The Quentin Conversation
So I’ve finally landed onto the PFC platform and all thanks to Oz and Vijay. Being my very first post, I would have loved to introduce myself as a ‘learning film-maker’ and go on about my tryst with film-making and film-makers, but all that can wait. Because right now I am nothing but just an avid cinema-goer just like all of us. Why is that you ask? Well that’s because the topic that I am posting is about a meeting I had with a man who goes by the name of Quentin Tarantino. But before you start showering me with abuses, let me tell you that it was a chance meeting of which even you could have been a part of, if you were here at LA for the Indian Film Festival.
Anyways, a short run down of how the things took place. We were all chilling at the ‘Arc Light Cinema lounge area’, when one of the IFFLA staff member told me that Quentin Tarantino’s in the house. I thought she was joking till she showed me a snap she clicked with him. I started looking around and grabbed my digicam and started hunting for him. Below the lounge area is a small café where he was seated in the most unusual of all places – Right in front of the entrance| Nikhil Prakash (Another short film maker and an excellent actor) and me stood behind him as he was finishing a talk on his phone. As we got ready to attack, in walked Eli Roth (Director of Hostel) and Edgar Wright (Director of Shaun of the dead). So all 3 of them were having beer and just chilling. We went up to QT, introduced ourselves as directors of our respective short films, which were being shown at the festival. And then started a discussion which lasted for almost 20-25 minutes (Excluding the photo session)
QT: Well yes, Ive been to the festival last year and this year I am going to watch some films. When are your films?
Us: Sunday afternoon
QT: I am definitely coming. Sunday is the day I am free. Sure.
Me: So I am actually from Mumbai and I am a huge fan of yours. (“Fuck I am talking to QUENTIN TARANTINO” expression)
QT: Hey that’s really great. How’re ya finding LA? I am so glad you’re from there. What do you think of Bombay’s rip off of “Reservoir Dogs”? KAAANTE?
Me: (I didn’t know how to react to that) I didn’t quite like it.
QT: WHY? I LOVED IT. I think it was fabulous. Of the two rip offs I loved are Hong Kong’s “Too many ways to be number one” and this one – “KAANTE”.
Me: Well yeah I know, but if you noticed in the HK version, they had set the premise in HK itself. Whereas for the Indian one, they’ve shot it in US. They could very easily have conceptualized it with Indian cities.
QT: Well yeah, but the best part is – You have INDIAN guys, coming to US and looting a US Bank. How cool is that. I was truly honored. And these Indian guys are played by the legends of Bollywood. I was honored.
Me: Hmm. That’s true. But what were your feelings when you were watching the film?
QT: Well, I started watching it and I knew it was Reservoir Dogs. But then, the film is longer. You guys are crazy because you guys like long movies. And that’s what I like too. But we have a studio system here. But yeah, coming to the point, here I am watching a film that I’ve directed, and then it goes into each character’s background. And I am like WHOA That’s something. Because I always write the backgrounds and stuff in my scripts but it always gets chopped off during the edit. And so I was like this isn’t RD. But then it goes into the warehouse scene and I am like “WOW Its back to RD”. Isn’t it amazing? Wow.
Me: Yeah, our films are kinda long and sometimes character driven too.
QT: Yes. And I loved the guy who plays the role of Harvey Keitel. This big beard guy. Famous guy in Bollywood.
Me: Amitabh Bachchan? So when are we seeing Quentin Tarantino venture into Bollywood?
QT: I would love to come there and see how it works. But then I have to get used to the setting and be comfortable. Then only true quality can be achieved. As of now, I want to watch “The Wall (Deewar)” playing at your festival.
Me: Yeah. Its one of the most powerful films to come out of India.
QT: Yup. I’ll try coming for your films on Sunday. If I am here, I will definitely come.
Me: Thanks. It was a pleasure meeting you.
QT: Same here man, always a pleasure to meet you guys
QT: Btw have you guys seen “Grindhouse”? Its playing here in LA. I guess you guys should watch it man. Pretty insane stuff.
Us: Yeah surely we’ll watch it.
QT: Cool. See ya then.
By this time a considerable amount of people had gathered behind me and Nikhil. I quickly took a photograph with him. Varun and Nikhil followed suit. As we were leaving I could hear QT telling some guy (who wanted to click a photo with him), “Ive got enough photos taken. Thank you”. This is when I ran upstairs to see Oz posting on PFC, and hence the “FLASH MSG” in his post.
So that’s the whole conversation that we had – more a monologue than dialogue. But its not everyday you walk into a café and see one of the most influential film makers of the new generation, staring back at you.
Finally my first post. More to follow.
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
welcome Srinivas…and what an entry…..:)>-:)>-
srinivas, welcome to PFC.. sorry we didn’t get to chat more at the fest.. and er.. sorry that the others and i couldn’t make it to your film on sunday.. but congrats on winning the jury award for “tea break” =D> job well done!
SHIT! i missed eli :((
hungry for more…
loved the way he was talking about KAANTE…
Lucky Fucking Bastard… :d
Welcome to PFC Srinivas…
Very cool story man… Now you can rip off “Death Proof” from Grindhouse and call it “Marti Ka Naam Gaadi” (starring “legend of Bollywood” Jackie Shroff) and then send a DVD to QT through next years IFFLA… LOL…
Meeting Quintin was cool, Actually when I entered arclights and I was looking for OZ, and suddenly I saw this guy and I was like i have seen this guy some where then suddenly it flashed that Its Quintin “Fucking” Tarantino I was like “Welcome to Hollywood” and then i went upstairs and introduced my self to oz and told him that Tarantino is here I dont think he believed me so we went out for smoke and came back we were just talking and I told him again that quintin is here then he realized I was not joking so he right away sent text to anurag (but he didnt get it untill he came to arclights) I saw srinivas and other guy talking to quintin so I went to restaurant where he was hangin out and sneaked slowly behind srnivas and after they were done I told him “Man u keep making crazy movies” he replied back “You keep em watching” after that i asked him for a picture and he was cool about it. He was really cool.
you lucky fellow srinivas…u man gotta chat with the master QT. The guy sounds similar to the movies he makes. You one lucky son of a B****. Cheers.
Well its all about being at the right place at the right time
I am sure you’ll also get to meet more interesting people very soon.
Good Post Srinivas, i was just so bored ….. that your post felt like a breath of fresh air.it was a revealation to know that qt has seen Kaante.Thanx.
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Welcome to PFC, Srinivas! Great to post to kick off…
Tony: good imagination!
Srinivas…welcome to PFC dude…It was a pleasure meeting you at IFFLA. Tons of good luck for your future, and submit Tea break to a few other fest’s as well
OHHH MYYY GODDDDD…
I cant believed I missed this..
I bought the tickets for the entire festival and kind of lost my mood after the first day….
hmmmm….LUCKY YOU
nice work Mr Srinivas Sunderrajan … have seen ur movie … killer work …….
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Srinivas, welcome to PFC and I can’t wait to read more about your adventures in filmmaking!!! And, it was really, really great meeting you at IFFLA!
Dang, I take two days off the festival and you guys all have big adventures in my absence…
whoa! what an entry!! welcome srinivas!
vijay has told us so much about you – we were fans already – even before you came aboard.
the studio system in hollywood must be very pathetic and influential in a wrong way…independent guys like QT are also intimidated by the studios…that’s pretty sad….
he would definitely enjoy the functioning of Indian cinema….dream world for any kind of filmmaker…
Srini,what an entry!!! N welcome onboard ya!!
lucky fucker :d
u lucky asss! Btw,is there some way I could see your short films?