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It has to be a really special occasion when it’s 80 degrees outside yet you feel chills going up and down your spine. And special it was, because an event like IFFLA only comes around once a year. But the 4-5 days spent there are like no other days in your life. For it’s when the PFC gang comes together and hangs out in two courtyards, namely, the Arclights and the PFC HQ (aka Oz’s pad) and gets to be a part of something much bigger than the established filmmakers themselves: quality cinema. The quote “nothing is bigger than cinema” comes to mind.

It’s tough to recollect favorite moments from the festival because quite simply there are so many. If last year I was shaking a leg with Uma da Cunha, this year I was having drinks with the likes of Sudhir Mishra, Sriram Raghavan, …

“Holy Sardine Batman!”
“Precisely Robin.”

Okay, so it’s not the stuff that might get everyone twisted up in a Siamese human knot but to me, it is. You see, as a South Asian actor in the US, when I see the brown man being cast in mainstream roles, it is fucking inspiring. So inspiring in fact, that it deserved an earlier post. So as I squirmed into the line for a preview screening of Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, the smile on my face was akin to that of a girl scout who just sold her 800th cookie box and won the grand prize. The girl scout within me was beaming ear to ear.

That it’s a stoner movie was well known from the first movie and could well make Mainak’s Movies to Watch When Stoned list. That it would get even more mindless, raunchy, vulgar, …

I had the opportunity to interview Sudhir Mishra a few months back. Unfortunately, I couldn’t publish the interview right away since all of what’s in this account was from memory, and I needed to verify a few things before I could publish them. There are still a couple of unverified points which I have tried not to disclose. Here’s hoping Sudhirji doesn’t twist my ear at IFFLA for publishing the rest of it….

how is tera kya hoga johnny coming along?

tera kya hoga johnny is coming along well…. there are 4 shoot dates remaining, which we’ll be resuming when i get back. we couldn’t finish it off in december because some 5-star hotel scenes needed to be shot, and all the 5-stars are booked in december (due to peak tourist season), so they’ve asked us to come back in january when they will be more free to …

Two years ago, it was Napoleon Dynamite. Last year, it was Little Miss Sunshine. No prizes for guessing “the li’l film that could” for this year. With Juno in the running for 4 Oscars this year (Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Direction, and Best Original Screenplay), no wonder there’s so much hype around the little film. And believe you me, I’m happy for them. Really happy. After all, it’s an indie, and the brother- and sisterhood of the indie industry must support one another. And Ellen Page, you go girl. Way to bag that nomination. So of course, with all the buzz around the film, I had to go watch it.

Whether or not Juno is as great a film as it’s being made out to be is always debatable, since you can’t please everyone. Whether or not “I” think it’s …

It was 1992 when I first heard Gham ka Khazana on Jagjit Singh’s Sajda album, a tape that would play infinitely during my father’s shaam-e-ghazals with his ghazal-loving friends. I was only 13 then, but my father, a brilliant ghazal singer in his own right, had established ours as a musical household from my very early years, and I have only him to thank for having a voice as powerful enough in my vicinity to draw me to his late evening harmonium sessions. When Sajda was going strong on the household cassette player, I remember walking around the house humming the tune to Gham ka… in my head as I worked on random chores, and wouldn’t notice how I got them done. Jagjit Singh’s voice had had its first effect on me, and I hadn’t realized. I had probably heard his voice even before, but for …

Continued from Part 1…

Having bagged the role, it was now time for me to flesh out the character. The producers and the director had already decided on the look for Ravichandran - they wanted the quintessential elements of a Kollywood hero: the big hair, the mustache, the paunch, the south yindian yenglish accent. If Mohanlal had been in their budget, he would’ve been my first recommendation, since Srinivasan from Company was the first thing to come to my mind. Then again, if Vasan, Kartik, or even Vijay had been here, I would’ve suggested them instead of myself. I remain wondering to this day if they’re disappointed I couldn’t bring in the paunch.

