set to re-release in a remixed and remastered format in the USA on April 15. The film starring Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury revolves around Indians being subjected to racism and xenophobia in Uganda.
Its screenplay writer Sooni Taraporevala feels that the film will have a strong impact on the new generation of the Indian diaspora. She says, “When the film came out, I was in India and there were comments like, ‘We aren’t like that, we aren’t racists’, but it’s not true. We like pointing fingers at others and call them racist, but deny it when it comes to us. It’s going to be relevant for the next generation, because sadly, not much has changed.”
Sharing her excitement about the film’s re-release, Taraporevala, who bagged the Golden Osella for Best Original Screenplay for it at the Venice international Film Festival in 1991, says, “In a climate where new films aren’t releasing theatrically, it’s amazing that a film that’s 30 years old is re-releasing.”
The Salaam Bombay! (1988) and The Namesake (2007) writer feels that it’s imperative to introduce the younger NRI audience to cult classics that offer them a glimpse into their culture. She says, “It’s always important to expose them to what came before, provided it’s relevant, especially in today’s times where attention spans are zero. Nobody reads and so, there’s no concept of history today.”
Taraporevala further reveals that Mississippi Masala holds a special place in Nair’s heart because of personal reasons. “Mira met her husband, Mahmood Mamdani, when we went to Kampala (Uganda) to do the research. The house in the film is now her house. Her son was born there,” she ends.
Although VR was exciting, I found myself longing to do it the old fashioned way-Sooni Taraporevala
8:39 AM
Sooni Taraporevala's new Netflix-original pays tribute to a dance she learnt as a little girl, and two disadvantaged Mumbai lads who made a life from the art
Anju Maskeri (MID-DAY; February 23, 2020)
Sooni Taraporevala went for ballet classes as a little girl, aware of the sweat and pain it demands of dancers. "But, in all those years of training, I had never seen a boy do ballet," says the director-writer-photographer. More than 30 years later, when she watched Manish Chauhan and Amiruddin Shah pirouetting and arabesqueing en pointe, she found herself well up. "They were extraordinary! In fact, way better than most of us who had done ballet for so many years, and had every privilege, which neither of them did. I wanted to tell their story."
And, she has.
Yeh Ballet, a film she has written and directed, released on Netflix last Friday. The film features Chauhan reprising his own part and actor Achintya Bose as Shah. It's Taraporevala's second stint with the subject. In 2017, she made a 14-minute VR documentary with the same title for filmmaker Anand Gandhi's Memesys Culture Lab.
It chronicled the lives of the two dancers, who hail from disadvantaged families and became among the first Indians to receive scholarships to train at prestigious dance schools. While Chauhan went to London's Royal Ballet Academy, Shah trained at the Oregon Ballet Theatre in the US. The experience whet her appetite. There was more to tell. "Although VR was experimental and exciting, I found myself longing to do it the old fashioned way, where I'm out of the frame and the subject is closer to the camera," she says.
While the initial plan was to get Shah on board, it didn't work out since he continues to be in Oregon. But for Chauhan, who is back in the bay, it was about reliving the experience, minus the agony. "The first time the struggle was real; this time, it was fun. I wasn't sleeping hungry. I was eating delicious food and had a cozy bed to go back to," laughs the 26-year-old, who plays a taxi driver's son. Taraporevala, he says, was a "chilled out" director on set. "She allowed us to explore the role on our own. She'd sit back and observe us while she munched on peanuts."
In the film, you see the bitter rivalry between Chauhan and Bose only for it to eventually thaw. Off-screen, the two are like peas in a pod, arriving together on set and hanging out post shoot. "I see a lot of myself in him [Bose]. He is besharam. He doesn't feel shy to voice his ignorance, and has the same hunger to learn as I did," says Chauhan. He admits that he was beginning to get complacent after having reached a level of competency. Bose made him buck up.
