New Delhi, March 30 (Ians) Gary Mehigan, who was behind the humongous success of ‘MasterChef Australia’, has become a registered Indophile by the look of it.
Somewhat like the Australian (and also Delhi Capitals) cricket star David Warner, who almost became the face of Tollywood during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mehigan knows more about India than any homegrown desi would on a good day.
Not surprising, considering that he has been here 12 times in 18 months, travelling across the country from the highlands of Munnar in Kerala to Ladakh, soaking in the Hemis Festival, to Nagaland, chilling at Hornbill. Sampling ‘langarwali dal’ and roti at Anandpur Sahib one day or, on another, riding a truck in Kolkata carrying an idol of Goddess Durga being taken for immersion to the Hooghly, shooting for Nat Geo’s ‘India Mega Festivals’ series.
And of course, if you’re a chef who spends more time...
Somewhat like the Australian (and also Delhi Capitals) cricket star David Warner, who almost became the face of Tollywood during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mehigan knows more about India than any homegrown desi would on a good day.
Not surprising, considering that he has been here 12 times in 18 months, travelling across the country from the highlands of Munnar in Kerala to Ladakh, soaking in the Hemis Festival, to Nagaland, chilling at Hornbill. Sampling ‘langarwali dal’ and roti at Anandpur Sahib one day or, on another, riding a truck in Kolkata carrying an idol of Goddess Durga being taken for immersion to the Hooghly, shooting for Nat Geo’s ‘India Mega Festivals’ series.
And of course, if you’re a chef who spends more time...
- 3/30/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday to relaunch the President’s Committee on The Arts and the Humanities, an advisory group that has been dormant since a highly publicized standoff between its members and Donald Trump.
The purpose of the committee will be “to inform and support the national engagement with Americans necessary to advance the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services,” according to the text of the order. (Read it here).
The committee will include the chairs of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as 25 non-government members appointed by the president. A chair or two co-chairs will be designated among the non-government members.
Among the duties of the committee will be to enhance the federal support of the arts. The Institute of Museum and Library Services...
The purpose of the committee will be “to inform and support the national engagement with Americans necessary to advance the arts, the humanities, and museum and library services,” according to the text of the order. (Read it here).
The committee will include the chairs of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as 25 non-government members appointed by the president. A chair or two co-chairs will be designated among the non-government members.
Among the duties of the committee will be to enhance the federal support of the arts. The Institute of Museum and Library Services...
- 9/30/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
There are two great films in which Kal Penn plays a pot-smoker who rebels against leading a life his parents would readily approve of. One of them is 2004's "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," and the other is 2006's "The Namesake," based on the 2003 novel by Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri. It was Penn's "Harold & Kumar" co-star, John Cho, who put him on the path to starring in the latter, which is really only testament to the influential power of 2000s stoner cinema. But I digress.
Penn stars in "The Namesake" as Nikhil "Gogol" Ganguli (more on the "Gogol" part...
The post Mira Nair Was Uniquely Prepared to Bring The Namesake to the Big Screen appeared first on /Film.
Penn stars in "The Namesake" as Nikhil "Gogol" Ganguli (more on the "Gogol" part...
The post Mira Nair Was Uniquely Prepared to Bring The Namesake to the Big Screen appeared first on /Film.
- 5/21/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
One of the greatest novels of the 21st century so far, Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake" nearly defies adaptation. Spanning multiple decades, languages, and metropolises, Lahiri's novel follows the life of Gogol Ganguli, a first-generation Indian American, and his oft-contentious relationship with his ethnic identity. Luckily, the best filmmaker for the job stepped up to the plate and made an adaptation of "The Namesake" that radiates as much charm and melancholy as the novel does.
The director in question is Mira Nair, who at the time was best known for helming "Salaam Bombay!" (which was nominated for an Oscar), "Mississippi Masala," and "Monsoon...
The post How Harold And Kumar Helped Kal Penn Land The Namesake's Lead Role appeared first on /Film.
The director in question is Mira Nair, who at the time was best known for helming "Salaam Bombay!" (which was nominated for an Oscar), "Mississippi Masala," and "Monsoon...
The post How Harold And Kumar Helped Kal Penn Land The Namesake's Lead Role appeared first on /Film.
- 5/17/2022
- by Natalia Keogan
- Slash Film
EntertainmentThe series, based on Vikram Seth's novel, stars Ishaan Khattar, Tabu, Tanya Maniktala, and others. Tnm StaffThe trailer of A Suitable Boy, the TV series directed by Mira Nair, released on Saturday. The six part series has been adapted from Vikram Seth’s award winning novel of the same title. Mira has roped in Tabu, Ishaan Khattar, Tanya Maniktala, Rasika Dugal and others to play the main characters in the TV adaptation which will premiere on BBC One. The actors also feature in the trailer, which is a little over a minute long. The trailer begins with a voiceover that says, ‘No one can be sure of what the future will be’, and we're introduced to Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala), a college student who tells her parents that she does not want to get married. The story is set in 1951, around the same time that an independent India gears towards its first general elections.
