Showing posts with label Vinod Kapri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vinod Kapri. Show all posts
I want to thank this jury for acknowledging not just this song, but also the pain of migrants-Vishal Bhardwaj
8:40 AM
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 24, 2022)
Filmmaker and music director Vishal Bhardwaj is delighted to get his eighth National Film Award. Filmmaker Vinod Kapri’s 1232 Kms: Marenge To Wahin Jaakar, which documents the suffering and anguish of migrant workers during the initial wave of Coronavirus and the lockdown, earned Bhardwaj the honour of Best Music Direction in the Non-Feature Film category.
The 56-year-old says that the honour acknowledges the suffering of migrant workers: “Woh acknowledge nahin hua tha, na ho raha tha. I really want to thank this jury for acknowledging not just this song, but through this song, they are actually acknowledging the pain of all the migrants.”
Recalling the making of the music, Bhardwaj shares, “Amid the pandemic, I had shifted to Mussoorie (Uttarakhand). When Vinod Kapri (filmmaker) contacted us, Gulzar (lyricist-filmmaker) and I, we were so moved. We decided to do it free of charge, and asked him to make the basic recording cost. We were all pent up inside because of what was happening in the pandemic and the images we were seeing of the migrants walking for thousands and thousands of kilometres. Gulzar ji had put it succinctly, ‘Marenge To Wahin Jaakar’ found an outlet to express my feelings through the documentary,” he says.
For Bhardwaj, the sanctity of the award remains undefeated. “Baaki awards jo hote hain, woh lagta hai ke kisi paan ya gutke ke awards hain. Everyone wants to sell something and wants to show it on television to recover the money, and stars se dance leke usko exploit karenge. They come with a cheapness attached to it,” he says, adding, “Whereas, at the National Film Awards, the President gives you the award. You feel honoured to receive it from the first citizen of India. The sanctity of the National Award, its beauty and its honour are precious.”
After watching 1232 KM, I hope people realise their lack of empathy-Vinod Kapri
7:52 AM
As he highlights migrant workers’ crisis post the lockdown, the director says ary 1232 KMS also underlines society’s apathy
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 20, 2021)
In the early weeks of the Coronavirus lockdown, we woke up every morning to images of migrant workers trudging along the national highways, desperate to reach their hometowns. A year later, filmmaker Vinod Kapri has revisited their pathos with his documentary 1232 KMS. While celebrating their indomitable spirit in the face of adversity, the documentary also underlines society’s apathy towards the marginalised sections. “[After the lockdown in March 2020], I was helping seven labourers from Ghaziabad with ration. I advised them not to move out, holding them on for two weeks. When they decided to leave for Bihar, I wanted to document their journey,” recounts Kapri about the project’s genesis.
Over the next seven days, the construction labourers made the long road home on bicycles, surviving on little money and determination. “All the dhabas were shut; so there was no food or shelter,” he says of the workers, who slept by the roadside at night and hitchhiked on a truck on one occasion. “We, as a society, failed them. It was a crisis for everyone, but the privileged ones were at home, comfortable. Millions of people were penniless and hungry, and there was no one to help them. These people build our homes, but when there was a crisis, we ignored them. This documentary gives them a face and tells their story.”
Kapri’s 23-year journalism career came handy as his assistant and he shot the documentary, without the aid of a crew. “After watching the film, I hope people realise their lack of empathy.”
Saif Ali Khan in talks with Pihu director Vinod Kapri for a gritty true-life story of a soldier?
7:42 AM
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; October 18, 2019)
Saif Ali Khan has his plate full with the web series Tandav, and a possible collaboration with Aamir Khan on the remake of the Tamil film, Vikram Vedha. Now, it has been heard that the actor is also in talks with National Award-winning director Vinod Kapri for a survival drama. A source reveals, "The story is inspired by true events where a soldier had separated from his regiment in a jungle. The film is a gritty take on how the protagonist manages to navigate his way in the jungle and survives the rough terrain. Saif has heard the plot points and expressed his interest in the project. He has yet to allot the dates."mid-day reached out to both, Khan and Kapri, who remained unavailable for comment.
Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur join hands for Pihu
7:48 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (May 22, 2018)
Known for backing path-breaking and unconventional cinema like Dev.D, A Wednesday, Rang De Basanti and Barfi! in their first innings together at UTV, Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur have collaborated for the first time in their new avatars — RSVP and Roy Kapur Films — for Pihu. The film is directed by journalist-turned-filmmaker Vinod Kapri and the story revolves around a two-year-old girl Pihu, who is left alone in an apartment. What ensues makes for an edge-of-the-seat social thriller, which is based on a true story.
Much like they’ve done in the past with films like The Lunchbox, Shahid, Khosla Ka Ghosla and Udaan, Ronnie and Siddharth have identified Pihu, too, as a film that has the potential to break the norms of storytelling. The film was officially selected for prestigious international film festivals, which include Vancouver, Palm Springs, Iran, Morocco and Germany. Pihu, in fact, won the ‘Best Film’ at Morocco. It was also the opening movie at the International Film Festival of India, Goa (2017), where it received positive reviews.
Vinod Kapri shares, “I am still pinching myself that I could complete Pihu. It was almost an impossible film. In the beginning, my friend, the late Kirshan Kumar, trusted my dream and the film was born. Later, the way Siddharth and Ronnie adopted it is no less than a fairy tale for me, as they understand cinema in its true sense.”
Siddharth says, “It’s always thrilling to come across directors who want to tell stories that challenge the status quo using bold new narrative styles. It is a towering directorial achievement by Vinod and we look forward to bringing it to audiences soon.” Ronnie adds, “Pihu is a unique film and thrillingly real. Imagine 90 minutes of a spellbinding experience. It tugs at your heart at all times.” Both Ronnie and Siddharth believe in presenting content-driven films and delivering movies backed by credible directors and talented actors.
Pihu releases on August 3.
Bollywood is gradually accepting my ideas-Vinod Kapri
7:40 AM
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.”
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