Incidentally, Bose was recommended for the role by their Israeli-American ballet teacher Yehuda Maor, who discovered Chauhan and Shah. British actor Julian Sands plays Maor in the film. "It took about eight months for me to perfect ballet. I would watch videos of Amir training to get a sense of his movement and form," says Bose.
A few months before the shoot, Taraporevala enrolled the cast for acting workshops to ensure they were well-versed with their characters. "I wanted everyone to be confident and know their characters in and out, so that were no surprises on set. You can be confident only when you're well prepared. It's the reason why I could happily munch on peanuts," Taraporevala laughs. That said, the shoot was physically challenging. Filming in crammed spaces across multiple locations in peak summer would sap them of every bit of energy, she recalls. "I remember, our makeup artist telling me that Bose would sometimes nod off during touch ups."
While Chauhan and Shah's admission at a world-class company was, clearly, no easy feat, it was far from a fairytale once they reached that point. "Initially, it was very difficult. If we were good here, we were no good there," says Chauhan. It took them months of intense practice to perfect their moves and be at par with their counterparts.
Taraporevala has ensured the precision is maintained. "Just because people here may not know enough about ballet, I didn't want to pass off something mediocre. The idea was to make it real; it's a beautiful piece of art and should leave an impact when you are watching [it]."
British actor Julian Sands plays Israeli-American ballet teacher Yehuda Maor, who discovered Chauhan and Shah
Sooni Taraporevala to direct Siddharth Roy Kapur's upcoming production Ballet Boys
8:05 AM
Amiruddin Shah with Sooni Taraporevala and Manish Chauhan (PHOTO BY ROHAN RAUT); Siddharth Roy Kapur
Siddharth Roy Kapur’s next brings back Sooni Taraporevala as director with a true-life story
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 12, 2018)
A decade after making her directorial debut with the National Award-winning family drama Little Zizou, internationally acclaimed screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala is returning to direction with Ballet Boys. It recounts the inspiring true-life journey of two Mumbai boys, Amiruddin Shah and Manish Chauhan, who with the help of their Israeli-American mentor Yehuda Maor and the support of their families, fought the odds to get into London’s Royal Ballet School and the Oregon Ballet Theatre. Produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, the musical drama rolls in January.
Sooni had earlier directed a documentary on the same subject, Yeh Ballet, for Anand Gandhi’s culture lab. Quiz her on it and she says, “My son was working at Anand’s lab and they were asking people to direct some VR (Virtual Reality) films for them. I jumped at the opportunity. They gave me a list of subjects, this one fascinated me because I learnt ballet for many years too and believe this amazing story has to be told.”
She’s been working on the script these last few months and is happy to reunite with Siddharth. They had earlier collaborated on Mira Nair’s 2007 drama The Namesake, which Sooni had adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri’s eponymous novel and Siddharth had co-produced.
“I have always admired Sid’s filmography and his drive to tell stories that matter. I hope this collaboration will successfully bring to light the incredible and emotionally driven journey of the boys and their teacher, along with the fact that talent has no boundaries. There is so much talent in India that lies undiscovered and had it not been for Yehuda, this one too might have remained undiscovered,” points out the Padma Shri.
Sooni has earlier scripted Mira’s Salaam Bombay and Mississippi Masala as well. When asked if the filmmaker will be involved in her directorial, she says, “Mira has been helping me with advice but is not formally involved with the project.”
She is in the process of casting and adds that her male leads will go through months of training in ballet before she starts shooting with them. Did she miss direction? “I did, I was trying to get another project, a futuristic sci-fi film, off the ground for years, but that has yet to happen. I’m thrilled to be a part of this film,” she exults.
With the dialogue penned by Mayur Puri, music by Sachin-Jigar, choreography by Shiamak Davar, with the ballet sequences directed by Yehuda and Cindy Jourdain, the film will encompass various dance forms, including free-style, desi hip-hop and ballet. “Having created the musical franchise, ABCD, we intend to bring the same unbridled energy, cinematic spectacle, spectacular dance and great music to this film. What makes it even more special is that we will explore an unfamiliar western dance form, ballet, and its impact on these boys. The goal is to achieve all that while remaining rooted in our culture and more familiar dance aesthetics,” Siddharth signs off.