- 7/11/2020
- by Sreedevi
- The News Minute
EntertainmentThe series, based on Vikram Seth's novel, stars Ishaan Khattar, Tabu, Tanya Maniktala, and others. Tnm StaffThe trailer of A Suitable Boy, the TV series directed by Mira Nair, released on Saturday. The six part series has been adapted from Vikram Seth’s award winning novel of the same title. Mira has roped in Tabu, Ishaan Khattar, Tanya Maniktala, Rasika Dugal and others to play the main characters in the TV adaptation which will premiere on BBC One. The actors also feature in the trailer, which is a little over a minute long. The trailer begins with a voiceover that says, ‘No one can be sure of what the future will be’, and we're introduced to Lata Mehra (Tanya Maniktala), a college student who tells her parents that she does not want to get married. The story is set in 1951, around the same time that an independent India gears towards its first general elections.
- 7/11/2020
- by Sreedevi
- The News Minute
Kal Penn, Freida Pinto, Aasif Mandvi, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Jameela Jamil are just some of the actors lending their voices to “Mira, Royal Detective,” a new CGI-animated show premiering on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.
The show centers on a whipsmart 8-year-old named Mira — voiced by newcomer Leela Ladnier — as she solves mysteries in the colorful and fictional kingdom of Jalpur in India, with the help of two mongoose friends, Chikku (Ambudkar) and Mikku (Penn). The show features various facets of Indian culture, including dance, food, dress and song, and episodes centered on holidays like Diwali and Holi, a first for an animated Disney show.
And for the cast, which is exclusively of South Asian descent, the experience of bringing Indian culture to life for a younger audience has been both unique and heartening.
“Why this one feels a little more different is because this one gets viewed and consumed at a very,...
The show centers on a whipsmart 8-year-old named Mira — voiced by newcomer Leela Ladnier — as she solves mysteries in the colorful and fictional kingdom of Jalpur in India, with the help of two mongoose friends, Chikku (Ambudkar) and Mikku (Penn). The show features various facets of Indian culture, including dance, food, dress and song, and episodes centered on holidays like Diwali and Holi, a first for an animated Disney show.
And for the cast, which is exclusively of South Asian descent, the experience of bringing Indian culture to life for a younger audience has been both unique and heartening.
“Why this one feels a little more different is because this one gets viewed and consumed at a very,...
- 3/20/2020
- by Audrey Cleo Yap
- Variety Film + TV
“The Young Pope” producer-distributor Fremantle has hired Wme’s Raffaella de Angelis to lead literary acquisitions for its global drama division.
De Angelis will also lend her expertise to Fremantle’s development and production outfit The Apartment, which is headed by “My Brilliant Friend” executive producer Lorenzo Mieli, as well as “True Detective” executive producer Richard Brown’s Passenger Pictures, with whom Fremantle has an exclusive multi-year deal.
Based in London, de Angelis will report into Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s executive VP and creative director for global drama.
At Wme, de Angelis was international literary agent and partner, working with such celebrated authors as Alice Munro, Mohsin Hamd, Jhumpa Lahiri, Lauren Groff, Jonathan Lethem, Petina Gappah, Chiara Barzini, Suketu Mehta, Timothy Snyder and Eric Schlosser, as well as on international bestsellers such as Daniel James Brown’s “The Boys In The Boat” and Paul Kalanithi’s “When Breath Becomes Air.
De Angelis will also lend her expertise to Fremantle’s development and production outfit The Apartment, which is headed by “My Brilliant Friend” executive producer Lorenzo Mieli, as well as “True Detective” executive producer Richard Brown’s Passenger Pictures, with whom Fremantle has an exclusive multi-year deal.
Based in London, de Angelis will report into Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s executive VP and creative director for global drama.
At Wme, de Angelis was international literary agent and partner, working with such celebrated authors as Alice Munro, Mohsin Hamd, Jhumpa Lahiri, Lauren Groff, Jonathan Lethem, Petina Gappah, Chiara Barzini, Suketu Mehta, Timothy Snyder and Eric Schlosser, as well as on international bestsellers such as Daniel James Brown’s “The Boys In The Boat” and Paul Kalanithi’s “When Breath Becomes Air.
- 3/6/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
American Gods producer Fremantle is digging into the literary library with the hire of Wme’s Raffaella de Angelis.
