The Need For An Indian Director!!
So Folks,
As some know that I have a script/film in development and things moving along faster than I anticiapted, but the Mumbai trip that I made in July, raised an interesting question, for which I don’t as yet have an answer.
In effect, the production houses liked my script, the actors I spoke to, liked the concept, some liked the script in it’s entirety, showed it to my scriptwriter friends in Mumbai, they liked the concept….but almost all had a unanmous question- Who Do You Have In Mind To Direct This? They also said, make sure it is not a first timer, a script with this magnitude could fall flat with a novice…..hmm got me thinking…who should it be…definitely not me, since I have no aptitude to understand the camera and more importantly I find studios to be very stuffy and claustrophobic.
So Iasked the recommenders for advice? Who do you have in mind or whom?
Suggestions came…ad filmmakers, someone who has dealt with the genre (mine is like a Bourne Identity without the physical action and with one bullet being fired in the end, yet the scale is global and the stakes high)I was told is rare to find in India. Some names did come up aka Sanjay Gupta/Anubhav/Shimit….but for starters was not sure whether these folks would work on this script with the actors I had in mind and then also whether I would be comfortable turning my script and sensibility over to them…so that passed….then came meeting directors who had worked with RGV…met one from that school of thought…he impressed me..although one question remained…like a Madhur, would he suffer from a “small city mentality” aka this is HOW THEY LIVE LIFE IN SOUTH MUMBAI, THIS IS PAGE 3, THIS IS THE BAD WORLD OF CORPORATE….I did not want that viewpoint, I wanted someone who did not bring any bias against NRI’s, the “haves” etc and not that this person had any, in fact he was very comfortable…so he has been shortlisted…but am still asking around…so…
Then the suggestion came to meet television directors who had made that kind of genre (corporate thriller). Did meet. Good person, but not sure again. Also the suggestion came (not from me since the women in my life have been the “studs” of my life) would a “man or a woman” do a better job directing this. While I am all for the equality of sexes, a suggestion was made from the more experienced in Mumbai (a woman or sets of women that is before you guys start jumping all over me), that this requred the sensibility of a man…so…that came to square one…
Then came an altogether different suggestion…WHY NOT GO WITH AN AMERICAN (Man or Woman) DIRECTOR ON THIS?
My mind immediately went to the positives: (a) I live in the US for the most part and know it is so much easier getting to meet the “players” in Hollywood than the counterparts in Bollywood, so that’s great.
(b) Generally, in my experience, there is less “dramabazi” and more “work” when talking with the Hollywood middle market. It is yes/no and that makes life easy for all, rather than being asked to go on a tailspin. Case in point once in a hotel in London, I saw Chritian Slater check in, five mts later, he had his backpack on and stepped out to tour London, no natak, no tension, nothing….Same hotel later in the day, a television actor (some films, generally the one’s Salman acts in) who was the son of a yesteryear’s heroine, checks in….and while he did not do anything negative…the amount of his “entourage” was seen/heard to be believed…and I was like…dude if I was the producer I would say…do all this with your money, not mine.
(c) Although my film was to be shot 60% in Asia, primarily India, there was a 40% element of the foreign land. The US director would not be fascinated by that side and would carry on his/her work without any bias but more with “matter of fact eyes.” Plus in the corproate thriller genre, there were quite a few successful products in both television and movies
(d) This experiment of having a foreign director make a SOuth Asian film, was done recently, with a fair deal of success, when Lorraine of Sopranos directed Americanizing Shelley.
(e) Would they be open to shoot in non film mediums (digital)
BUT THEN CAME THE NEGATIVES:
(a) My script /film, is primarily for the Multiplex audience of the metros in India, although in English. Would the American director be able to get into the heart of the Mumbai audience? Sure Mumbaiites probably watch his/her film, but not with Indian actors, so would he/she be able to understand their point of view and mine too?
(b) Conversely would the director get his/her Hollywood biases and pre concieved notions to the India shoots? Again an issue to deal with.
(c) Would they be able to comprehend the depth of the characters who are primarily South Asian in ethnicity (not residency) or almost force them his/her views, aka, a reverse Madhur effect.
(d) Would the director suffer from a “SRK/Salman/AB” fascination complex, or would he be like a Barry John, who directs actors, not their background and achievements prior to coming on the set. ? The latter was the one I needed, the former I did not want to deal with.