Aamir, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika, Aishwarya, Big B invited to have a say at Oscars
8:13 AM
B’wood
actors to filmmakers and technicians, the Academy, in its most diverse
list yet, invited a record 774 film personalities to be new members
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 30, 2017)
On Wednesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a record 774 invitations to new members, which included 14 Indian film personalities, outdoing its record of 683 invitations in 2016.
Rubbing shoulders with Hollywood stars Chris Evans, Riz Ahmed, Dwayne Johnson and Kristen Stewart are Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan and Irrfan Khan. Internationally acclaimed filmmakers Mrinal Sen, Goutam Ghose, Sooni Taraporevala and Buddhadeb Dasgupta, documentary filmmaker-activist Anand Patwardhan, costume designer Arjun Bhasin and sound designer Amrit Pritam Dutta have also made the cut. Also in the list are India-born Mohit Kallianpur and Mahesh Ramasubramanian, who’ve done the animation and visual effects of films like Frozen and Shrek.
Patwardhan hailed the move as “surprising but much-needed”. He pointed out that for a long time the Oscars have been dominated by American and British ideologies and Hollywood has been pushing the American propaganda. “Apart from horror, the James Bond franchise and war films, powerful and progressive pieces of work need to be brought to the forefront,” he asserted, citing Michael Moore’s 2003 win, Bowling for Columbine (Best Documentary Feature) to emphasise how he used the platform to speak up about the Iraq war and rebel against the media. “Since there is a fairly closed system of naval-gazing at the Oscars, more people from different countries will fuel the rebel culture and that’s a healthy sign.”
However, his enthusiasm is tinged with scepticism as he wonders if all 14 Indians will actually be flown to Los Angeles for the ceremony or will it be only the stars. “How are they going to fit all 774 people?” he ruminates but says he’ll definitely exercise his vote.
Dasgupta is not only an invitee but also a member of the jury. “It’s a huge honour and I am definitely going to make my presence felt. I don’t care about categories, I plan on enjoying all kinds of good cinema,” he exults, insisting the number of Indian invitees will have no bearing on India’s performance at the awards.
In the last 80 years, only three Indian films – Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan-- have made it to the last five in the Foreign Language category, with Mother India losing to Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria by a single vote. “It is difficult to lobby for an Oscar at a ceremony dominated by English-speaking content. A country like India should be allowed a minimum of four-five entries and Indian federations need to write to the Academy on this,” suggests Ghose, speaking from Satara where he is scouting locations for his next film. The National Award winning filmmaker learnt of his invitation through the media.
Taraporevela who wrote the screenplays of Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala, Salaam Bombay and The Namesake before making her own film Little Zizou, has been a member of the Writers Guild of America since 1988. She woke up to an email congratulating her and woke up her husband with a delighted scream. “They used to choose actors and technicians of Oscar-nominated films before, now they have opened up the field. I’ve been a working screenwriter for nearly 30 years and in my mind, this is a prize for staying the course and not giving up,” she says.
Speaking to Mirror from New York, where he is presently filming his next Hollywood film Puzzle, Irrfan agreed that invitations to Indian actors would impact the representation of Indian film in the Foreign Language category. “But they don’t work as a boosting mechanism and will have no effect on the kind of movies we make in India. I am excited because I will now be updated on the nominated movies and as a privileged member of the Academy, I’ll get to watch them before the voting process,” he avers.
The actor whose repertoire boasts of Ang Lee’s Life of Pi and Dany Boyle’s Slumdog Millionnaire, has walked the Oscar red carpet in 2009 but adds that now that he’s an official member, “his fondest memory is yet to come!”
Priyanka Chopra is presently filming in New York for her second Hollywood film, A Kid Like Jake. “I’m so grateful, such an honour! I’m excited about the Academy inviting me and all these amazing women into the fold. There’s Naomi Harris, Gal Gadot, Leslie Jones… It’s so good to see all these wonderful women on the list. And it’s good that the Academy included some guys too,” she quipped.
On Wednesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a record 774 invitations to new members, which included 14 Indian film personalities, outdoing its record of 683 invitations in 2016.
Rubbing shoulders with Hollywood stars Chris Evans, Riz Ahmed, Dwayne Johnson and Kristen Stewart are Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan and Irrfan Khan. Internationally acclaimed filmmakers Mrinal Sen, Goutam Ghose, Sooni Taraporevala and Buddhadeb Dasgupta, documentary filmmaker-activist Anand Patwardhan, costume designer Arjun Bhasin and sound designer Amrit Pritam Dutta have also made the cut. Also in the list are India-born Mohit Kallianpur and Mahesh Ramasubramanian, who’ve done the animation and visual effects of films like Frozen and Shrek.
Patwardhan hailed the move as “surprising but much-needed”. He pointed out that for a long time the Oscars have been dominated by American and British ideologies and Hollywood has been pushing the American propaganda. “Apart from horror, the James Bond franchise and war films, powerful and progressive pieces of work need to be brought to the forefront,” he asserted, citing Michael Moore’s 2003 win, Bowling for Columbine (Best Documentary Feature) to emphasise how he used the platform to speak up about the Iraq war and rebel against the media. “Since there is a fairly closed system of naval-gazing at the Oscars, more people from different countries will fuel the rebel culture and that’s a healthy sign.”
However, his enthusiasm is tinged with scepticism as he wonders if all 14 Indians will actually be flown to Los Angeles for the ceremony or will it be only the stars. “How are they going to fit all 774 people?” he ruminates but says he’ll definitely exercise his vote.
Dasgupta is not only an invitee but also a member of the jury. “It’s a huge honour and I am definitely going to make my presence felt. I don’t care about categories, I plan on enjoying all kinds of good cinema,” he exults, insisting the number of Indian invitees will have no bearing on India’s performance at the awards.
In the last 80 years, only three Indian films – Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan-- have made it to the last five in the Foreign Language category, with Mother India losing to Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria by a single vote. “It is difficult to lobby for an Oscar at a ceremony dominated by English-speaking content. A country like India should be allowed a minimum of four-five entries and Indian federations need to write to the Academy on this,” suggests Ghose, speaking from Satara where he is scouting locations for his next film. The National Award winning filmmaker learnt of his invitation through the media.
Taraporevela who wrote the screenplays of Mira Nair’s Mississippi Masala, Salaam Bombay and The Namesake before making her own film Little Zizou, has been a member of the Writers Guild of America since 1988. She woke up to an email congratulating her and woke up her husband with a delighted scream. “They used to choose actors and technicians of Oscar-nominated films before, now they have opened up the field. I’ve been a working screenwriter for nearly 30 years and in my mind, this is a prize for staying the course and not giving up,” she says.
Speaking to Mirror from New York, where he is presently filming his next Hollywood film Puzzle, Irrfan agreed that invitations to Indian actors would impact the representation of Indian film in the Foreign Language category. “But they don’t work as a boosting mechanism and will have no effect on the kind of movies we make in India. I am excited because I will now be updated on the nominated movies and as a privileged member of the Academy, I’ll get to watch them before the voting process,” he avers.
The actor whose repertoire boasts of Ang Lee’s Life of Pi and Dany Boyle’s Slumdog Millionnaire, has walked the Oscar red carpet in 2009 but adds that now that he’s an official member, “his fondest memory is yet to come!”
Priyanka Chopra is presently filming in New York for her second Hollywood film, A Kid Like Jake. “I’m so grateful, such an honour! I’m excited about the Academy inviting me and all these amazing women into the fold. There’s Naomi Harris, Gal Gadot, Leslie Jones… It’s so good to see all these wonderful women on the list. And it’s good that the Academy included some guys too,” she quipped.