De Angelis has joined the Rtl-owned producer and distributor’s global drama division in a literary acquisitions role, hunting for books to adapt into scripted series. In addition to working at Fremantle’s central drama unit, she will also work for Lorenzo Mieli’s The Apartment, which is part of Fremantle, and Richard Brown’s Passenger, which Fremantle has a multi-year deal with.
Reporting to Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s Evp Creative Director, Global Drama, she is based in London.
She joins from Wme, where she was most recently International Literary Agent and Partner and worked with authors including Alice Munro, Mohsin Hamid, Lauren Groff, Jhumpa Lahiri, Jonathan Lethem, Petina Gappah, Chiara Barzini, Suketu Mehta, Timothy Snyder and Eric Schlosser, and on books such as The Boys In The Boat and When Breath Becomes Air.
De Angelis has joined the Rtl-owned producer and distributor’s global drama division in a literary acquisitions role, hunting for books to adapt into scripted series. In addition to working at Fremantle’s central drama unit, she will also work for Lorenzo Mieli’s The Apartment, which is part of Fremantle, and Richard Brown’s Passenger, which Fremantle has a multi-year deal with.
Reporting to Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s Evp Creative Director, Global Drama, she is based in London.
She joins from Wme, where she was most recently International Literary Agent and Partner and worked with authors including Alice Munro, Mohsin Hamid, Lauren Groff, Jhumpa Lahiri, Jonathan Lethem, Petina Gappah, Chiara Barzini, Suketu Mehta, Timothy Snyder and Eric Schlosser, and on books such as The Boys In The Boat and When Breath Becomes Air.
- 3/6/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This July will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Saturday, July 1 Changing Faces
What does a face tell us even when it’s disguised or disfigured? And what does it conceal? Guest curator Imogen Sara Smith, a critic and author of the book In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City, assembles a series of films that revolve around enigmatic faces transformed by masks, scars, and surgery, including Georges Franju’s Eyes Without a Face (1960) and Hiroshi Teshigahara’s The Face of Another (1966).
Tuesday, July 4 Tuesday’s Short + Feature: Premature* and Ten*
Come hitch a ride with Norwegian director Gunhild Enger and the late Iranian master...
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Saturday, July 1 Changing Faces
What does a face tell us even when it’s disguised or disfigured? And what does it conceal? Guest curator Imogen Sara Smith, a critic and author of the book In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City, assembles a series of films that revolve around enigmatic faces transformed by masks, scars, and surgery, including Georges Franju’s Eyes Without a Face (1960) and Hiroshi Teshigahara’s The Face of Another (1966).
Tuesday, July 4 Tuesday’s Short + Feature: Premature* and Ten*
Come hitch a ride with Norwegian director Gunhild Enger and the late Iranian master...
- 6/26/2017
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
This post originally appeared on Entertainment Weekly.
Whether he’s reading to kids at the White House, hitting up local bookstores on Black Friday, or giving recommendations to his daughters, President Barack Obama may as well be known as the Commander in Books.
Potus is an avid reader and recently spoke to the New York Times about the significant, informative and inspirational role literature has played in his presidency, crediting books for allowing him to “slow down and get perspective.” With his presidency coming to an end this Friday, EW looked back at Obama’s lit picks over the years...
Whether he’s reading to kids at the White House, hitting up local bookstores on Black Friday, or giving recommendations to his daughters, President Barack Obama may as well be known as the Commander in Books.
Potus is an avid reader and recently spoke to the New York Times about the significant, informative and inspirational role literature has played in his presidency, crediting books for allowing him to “slow down and get perspective.” With his presidency coming to an end this Friday, EW looked back at Obama’s lit picks over the years...
- 1/19/2017
- by Mark Marino
- PEOPLE.com
Mira Nair-produced Three And A Half and Amitav Kaul’s Interpreter Of Maladies are among the 32 projects selected for the Co-production Market of this year’s Film Bazaar (Nov 20-24) in Goa, India.
Three And A Half will be directed by Mira Nair’s long-time collaborator Sooni Taraporewala, while Interpreter Of Maladies is based on Pultizer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story.
Organised by India’s National Film Development Corp (Nfdc), the co-production market has previously selected projects such as Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox, Kanu Behl’s Cannes title Titli and Chaitanya Tamhane’s recent Venice winner Court. This year’s selection comprises 18 projects from India and 14 from overseas.
The Indian line-up also includes six projects previously selected for Nfdc Screenwriters Lab, such as Aamir Bashir’s Winter and The Boyfriend from Vidur Nauriyal and Ashim Ahluwalia.
The international line-up includes two projects from the Us, two from Sri Lanka and projects from Pakistan, Afghanistan...
Three And A Half will be directed by Mira Nair’s long-time collaborator Sooni Taraporewala, while Interpreter Of Maladies is based on Pultizer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story.