Knowing further that my character would be the main comedic element in the script, I was determined, and pretty adamant about not making Ravichandran a caricature. Sure, he …

I’m not a huge fan of auditions, but when you’re past the point of remembering how many you’ve been to, you learn how to deal with them. Usually, the character description within the casting notices help me get into the right mindset for the role, but one too many times, I’ve fallen into the trap of over-preparing and end up losing the spontaneity and improvisation needed so badly at auditions. But when I saw a casting notice that PFC’s very own Shripriya had sent me, advertising a trailer shoot for Browntown, my eyes lit up!

Brownscape Productions, a small independent production company based in NYC, is seeking a Male Actor for the leading role for an upcoming feature film. We are currently casting for the trailer of the film; if you are the perfect choice, you may be chosen as the lead in the feature film as well. …

If you’re in the entertainment industry, sooner or later you’ll find yourself to be a door-to-door salesman, albeit in various forms. And unlike most 9-to-5ers you may not have the technical qualifications on a resume to back you up, which is when it becomes even more necessary to realize the power of words. The power of conversation can hold the power to intrigue, to sell your talent and your ideas to an audience whom you may be meeting for the very first time.

An actor may try to convince a producer or director to use their talent. A writer/director may try to convince a producer that their screenplay is the best thing since sliced bread. A producer may try to do the same with his film to a distributor. Straddling the line between …

June 16th, 2007, 3pm

I arrived at the venue where the biggest Indian film release of the weekend… no wait, not weekend.. biggest Indian film release of the year, had attracted a crowd of 500+ fanatics of all ages, caste, and believe it or not, colour (yes, there were Americans!). The organizers of this film screening tried hard to keep people inside the ropes, as if trying to keep the bulls well-cornered at El Encierro before the stampede let loose. It was an amusing sight to watch, no doubt, but what amused me even more as I was being involuntarily moved along in this mosh pit was the thought of rewinding myself back to the experience of watching a film only a couple of hours before…

January 16th, 2007, 12:30pm

A crowd of one. I’m sitting in my room, happy to have just received my password to watch …

A bit of a delayed continuation of the first set of Monday Monologues, but essentially I tape myself doing monologues from time to time just for fun. Especially when I watch a monologue that really strikes my fancy, I just can’t resist the urge to replay the scene over and over until I transcribe the whole thing so I can just practice and try my hand at delivering the monologue. I usually take a lengthy break between when I first watch the original scene and when I perform the monologue — this is basically to erase the scene from my memory, so my version of the monologue doesn’t try to imitate the original, and I start with a clean slate.

Notes for you, the viewer:
1. As with anyone creative, feedback is what keeps us going. So feel free to trash me, as long as you can give me …

If ever I were to make an award speech for a role in one of my films, the first name I would take after thanking my parents and my first (and only, so far) acting teacher, Gregory Justice (who introduced me to acting), would be John Johnson. Then, I’d thank Danny Leiner (Harold & Kumar). Then I’d thank Bryan Singer (Superman Returns). And finally, I’d thank Bruce Leddy.

Why would I want to thank the director of Harold & Kumar of all movies? And Bruce Leddy who?

There’s been a lot of discussion on PFC about the refreshing “new wave” that’s taking Indian cinema by storm. So far, the take on this “new wave” has been up and coming filmmakers who dare to think out of the box with respect to writing kickass stories and screenplays, stylizing the art of storytelling, and taking on the mammoth …

Received from Worldwide Film Distribution yahoogroup… Please spread the word!

Let me take this opportunity to introduce you about me and social activities of our organization. …

I am working with a government organization, one of the most important & entertainment department called “NATIONAL FILM CIRCLE” is given to me and I am looking for your help to expand the membership.

What is “NATIONAL FILM CIRCLE” ?

The National Film Development Corporation Limited (NFDC) is a Government of India Enterprise set up with the objective of fostering excellence in Indian Cinema. It provides film enthusiasts in Mumbai an opportunity to see good meaningful World-Class Films throughout the year through the “NATIONAL FILM CIRCLE”.