(e) Would they be so hung up about the “logical locations” aka Jaipur/Goa,e tc, or would they also be open to Pt Puluskar Chowk Mumbai, Hutatma Chowk Mumbai, Malad (w) Mumbai, Hindu College Delhi, Jangpura New Delhi, WEA Karol Bagh New Delhi…you get what I mean…
So questions and no answers at this point is what I have. The search and the solution continues. Since this site is passionate about it’s cinema, feel free to comment on my dilemna….an Indian Director or a US Director?
Sincerely,
Vivek “now you know why I need to move to Yaari/JP Road, 87.4353% of my kind of directors live there” Kumar
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Dont worry bro… keep trying keep trying… am sure u will find a good on some day…
Vivek
Email me.I know someone in LA you should consider.
BTW did you meet Arti from LA? She was in Bay area last week networking.
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Well, I know a few guys in Vancouver & other parts of Canada… I’d suggest to not be so caught up in the cautions and all… the best way to see if a director will do justice to your script is to meet with him and discuss it in detail… if your both on the same wavelength, and the creative juices are flowing, then you know you’ve got a good team on your hand…
I know what its like to have my script completely manhandled by a director who just didn’t “get it”… so I know what must be going through your mind man…
But I’ve had good experiences as well… actually, a very good one recently…
Anyways, if your interested in getting in touch with my contacts, gimme a shout (tonykhera(at)gmail(dot)com)
Mainak/Tony- Thanks both. I will be responding to both and in fact better still visit your Geographies (easier with you Mainak since am closing on a condo in Van Nuys today), meet with these folks and also meet you guys. Just give me 3-4 weeks to adminsitratively put this together.
Mainak - yes met Arati. Good concept and good team, have already started doing my bit for them.Will announce their service offerring to PfC shortly.
Tony- agreed bud, have a lot of technical respect for Canada based filmmakers, will definitley be visiting Vancouver,very shortly.
Also some further good news from the film I was associated with Americanizing Shelley- Read on”Greetings!
“Americanizing Shelley” will be featured on E! Entertainment’s “Dr.90210″ show tonight (Monday, 13th August 2007) in a segment with Dr. Rey (who played a cameo in the film).
This show reaches an approximate of 50 million households n the United States alone and is syndicated worldwide.
So, an upward of 50 million audiences (in the U.S.) and many more across the globe will know about “Americanizing Shelley” tonight (if they don’t already)!
That’s millions of reasons for us to smile…Catch us on the show if you can…
Have a terrific week!
APFG Team
http://www.AmericanizingShelleyTheMovie.com
Vivek
There is another promising guy from Toronto. Richie Mehta I think. He made some cool shorts which won at IFFLA. HE shot a short in Delhi. A music video & a Sci Fiction.
he shows promise.
Thanks Mainak, will discuss both Richie and the person you have in mind from LA, when we synch up
Richie is awesome and very talented. He made a short called “Amal” which won the jury prize at IFFLA. Now he has converted it to a feature length film which stars Naseeruddin Shah. It is premiering at the Toronto Film Fest this year in competition.
WHY not pfc’s own Anurag kashayap and Sudhir Mishra, Vivek ? Are they out of budget…Believe me they are the best story tellers for the indian and westerns too.If some day I produce a film believe me they are on the board.
of course they are brilliant (anuraag and Sudhir), my concerns are not about their ability, but whether they would be willing to work with the actors I have in mind and also their schedule as in availability, both appear to have a lot of projects on hand, and more power to them for that. Ditto applies to Pawan too, whose Shhhh I loved. And not sound poltically correct but to all the folks in the pfc roster…oz does a good job of quality control:)
vivek,
nagesh kukunoor. will focus on your negative concerns in the following:
1. he’ll relate to the mumbai multiplex crowd since iqbal has been a tremendous success and even dor for that matter was received pretty well.. but above all, he has a precedent set for himself as the ‘iqbal’ guy amongst the multiplex crowd. there goes concern A
2. your concern B doesn’t even apply to him since he’s used to both worlds.
3. his strength as a director is his ability to focus on characters and story, so concern C is out.
4. no fascination with the stars, as can be seen with his casting in previous movies, and is all for accepting new talent as long as it’s justified. otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to direct shreyas in iqbal and produce a winner from him. concern D is out the window.
5. logical locations is all for nagesh as he’s shot in the US/india with bwoodCalling.. he’s done prison cells with teen D, he’s done the desert with dor.. doesn’t get more logical than that. there goes concern E.
and in your favor, here’s another positive.. you already know him thru SAAFA and have a rapport built with him, if i remember correctly. and he comes from hyd and has lived in the US.. so much for “small city mentality”. do you need more reasons from me?