Organised by India’s National Film Development Corp (Nfdc), the co-production market has previously selected projects such as Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox, Kanu Behl’s Cannes title Titli and Chaitanya Tamhane’s recent Venice winner Court. This year’s selection comprises 18 projects from India and 14 from overseas.
The Indian line-up also includes six projects previously selected for Nfdc Screenwriters Lab, such as Aamir Bashir’s Winter and The Boyfriend from Vidur Nauriyal and Ashim Ahluwalia.
The international line-up includes two projects from the Us, two from Sri Lanka and projects from Pakistan, Afghanistan...
- 10/13/2014
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Venice awards go to Roy Andersson dark comedy, Andrei Konchalovsky drama, Hungry Hearts.Scroll down for full list of winners
Roy Andersson’s lauded absurdist comedy A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence has scooped the Golden Lion for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival.
Silver Lion for Best Director went to Andrei Konchalovsky for The Postman’s White Nights while Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence took home the Grand Jury Prize.
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor went to Adam Driver for Hungry Hearts, while Best Actress went to Alba Rohrwacher for the same film.
Romain Paul took the Best Young Actor Award for Le Dernier Coup De Marteau while Best Screenplay went to Rakhshan Banietemad and Farid Mostafavi for Tales (Ghesseha).
The Special Jury Prize went to Sivas by Kaan Mujdeci and the Lion of the Future Award for Debut Film went to Court by Chaitanya Tamhane (India) along with a...
Roy Andersson’s lauded absurdist comedy A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence has scooped the Golden Lion for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival.
Silver Lion for Best Director went to Andrei Konchalovsky for The Postman’s White Nights while Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence took home the Grand Jury Prize.
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor went to Adam Driver for Hungry Hearts, while Best Actress went to Alba Rohrwacher for the same film.
Romain Paul took the Best Young Actor Award for Le Dernier Coup De Marteau while Best Screenplay went to Rakhshan Banietemad and Farid Mostafavi for Tales (Ghesseha).
The Special Jury Prize went to Sivas by Kaan Mujdeci and the Lion of the Future Award for Debut Film went to Court by Chaitanya Tamhane (India) along with a...
- 9/6/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Well, that’s basically a wrap on the Venice Film Festival and the Venezia 71 jury—chaired by Alexandre Desplat and comprised of Joan Chen, Philip Gröning, Jessica Hausner, Jhumpa Lahiri, Sandy Powell, Tim Roth, Elia Suleiman and Carlo Verdone—has decided the awards. The big winner? Roy Andersson’s metaphysical, long-awaited “A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence” won the Golden Lion Best Film prize (our review). Adam Driver won best actor for “Hungry Hearts” and the Grand Jury Prize went to Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary “The Look Of Silence” (our review). Full winners with applicable links below. Golden Lion for Best Film to: En Duva Satt PÅ En Gren Och Funderade PÅ Tillvaron A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence by Roy Andersson (Sweden, Germany, Norway, France) Silver Lion for Best Director to: Andrej Končalovskij for the film Belye Nochi Pochtalona Alekseya Tryapitsyna (The Postman...
- 9/6/2014
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
Before the Fest Starts — Academy Award-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat (pictured) has the enviable or un-enviable task of heading the In Competition jury for Venice. He will either butt heads or lock arms with various members of his eclectic jury including highly-skilled filmmaking artisans such as:
Israeli director Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention) Actress Joan Chen (Lust, Caution) Actor Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) Costume Designer Sandy Powell (Shakespeare In Love) Novelist Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake) Writer/director Jessica Hausner (Lourdes) Writer/director Carlo Verdone (Me, Them, And Lara) Writer/director Philip Groning (Into Great Silence) ...
Israeli director Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention) Actress Joan Chen (Lust, Caution) Actor Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) Costume Designer Sandy Powell (Shakespeare In Love) Novelist Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake) Writer/director Jessica Hausner (Lourdes) Writer/director Carlo Verdone (Me, Them, And Lara) Writer/director Philip Groning (Into Great Silence) ...
- 8/23/2014
- by keithsim
- IMDb Blog - All the Latest
Before the Fest Starts — Academy Award-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat(pictured) has the enviable or un-enviable task of heading the In Competition jury for Venice. He will either butt heads or lock arms with various members of his eclectic jury including highly-skilled filmmaking artisans such as:
Israeli director Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention) Actress Joan Chen (Lust, Caution) Actor Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) Costume Designer Sandy Powell (Shakespeare In Love) Novelist Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake) Writer/director Jessica Hausner (Lourdes) Writer/director Carlo Verdone< (Me, Them, And Lara) Writer/director Philip Groning (Into Great Silence) ...