Mira Nair to produce Sooni Taraporevala's drama set in 2057
7:46 AM
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 13, 2014)
The dream team of Mira Nair
and Sooni Taraporevala which has created acclaimed films like The
Namesake, Mississipi Masala and Salaam Bombay, are joining hands again.
And this project is set in the future.Mira, the New York-based Indian filmmaker, has directed the three previous films which were penned by Sooni. Now, she will produce Sooni's next directorial (she had made her directorial debut with Little Zizou in 2008), titled 3 ½. The duo, known for creating emotional pieces centred on the Indian Diaspora, plans to travel in time with this one.
A source close to the director told Mirror, “It's a film, partly set in the immediate present and partly set in the late 2050s. It's an unconventional love triangle which turns into an intriguing thriller. Mira and Sooni have been brainstorming on this for several years now. It's one of their most ambitious collaborations and will be made on a sweeping scale.“
Confirming this, Sooni told Mirror, “3 ½ is a unique story that will be a game changer. It takes place in 2015 and 2057. Three characters traverse both time periods and at the centre of the film is their love story.“
Both Mira and Sooni will be in Goa in November to attend the National Film Development Corporation's (NFDC) Film Bazaar. That's where their search for international partners for the film will begin. Said an NFDC spokesperson, “Among 24 other titles Mira and Sooni's film will be a part of NFDC's Film Bazaar.“
Sooni said: “Our collaboration began in 1986 and continues to this day. We have a track record of making films that are deeply rooted in India and have an international presence.“ She added, “We hope to find co-production partners from around the world at the NFDC market because this is a film intended for both an Indian as well as an international audience of young people from around the world.“
Priyanka Chopra joins hands with Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez
8:02 AM
Mehul S Thakkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 5, 2014)
Priyanka Chopra has lent her voice to the feature film Girl Rising directed by Oscar nominated director, Richard E Robbins. The actress has provided a voice-over in English and Hindi for the film which highlights nine stories of young women from around the world who have used education to rise above poverty and adversity.
While the Indian story features PeeCee's voice, the film also has voiceovers by Academy Award winning actress Anne Hathaway and pop star Selena Gomez.
A source told Mirror, “Though Priyanka is a globe trekker, she dubbed this movie in India. She saw portions of the documentary and was moved by the stories.”
The Indian story has been written by Sooni Taraporevala, the award winning screenwriter of films like Mississipi Masala and Salaam Bombay.
The source added, “Priyanka has seen the Indian story many times now. She has told her friends to see the film whenever they get the opportunity.”
Vidya Balan, Sooni Taraporevala, Wendell Rodricks on winning the Padma Shri
8:01 AM
Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; January 28, 2014)
Out of the 127 Padma awards that were conferred by the President of India on Saturday, five tinseltown personalities have made it to the list.
Actor Kamal Hasan has been honoured with Padma Bhushan. The actor was earlier given the Padma Shri in 1990.
Vidya Balan, who won the national award for her performance in the film, The Dirty Picture, was awarded the Padma Shri. The actress said that she is overwhelmed and humbled by the honour. “I'm running out of words to express my feelings and gratitude. To be receiving this honour from the government of India is a matter of great pride for me and I dedicate this award to my family,” she said.
Vidya started her career with Ekta Kapoor’s TV show Hum Paanch. She then won popular awards for her first film, Parineeta, and has to her credit films like Kahani, Ishqiya, No One Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture and Lage Raho Munnabhai.
Paresh Rawal, currently shooting in Mauritius, has been awarded the Padam Shri for his contribution to cinema.
Writer-director Sooni Taraporevala, who gave us films like the Oscar nominated Salaam Bombay, Mississipi Masala, The Namesake and Little Zizou, was stunned upon hearing that she had been given the award. “I wasn’t expecting it at all,” she said.
Fashion designer Wendell Rodricks, who has worked with B town stars like Malaika Arora Khan, has won the Padma Shri. When contacted, he said, “I am indebted to the fashion fraternity for paving the way to this moment. Receiving the Padma Shri has made me resolve to work harder for my art, fraternity, community, Goa and India.”
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