Vivek,
Anurag and sudhir always worked with new talent…I dont think that working with any actors even if you have big stars in mind would be any problem for them, And if you have a budget then anybody’s time can be bought for a project…Even Roman palanski and oliver stone and james camaron are available if you got a cheque to pay. As striker290 said Kuknoor is brilliant. As I see Dor was the actuall true contestant for Oscars, But unfortunately RDB was chosen….”Woh kahani phir sahi.”
forgot to mention vivek.. kukunoor will also be “saleable” with producers seeing as how he has worked under mukta arts as well.
and er.. if you like my suggestions i’m open to come on board as your consultant
here’s wishing you the best!
Striker, agree with some , disagree with some on Kukunoor. Firstly the fact that you are going to be involved in it as an actor (small role of the IG of police from India visiting NYC) is a given, also behind the scenes. I wasn’t planning on giving you a choice
On Nagesh, the main thing is that he likes to write the scripts he directs, don’t know him just directing and don’t want to “Nageshise” my script, meaning he writes solid scripts, but this is my script and would like to keep it at that. Of course the director will get his/her sensibilites to it, and that is fine, but not sure whehter he will leave the heart still there. Secondly Nagesh is brilliant (althought indifferent about Rockford and HB2), but again all his stories have an Indian earthiness to it and I like it for that, but my story is more global corprorate, sure the flip side is because NK is a former Mgmt Consultant from Atlanta, he will get the gist right away, but he has not made anything of this scale…then again…not yet..maybe he will down the road. Also because he has so many scripts already ready in his head, he would probably want to direct them first…ditto was the case when I brought it up with Rajat on meeting him last month…he too has a lot of scripts already in his head and would want to get those out of the way first. Rightly said I can reach out to NK anytime, but I know that he will want to direct his own scripts first, before he even reaches out to an “outside” script.
Just as in AS, when Namrata was considering a director and she either approached Nagesh or was thinking of Nagesh, eventually I think Lorraine was a better choice, not because she is better than NK, but because for that genre and for that story, she was probably the better person.
Not only actors …
even directors become type cast in this world so Anurag,Onir,Sudhir and All aspiring ones,(who didn’t even start the career yet)…play your cards well bro. One can handle this script and one can makes only this kind of films! 
! Don’t take your work very serious ,if you make a good film on Bombay bomb blast people would say “Are yeh to art film banata hai” This showbiz world is brutal.
I was thinking that a sensible person is a sensible for ever. And once a bitch is bitch 4 ever .I doubt it now!
sanjay
richie mehta is very good
and what will it take to get Anuraag Kashyap interested in reading it:d
also PFC folks, my friend Shibani Bhatija (FANAA AND KANK…yes ..yes I know some liked it some did not) is going to be here in a couple of weeks time…let me know if you guys want to have a small get together in OC or LA
Striker I will ask her about DC
i know vivek where this was going? u wanted anurag’s opinion and therefore saale tune poora tamasha pehle set kiya!!
nothing of that sort, just like my script, so my write up here, things are unfolding as they unfold, I could have reached out to Anuraag earlier too before going to Bombay, I am just going with the flow tonite, as I complete my rewrite, so whatever thoughts come to mind, I pen them..now back to the rewrite
plus shibani is actually coming, nothing to do with AK and Jackie is online also nothing to do with AK, the whole world is waking up in the last 30 mts
vivek boy u sure have guts as u resemble ur script to be something that even spielberg has not attempted or u r really stupid..watever the case all the best
more the latter, although I am hopeful of attempting the former…plus spielberg dropped out, I completed my certificate in UCLA:”>
Anurag,
what abt Shekhar kapur and Sudhir Mishra..(Who is better)!
This is just a job man…you do good some times and you suck sometimes.Thats called creativiy.
Vivek ,
After all your views about your script(your baby)
I’ll suggest you to direct it yourself…..Go give a shot.Its only film not a fuckin War.If its not good then what…Its not end of the world.
wish u good luck.
thanks Sanjay, you tell what my cast tell, but the problem is it is a film on war, a global war, so it might be a film, but it is nothing short of a war….