Israeli director Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention) Actress Joan Chen (Lust, Caution) Actor Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) Costume Designer Sandy Powell (Shakespeare In Love) Novelist Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake) Writer/director Jessica Hausner (Lourdes) Writer/director Carlo Verdone< (Me, Them, And Lara) Writer/director Philip Groning (Into Great Silence) ...
- 8/21/2014
- by keithsim
- IMDb Blog - All the Latest
Before the Fest Starts — Academy Award-nominated composer Alexandre Desplat(pictured) has the enviable or un-enviable task of heading the In Competition jury for Venice. He will either butt heads or lock arms with various members of his eclectic jury including highly-skilled filmmaking artisans such as:
Israeli director Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention) Actress Joan Chen (Lust, Caution) Actor Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) Costume Designer Sandy Powell (Shakespeare In Love) Novelist Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake) Writer/director Jessica Hausner (Lourdes) Writer/director Carlo Verdone< (Me, Them, And Lara) Writer/director Philip Groning (Into Great Silence) ...
Israeli director Elia Suleiman (Divine Intervention) Actress Joan Chen (Lust, Caution) Actor Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction) Costume Designer Sandy Powell (Shakespeare In Love) Novelist Jhumpa Lahiri (The Namesake) Writer/director Jessica Hausner (Lourdes) Writer/director Carlo Verdone< (Me, Them, And Lara) Writer/director Philip Groning (Into Great Silence) ...
- 8/18/2014
- by keithsim
- IMDb Blog - All the Latest
Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court has been selected to screen at the 71st Venice Film Festival in Horizons section.
The film, that is an exploration of the Indian judiciary, had received the Hubert Bals fund for script and project development in fall 2012 and was part of Nfdc Film Bazaar co-production market in 2012.
Tamhane had earlier made short film, Six Strands, that screened at several film festivals including Clermont-Ferrand, Slamdance, Edinburgh and Rotterdam.
The 71st Venice Film Festival will be held from August 27-September 6, 2014. Renowned writer of Indian origin, Jhumpa Lahiri, is on the competition jury of the festival.
Bengali film Labour of Love will be screened in Venice Days, a sidebar of the Venice Film Festival.
The film, that is an exploration of the Indian judiciary, had received the Hubert Bals fund for script and project development in fall 2012 and was part of Nfdc Film Bazaar co-production market in 2012.
Tamhane had earlier made short film, Six Strands, that screened at several film festivals including Clermont-Ferrand, Slamdance, Edinburgh and Rotterdam.
The 71st Venice Film Festival will be held from August 27-September 6, 2014. Renowned writer of Indian origin, Jhumpa Lahiri, is on the competition jury of the festival.
Bengali film Labour of Love will be screened in Venice Days, a sidebar of the Venice Film Festival.
- 7/24/2014
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Sooni Taraporevala
DearCinema will organize the next session of IndieTalk on July 19 in Mumbai with writer-director Sooni Taraporevala who is well-known for penning the screenplays of Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala and The Namesake.
This session of IndieTalk is supported by Catapooolt, a leading crowdfunding website in India.
Sooni, who was recently conferred a Padma Shri (India’s fourth highest civilian honour), has worked extensively in both India and Hollywood. Her films have been shown at major international film festivals and have won awards. In the interactive session, she will share her insight about writing content-driven films meant for global audiences.
The three broad themes of the discussion will be around writing Salaam Bombay, an original script based on extensive ground research; Namesake, which is an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel of the same name; and Little Zizou, the film that she directed apart from writing it.
Sooni wrote her first screenplay,...
DearCinema will organize the next session of IndieTalk on July 19 in Mumbai with writer-director Sooni Taraporevala who is well-known for penning the screenplays of Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala and The Namesake.
This session of IndieTalk is supported by Catapooolt, a leading crowdfunding website in India.
Sooni, who was recently conferred a Padma Shri (India’s fourth highest civilian honour), has worked extensively in both India and Hollywood. Her films have been shown at major international film festivals and have won awards. In the interactive session, she will share her insight about writing content-driven films meant for global audiences.
The three broad themes of the discussion will be around writing Salaam Bombay, an original script based on extensive ground research; Namesake, which is an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel of the same name; and Little Zizou, the film that she directed apart from writing it.
Sooni wrote her first screenplay,...
- 7/2/2014
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
London-based journalist Shrestha Trivedi writes about Irrfan Khan’s Masterclass with Asif Kapadia at the recent London Indian Film Festival
Photo Courtesy: London Indian Film Festival
I t is a measure of how good an actor Irrfan Khan is when you start associating his “intense, brooding” onscreen persona with the man himself.
