striker | PassionforCinema

bit by acting bug in 2003.. first audition led to lead role.. how? no idea. but no looking back since. now 7 feature films, 8 short films, 6 plays, and 1 musical old.. hopefully it only gets better from here meanwhile, just keep on chugging

striker's Blog

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Mistakes made, lessons learnt, and advice for actors, strugglers….
Warning: This post is about to meander in any which direction it desires as thoughts flow in and out. Coherence be damned. “Life is too short, and nobody is perfect enough to make all the mistakes in their lifetime, so sometimes you just have to settle in learning from others’ errors.” – some dude I’ve been meaning to write for a while about...
by striker at January 14th, 2009 at 03:01 pm
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Shooting “Slumdog Millionaire”
I don’t claim to know much about cinematography. They say when you start noticing the technical details about a film, it’s not a good film because you’re distracted from the film itself. I whole heartedly disagree. If anything, I observe the actors way more, but when a film “looks” SO DAMN GOOD, you just can’t help but wonder how...
by striker at November 12th, 2008 at 01:11 am
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The Adventures of Pappu and Pappi
FADE IN Text on screen reads: “10 years ago” EXT – CINEMA HALL IN SUBURBAN MUMBAI – NIGHT Pappu and Pappi are two amongst hundreds of people trickling out of the cinema hall. They light a cigarette and lazily stroll toward their bikes. Pappu Picture kaisi lagi re? [What'd you think of the film?] Pappi Sahi thi boss… gaane achche the, acting...
by striker at September 10th, 2008 at 01:09 pm
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Dasavatharam: An Open Letter to Kamal Sir
Kamal Sir, This from a humble fan, who happens to be in the same fraternity as you, though much lower, pretty much to the point of non-existence on the rungs of the acting ladder. I sincerely hope this text finds you in the best of health and spirits. That’ll make one of us. Sir, I’m a huge, unabashed fan of yours, and with the best of intentions I write...
by striker at June 15th, 2008 at 12:06 am
1
Minsara Kanavu
4/5 With a refreshing Kajol, always-a-treat Prabhu Deva, and delightful songs, even the lame ending can’t spoil this movie. IMDB
by striker at May 12th, 2008 at 11:05 am
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Strangers
2/5 To call a movie as sluggish as this a thriller would be doing injustice to the genre. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0882967/
by striker at May 6th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
1
Catacombs
3.5/5 Not as claustrophobic and gory as The Descent, but keeps you engaged, making for a good Friday night timepass horror flick. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449471/
by striker at May 6th, 2008 at 10:05 am
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IFFLA 2008: Reflections
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...
by striker at May 2nd, 2008 at 01:05 pm
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The Dynamic Duo is Back!
“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...
by striker at April 29th, 2008 at 02:04 pm
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An Evening With Sudhir Mishra
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...
by striker at April 17th, 2008 at 11:04 am
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What-juno ’bout Juno?
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,...
by striker at February 21st, 2008 at 04:02 pm
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Love at second sight: The ‘live’ly melodies of “Parwaaz”
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...
by striker at December 14th, 2007 at 01:12 pm
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Browntown – Part 2: Trailer + NY premiere
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...
by striker at October 4th, 2007 at 06:10 am
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Browntown – Part 1: The Audition
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...
by striker at October 2nd, 2007 at 10:10 am
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Ten tips for being “Good in a Room”
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...
by striker at July 31st, 2007 at 03:07 pm
9
Confessions of a Film Watcher
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...
by striker at June 18th, 2007 at 09:06 pm
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Belated Monday Monologues: Guess the movie!
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...
by striker at June 5th, 2007 at 11:06 am
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Casting the brown man: the “other” new wave
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...
by striker at April 26th, 2007 at 09:04 pm
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For cinephiles in Mumbai: National Film Circle
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...
by striker at April 26th, 2007 at 04:04 pm
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Netflix comes to India?
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,...
by striker at March 6th, 2007 at 01:03 pm
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Chainsaws, Demons & Gore: OH MY!
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...
by striker at February 27th, 2007 at 08:02 am
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ORIA – Part II: “Stop being a ninja”
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...
by striker at February 16th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
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ORIA – The Making Of… (Part I: It begins…)
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,...
by striker at January 19th, 2007 at 03:01 pm
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BAISCOPE presents… with Nikhil Advani
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...
by striker at January 12th, 2007 at 02:01 pm
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Size doesn’t matter!
I love short films. They’re perfect for when you’re in the mood to watch a film but don’t have the time. Hell, I even try to catch a couple here and there during the day at work. Sadly, the market for short films is just not there with the masses. Unless a Darna Mana Hai or Darna Zaroori Hai comes along with Ramu’s banner behind it, the audience...
by striker at December 27th, 2006 at 11:12 pm
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The 48-hour Film Project: what say PFC?
Here’s another idea I suggested to oz, and he suggested I post it here and check out reader reactions. 2001 marked the debut year of the 48-Hour Film Project, “a crazy idea to try to make a film in 48 hours” brought up by Mark Ruppert and his filmmaking partner Liz Langston. Basically, the producers at the 48hr Film Project have a huge meeting on a friday...
by striker at November 15th, 2006 at 10:11 am
14
“The Namesake”: mind-blowing or blowing-mind?
***Possible spoilers ahead for those who haven’t read the book*** I had the fortune of attending the red carpet premiere of “The Namesake”, directed by Mira Nair, and based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri this past Wednesday. It was the opening night screening of the IAAC film festival in NY, and Mira Nair and Kalpen Modi were in attendance, along with...
by striker at November 3rd, 2006 at 02:11 pm
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Monday Monologues… the first of many more..?
I discussed this idea with oz, and he was all up for it, so I figured what better outlet? I got into acting during my final semester at Virginia Tech in 2001, where I took an intro course as an elective to satisfy my requirements for graduation. I had no desire to get into acting before this, and I looked at this class as an easy A. I finished the class with a B. But...
by striker at October 30th, 2006 at 01:10 pm
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my obsession with ramu
get your brickbats ready. i’m ready to take the beating. bring it on! but you won’t change my mind. i’m coming out of the closet (but not in that way). i’m obsessed with ramgopal varma, and i’m letting the world know about it. ok, so the “world” here is a bunch of cinema franatics (freak+fanatics) just like me whom i’ve...
by striker at October 27th, 2006 at 01:10 pm
3
jack’s back?!?
here’s one for all the readers at PFC… watch the following trailer for Titanic 2 and send in your comments.. in case the video doesn’t show (i’m still trying to get used to this), you can watch it here
by striker at October 13th, 2006 at 02:10 pm