Before AK answers on Shekhar, for all the millions and zillions I will not have Shekhar direct this script…I will be reduced to meeting all his “chai and newspaper ka nakhras” definitely not what one Chartered Accountant will do for another …that too a better CA than Shekhar…i might “humbly” add:)
But at least a great charted accountant like you, can do for a Director (Masoom to Golden age) like him, If you are a serious producer. ATLEAST he is known as a director…and I don’t know how much you are known as CA and a producer.
At the end of the day film making is just another work only thing is people (south asians) thinks this is something out of the world.
Vivek !
try Gautham Menon from Chennai. He has made taut action movies. He told in a recent interview that he is interested in making something true to a good script.
Thanks V.P. I have your email on this and will respond to you for Gautham’s contact info. Appreciate that
Sanjay not sure about the south asians thinking of films out of this world, I can talk about myself, then whether it is working on my script/working in office/playing tennis/washing my clothes in the wahing machine/ being in a relationship, it has got to be done to the best of my ability and resources or not done at all and I treat this project of mine no different.
the bottom line in all this is PFC Zindabad….I posted it this morning on Pacific Std Time…and in less than 24 hours, I have potential directors from Canada, Los Angeles and India and some 10-15 best wishes……now I don’t need a “Mahurat” shot
:)Thanks to all those who responded good or bad…I achieved more in the last 12 hours on PFC than my 2 weeks across London/Zurich/Mumbai. I will respond to each one of you who suggested a director and perhaps within that search, will emerge my dream director…gracias, shukriya, meherbani, thank you!!!
Hi Vivek,
I don’t know his email id.
However here is a link of Sudish Kamth’s blog with gautham’s interview.
Sudish kamath writes reviews and film related articles in The hindu.
http://sudhishkamath.blogspot.com/2006/04/gautham-menon-interview-uncut.html
He is also a short film maker and has made a movie called “That four letter word”.
Pls get in touch with him rather than me as i am not an industry insider.
Best of luck for your script!
HI Vivek, i recommend that you get in touch with Richie Mehta. I just finished working with him on AMAL. It is the feature that he shot in New Delhi, India. He is very talented as a filmmaker and a director. He has an excellent sensibility. For someone so young he seems as if he has making films for the last 20 years. It would be worthwhile for you to get in touch with him. Do let me know if you need me to put you in touch with him.
All the best,
Rupinder
I absoulutely would love that (intro to Richie), Rupinder. Do mention to him that, I might want to present the script to him in Oct,since Barkha (the leading woman) and a couple of others might be visiting Canada then and always makes good sense to all meet up . Thanks.
And good work in Mitsein. Not sure why Aparna is not releasing it, she knows best, but with Namrata’s AS out now, might be good to leverage of that publicity, plus always a pleasure to watch India’s most (at one time) beautiful woman, Smriti Mishra, on screen….yes, yes I know the issues :)when I spoke about “dramabazi” she was on top of my list:)
I will put you in touch. Can you email me your email address. Thanks for the comment on Mitsein. Wow, I almost forgot about the film. It has certainly been a long time. Well, it looks like with Namrata’s AS and with my film AMAL coming out to TIFF in september. Aparna will have lots of publicity to jump on. I am actually very intersted in seeing how that film looks.
what about Rahul Dholakia of Parzania?
may be sensible enough to treat the subject. He has also made “kehta hai dil baar baar” using locations of USA.
btw, all d best!
Not sure whether u r still taking suggestions…but Priya V (Kanda Naal Mudhal) - from Ratnam’s camp - did a good job with her first movie…there was a NRI character (played by Karthik Kumar) in the movie without the usual stereotypes!!
Thanks, yes I am still taking suggestions. Do you have contact info for Priya?
Also the name of Robby Grewal of Samay came up
Vivek, I have worked with Robby, can give you his contact details if you want
Can you upload the one liner of your film? And the story in few lines? Then we will have a better idea of who is best for the film.
Suchita/Mainak - Have responded to both via email. Am just uncomfortable, at this stage, to put the script idea and lines on a quasi public forum. Of course have registered in both India and US, but just as well.
Tony- Will send you email tomorrow re the director recommendations from Canada
Ok that’s fine… if you could send me a little something about the script idea via email that would be good… doesn’t have to be anything in great detail, just something brief is fine… the rest we can discuss over email…
Vivek,
I’m just an ordinary film goer - so there is no way I could help you in getting Priya’s contact co-ordinates!! One suggestion would be get in touch with Kartik (hero for her movie and runs a theatre group called Evam) or as suggested in one of the above comments - ping sudhish kamath!
Good luck again.
Ananth