The actor was in London to participate in a masterclass conducted by the renowned director Asif Kapadia, of Senna fame, at the British Film Institute as part of the London Indian Film Festival. It was expected that the discourse would consist of his cinematic journey and the craft of acting – which of course he spoke about at length – what was unexpected, though, was the terrific sense of humour which laced his conversations, and how the entire auditorium was hanging onto his each and every word.
Enough has already been written about his “unconventional” looks and choices, so perhaps...
Photo Courtesy: London Indian Film Festival
I t is a measure of how good an actor Irrfan Khan is when you start associating his “intense, brooding” onscreen persona with the man himself.
The actor was in London to participate in a masterclass conducted by the renowned director Asif Kapadia, of Senna fame, at the British Film Institute as part of the London Indian Film Festival. It was expected that the discourse would consist of his cinematic journey and the craft of acting – which of course he spoke about at length – what was unexpected, though, was the terrific sense of humour which laced his conversations, and how the entire auditorium was hanging onto his each and every word.
Enough has already been written about his “unconventional” looks and choices, so perhaps...
- 8/1/2013
- by Shreshtha Trivedi
- DearCinema.com
Life of Pi. Paan Singh Tomar. The Namesake. Maqbool. From Hollywood to Bollywood, Irrfan Khan has grown from strength to strength. Born in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Irrfan made his critically acclaimed debut in Bollywood as a main lead actor in 2005 with Rog. Before this, he acted in numerous TV soaps such as Sparsh and Bharat Ek Khoj. Gaining a scholarship at National School of Drama in 1984, Irrfan’s destiny was set for acting. Having achieved three Filmfare awards and a National Film Award, Irrfan has also been awarded the Padma Shri- the fourth highest civilian award in India.
Irrfan Khan will be attending the London Indian Film Festival and will be speaking about his life and his work with director Asif Kapadia on the 20th of July at the BFI, Southbank.
Here, we explore Irrfan’s acting career with a special focus on our three favourite films from Bollywood and Hollywood.
Irrfan Khan will be attending the London Indian Film Festival and will be speaking about his life and his work with director Asif Kapadia on the 20th of July at the BFI, Southbank.
Here, we explore Irrfan’s acting career with a special focus on our three favourite films from Bollywood and Hollywood.
- 7/18/2013
- by Aashi Gahlot
- Bollyspice
Clothes and accessories aren’t the only things that actress Sonam Kapoor loves shopping for. She even likes to buy books!
‘I love buying books at the fair… real books still somehow beat the Kindle and iPad for me,’ Sonam posted on her Twitter page.
The 25-year-old’s favourite authors are Rohinton Mistry, Chitra Banerjee, Jhumpa Lahiri, Vikram Seth, Salman Rushdie and Amitav Ghosh.
‘I have a signed copy of Amitav Ghosh’s ‘Sea of Poppies’ and I met Salman Rushdie once and was completely tongue tied,’ she added.
‘I love buying books at the fair… real books still somehow beat the Kindle and iPad for me,’ Sonam posted on her Twitter page.
The 25-year-old’s favourite authors are Rohinton Mistry, Chitra Banerjee, Jhumpa Lahiri, Vikram Seth, Salman Rushdie and Amitav Ghosh.
‘I have a signed copy of Amitav Ghosh’s ‘Sea of Poppies’ and I met Salman Rushdie once and was completely tongue tied,’ she added.
- 10/29/2010
- by realbollywood
- RealBollywood.com
Film makers Deepa Mehta and Mira Nair, and Indian television giant Ekta Kapoor have been listed as most influential South Asian Women Executives in the Media and Entertainment industry. A list of twenty two women who have excelled in media and entertainment has been announced by Korn/Ferry International in consultation with Iffla. These women will be honoured during the 8th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (Iffla) that will be held from April 20-25.
Bill Simon, senior client partner and managing director of Korn/Ferry International's Global Media & Entertainment Sector, said, "This past year has seen a substantial growth in Indian companies in Hollywood. Indian entertainment is no longer a niche industry, but a burgeoning global business that has expanded into the mainstream. These remarkable women have each contributed much to bridge east and west and their continuing efforts will benefit all in the entertainment and media for years to come.
Bill Simon, senior client partner and managing director of Korn/Ferry International's Global Media & Entertainment Sector, said, "This past year has seen a substantial growth in Indian companies in Hollywood. Indian entertainment is no longer a niche industry, but a burgeoning global business that has expanded into the mainstream. These remarkable women have each contributed much to bridge east and west and their continuing efforts will benefit all in the entertainment and media for years to come.
- 3/11/2010
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The Louisiana Bollywood Film Festival—the first of its kind—will be held at The Robinson Film Center in Shreveport, Louisiana from Saturday, February 13 to Sunday, February 21.