For the past twenty-five years, National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has produced/co- produced more than 200 films in 15 languages, including English. Amongst these all several internationally acclaimed films like Gandhi, The Making of Mahatma, Mirch-Masala, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sardar, Parinda and …

Well, not quite… but close. For those who are not familiar with it, Netflix is the largest online DVD rental service in the United States, which started up in the late 90s. Has India caught on the trend? Check out Catchflix.com - India’s answer to Netflix.

According to their website….

* There is no membership fee, monthly subscription, security deposit, or any other charge.
* Shipping (delivery and pickup) is free both ways. Home or office, either is fine.
* We offer next day delivery if you order before 4:00 PM (unless the next days is a Sunday or a national holiday).
* You can also choose a Preferred Delivery Date. For example, order on a Tuesday and ask for a Friday delivery to enjoy the movies over the weekend.
…

For any artist (actor, musician, filmmaker, or anyone for that matter) in the film industry, one of the most important things for them is to recognize the industry they work in, and to have a basic understanding of the demographic they cater to. Those that understand this simple fact, do go a long way - one of the few reasons I admire Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan as true professionals and experts in their field, who truly know how to tap the nerve of their awaiting audiences and recognize their pulses. This basic understanding should not change with independent artists of any kind either. Which is why I like to mix up my Netflix queue with independent films from time to time. But one I had heard way too much about and didn’t get a chance to watch until very recently finally got the best of …

continued from Part 1…

but not to worry, John said.. another actress had been signed at the last minute, but because her dates did not match the schedule already in place, there would be some rearranging to do. in fact, i’d meet this new actress within the hour because the two scenes we’re shooting tonight involve only the two of us.. that’s when it hit me. less than an hour to go and i hadn’t learnt my lines yet.. not that i learn my lines well ahead of time anyway. once bitten, twice shy, as they say. i’ve had experiences working with theater and film projects alike, where in my eagerness and want for perfection i would always be the first actor to memorize all my lines as soon as i get the script.. then i get too used to them, and when it’s time to …

NOTE: I shot this film about a month ago (Dec ‘06) so writing most of these accounts from memory… and though I’m not big on using profanity, this post is reflective of my thoughts, so this one is no holds barred.

Thursday, Dec 7, 2006. 7:30am
alarm on my cell phone rings.. half asleep, i tried to resist the urge to press the snooze button.. keyword, tried. next thing i know i’m back asleep with the covers over my head. not for long though. 2mins later, she calls. “WAKE UP!!!” she yells, with a cheery voice. ugh.. “heyy.. gmorn..zz..” i mumble.. “WAKE UP!!!” “hmm? zzz.. right…” “you have to get to work early today!” “hm? oh yea.. OH!” SUDDENLY i shoot up out of bed and pick out the crusties from my eyes.. “RIGHT! ok thanks bye!” i yell back …

Here’s an event for PFC-ites in Mumbai… a few months back I had given an introduction to Baiscope Entertainment, an NGO designed to benefit fledgling filmmakers and others interested in film and the industry. Now they’re back with an event in Juhu and the director of the upcoming Salaam-e-Ishq will be in attendance. Highly recommend those of you in Mumbai to check it out if possible and give a write-up on what transpires.

BAISCOPE ENTERTAINMENT

Presents

In Association with

PVR CINEMAS and IndieFocus

A workshop with Nikhil Advani

(Director - Kal Ho Na Ho, Salaam-e-Ishq)

“From the Other Side of the Fence”

The workshop will explore:
Salaam-e-Ishq: The making of the mother of all multi-starrers
Bridging the 2 worlds: Nikhil Advani’s journey from the realistic world of Sudhir Mishra to the kandyfloss of Karan Johar
Film Finance for Great Scripts in Indian Cinema: A myth or reality
Casting Blues: The Final Clincher
…And other Agonies …