Film selections include:
'A Wednesday!' (2008): A police thriller about a sequence of events that happen on a random Wednesday, starring Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah. (February 13 at 3 pm)
'The Namesake' (2006): A drama about an immigrant couple and their American-born children, based on a novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, directed by Mira Nair and starring Irrfan Khan, Tabu, and Kal Penn. (February 13 at 5 pm, February 16 at 7:30 pm, February 21 at 3:30 pm)
'Devdas' (2002): A love story based on the classic Bengali novella of the same name, starring Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit. (February 14 at 3:30 pm)
'Sholay' (1975): The first "curry Western" and one of the most beloved Bollywood films ever,...
Film selections include:
'A Wednesday!' (2008): A police thriller about a sequence of events that happen on a random Wednesday, starring Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah. (February 13 at 3 pm)
'The Namesake' (2006): A drama about an immigrant couple and their American-born children, based on a novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, directed by Mira Nair and starring Irrfan Khan, Tabu, and Kal Penn. (February 13 at 5 pm, February 16 at 7:30 pm, February 21 at 3:30 pm)
'Devdas' (2002): A love story based on the classic Bengali novella of the same name, starring Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit. (February 14 at 3:30 pm)
'Sholay' (1975): The first "curry Western" and one of the most beloved Bollywood films ever,...
- 2/11/2010
- The Bollywood Ticket
TORONTO -- The fiction of Jhumpa Lahiri conveys a sense of disorientation and loss, of melancholy guilt mingling with the embrace of freedom. She writes of the immigrant experience in America and the film adaptation of her first novel, "The Namesake", from director Mira Nair honors her themes with a meticulous, understated, empathetic telling of the story of two generations of a Bengali family in America. What no film could probably do is get across Lahiri's rich descriptions of the quotidian that so vividly dramatizes the contrast in cultural ways of thinking and the identity confusions at the heart of her story. Nair's film settles for something closer to the surface that makes its dramatic points well and brings Lahiri's characters to life but misses the emotional intensity.
"The Namesake" is a highly personal film for its three authors -- Nair, Lahiri and screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala, all women of Indian origin who have lived much of their lives in the West. It is hard to imagine a better cast or production values so the film should find audiences among sophisticated urban adults. Certainly Lahiri's books have created a large fan base around the world for what is a universal story of a family in transition.
The Gangulis from Calcutta settle in New York in the 1970s after a traditional arranged marriage. When the couple has its first child, the task of naming the son falls to the grandmother of Ashima (Tabu). Only her letter never arrives from India and the hospital insists on a name for the birth certificate. So Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) names his son Gogol. This is the name of his favorite Russian author, but reason for that name goes deeper, back to a train wreck he survived as a young man in India.
It is Gogol's story we follow but his story also is that of his family. The first generation assimilates but never quite adjusts to the New World the way Gogol (Kal Penn) and his sister Sonia (Sahira Nair) do. "I feel like I gave birth to strangers!" Ashima declares one day. Not only are accents different but the youngsters' attitudes toward dating and drinking and the American lifestyle must be checked at the front door.
Gogol hates his name. When he enters university, he goes to great bother to legally change his "good name" to Nikhil. This is how everyone he meets from this point on will know him. The name uncertainty and passion to change it, of course, serves as metaphor for greater questions of identity. For Gogol will forever lead a double life: He lives in yet feels estranged from two cultures.
Penn, a fine American Indian actor getting a crack at his first lead in a major film, brings wonderful comic sensibility to the role that makes Gogol a much more companionable and amusing companion than his literary counterpart. But when the moment arrives, where Gogol/Nikhil has to grow up immediately and take over his responsibilities, Penn shows you a man who discovers his Indian-ness. The lightness of his previous scenes gives way to a more somber and perplexed individual. It's a smart performance.
The older actors, Khan and Tabu, who perform mostly in Indian art-house movies, alter their characters too from the novel in subtle ways, suggesting more warmth and love in the parents' lives. Neither actor is Bengali, yet both are more than credible with the accent, language and manner of people from that state.
The movie makes one jolting leap from Gogol as a teen to his job and romance following university graduation with a degree in architecture. It's more than a little bewildering and suggests a drastic postproduction editing decision.
Consequently, Gogol's romances have been reduced to two: with a rich but really nice American named Maxine (Jacinda Barrett), a woman who best expresses the social freedoms of the West, and Moushimi (Zuleikha Robinson), a fellow Bengali who demonstrates what can happen when someone living a dual life takes freedoms too far.
Cinematographer Frederick Elmes and production designer Stephanie Carroll don't push the contrasts between New York and Calcutta; letting those locations speak eloquently for themselves. Nitin Sawhney's Indian-spiced music is just right.
THE NAMESAKE
20th Century Fox
Fox Searchlight Pictures/Entertainment Farm/UTV Motion Pictures presents a Mirabai Films & Cine Mosaic production
Credits:
Director: Mira Nair
Screenwriter: Sooni Taraporevala
Based on the novel by: Jhumpa Lahiri
Producers: Lydia Dean Pilcher, Mira Nair
Executive producers: Yasushi Kotani, Taizo Son, Ronnie Screwvalal Director of photography: Frederick Elmes
Production designer: Stephanie Carroll
Costume designer: Arjun Bhasin
Co-producers: Lori Keith Douglas, Yukie Kito, Zarina Screwvala
Music: Nitin Sawhney
Editor: Allyson C. Johnson
Cast:
Gogol: Kal Penn
Ashima: Tabu
Ashoke: Irrfan Khan
Maxine: Jacinda Barrett
Moushimi: Zuleikha Robinson
Sonia: Sahira Nair
Running time -- 122 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
"The Namesake" is a highly personal film for its three authors -- Nair, Lahiri and screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala, all women of Indian origin who have lived much of their lives in the West. It is hard to imagine a better cast or production values so the film should find audiences among sophisticated urban adults. Certainly Lahiri's books have created a large fan base around the world for what is a universal story of a family in transition.
The Gangulis from Calcutta settle in New York in the 1970s after a traditional arranged marriage. When the couple has its first child, the task of naming the son falls to the grandmother of Ashima (Tabu). Only her letter never arrives from India and the hospital insists on a name for the birth certificate. So Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) names his son Gogol. This is the name of his favorite Russian author, but reason for that name goes deeper, back to a train wreck he survived as a young man in India.
It is Gogol's story we follow but his story also is that of his family. The first generation assimilates but never quite adjusts to the New World the way Gogol (Kal Penn) and his sister Sonia (Sahira Nair) do. "I feel like I gave birth to strangers!" Ashima declares one day. Not only are accents different but the youngsters' attitudes toward dating and drinking and the American lifestyle must be checked at the front door.
Gogol hates his name. When he enters university, he goes to great bother to legally change his "good name" to Nikhil. This is how everyone he meets from this point on will know him. The name uncertainty and passion to change it, of course, serves as metaphor for greater questions of identity. For Gogol will forever lead a double life: He lives in yet feels estranged from two cultures.
Penn, a fine American Indian actor getting a crack at his first lead in a major film, brings wonderful comic sensibility to the role that makes Gogol a much more companionable and amusing companion than his literary counterpart. But when the moment arrives, where Gogol/Nikhil has to grow up immediately and take over his responsibilities, Penn shows you a man who discovers his Indian-ness. The lightness of his previous scenes gives way to a more somber and perplexed individual. It's a smart performance.
The older actors, Khan and Tabu, who perform mostly in Indian art-house movies, alter their characters too from the novel in subtle ways, suggesting more warmth and love in the parents' lives. Neither actor is Bengali, yet both are more than credible with the accent, language and manner of people from that state.
The movie makes one jolting leap from Gogol as a teen to his job and romance following university graduation with a degree in architecture. It's more than a little bewildering and suggests a drastic postproduction editing decision.
Consequently, Gogol's romances have been reduced to two: with a rich but really nice American named Maxine (Jacinda Barrett), a woman who best expresses the social freedoms of the West, and Moushimi (Zuleikha Robinson), a fellow Bengali who demonstrates what can happen when someone living a dual life takes freedoms too far.
Cinematographer Frederick Elmes and production designer Stephanie Carroll don't push the contrasts between New York and Calcutta; letting those locations speak eloquently for themselves. Nitin Sawhney's Indian-spiced music is just right.
THE NAMESAKE
20th Century Fox
Fox Searchlight Pictures/Entertainment Farm/UTV Motion Pictures presents a Mirabai Films & Cine Mosaic production
Credits:
Director: Mira Nair
Screenwriter: Sooni Taraporevala
Based on the novel by: Jhumpa Lahiri
Producers: Lydia Dean Pilcher, Mira Nair
Executive producers: Yasushi Kotani, Taizo Son, Ronnie Screwvalal Director of photography: Frederick Elmes
Production designer: Stephanie Carroll
Costume designer: Arjun Bhasin
Co-producers: Lori Keith Douglas, Yukie Kito, Zarina Screwvala
Music: Nitin Sawhney
Editor: Allyson C. Johnson
Cast:
Gogol: Kal Penn
Ashima: Tabu
Ashoke: Irrfan Khan
Maxine: Jacinda Barrett
Moushimi: Zuleikha Robinson
Sonia: Sahira Nair
Running time -- 122 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 9/12/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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