As another set of bombs went off in India killing 25 people one is left wondering if it is apathy or resilience that makes India tick. This is one in a long series of blasts and frankly I don’t see Indians either being scared or caring.
Reams have been written about Mumbai’s train blasts and the subsequent revival of the system and the great Mumbikar spirit. That the Mumbikar’s were riding the same trains less than 24 hours later has been hailed as a great victory over terrorism. But I think it has nothing to do with courage. Over the years everybody has got so used to attacks and other such tragedies that they are dismissed as non issues. ‘As long as I and mine aren’t directly affected it is okay’ attitude is more the way of life.
We have gotten so used to seeing home minister after home minister making the same promises on TV that by now we don’t even need to hear them to know what they are saying. Basically the poor sod is on mute in real life and no one is listening. The cops whose duty it is to keep tabs on terrorists, crooks and other such are doing such a fine job that people have zero faith in their abilities to either investigate or intercept the terrorists. We don’t expect to be safe at all. In fact we expect to be bombed and attacked all the time. When we get home in one piece it is a blessing.
In all of this there is a great lesson for the terrorist. Surely by now they must realize that all their best efforts are futile. The very purpose of bomb blasts is defeated if we don’t care. The idea is to scare a society, but this society doesn’t care enough to be scared. I have a suggestion for Osama and his like. Do something that will shock us like say building a hospital. Do something out of the script. I am sure everyone will stop what they are doing and take notice.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
I hope it's well done!
I woke up in the morning with a hangover to beat all hangovers. Hiroo (The DOP) called later in the day asking if anyone got the number of the truck. Even now much later in the following evening the wooziness is still there. I think we got a little smashed at the wrap party and a little silly later by drinking some more at home. But it felt well deserved.
Mastang Mama (50% Mast- 50% Tang) wrapped last night with the filming of the ‘Paisa’ song. I am looking back with a mixture of happiness and sadness. The road ahead is both inviting and daunting. Also now the realization that the die has been cast is finally hitting home. We are committed to the visuals we have shot, there is no going back from here. I do hope we have done them well. At this point I have no perspective on what we have created. Everything looks great and crappy at the same time. The only consolation is that better filmmakers than me have gone through this phase.
As I move on into the post production phase the mind is now looking ahead. What should I take on next, where is the next one coming from? There are a few scripts ready but it is still early days to commit to any one story. There have been feelers but it is still early to get into any active discussions. I am keeping my options open.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Arundhati Roy strikes again
Once again Arundhati Roy has political parties of all hues frothing at the mouth. This time it is her comments on Kashmir that have both side of the spectrum coming together. It is amazing see her achieve something so monumental by simply speaking her mind. Even major national calamities don’t have these parties speaking in the same voice.
Though I don’t generally agree with much of what she says on this one occasion I feel she has a point. For a very long time I have held the view that you cannot live with someone who doesn’t want to live with you. It is a simplistic argument but it holds true in any relationship. Be it a partner in a marriage or a grown child in a parent’s house or, on a larger scale, entire communities living in a country. This is especially true for a country like India which is an amalgamation of diverse identities who have come together to live under one constitution. The simple assumption is that we must want to belong to India for India as an idea to work.
In light of this India’s obsession with Kashmir just doesn’t make sense to me. Here is a community that hates Indians. They have been reluctant ‘Indians’ from the very beginning. They don’t feel the need to contribute to India in anyway. They have their own little world that is sustained by monies paid by the Indian tax payer. The Indian state has bent over backwards in trying to keep them happy over the last 6 decades. Special economic packages and constitutional acts have done nothing to endear the Indian state to the people of the valley. The political rhetoric is so strong that nothing India ever does will be good enough. The calls for azadi are today louder than ever. Frankly I think the time has come for India to cut its losses and let Kashmir go. India has spent far too much in human and economic terms on a piece of territory that is unproductive for Indian purposes and wholly unresponsive to any efforts made in amalgamating them in the Indian mainstream. In the end they have to want to be a part of India, they have to want to contribute to India and they have want to let their identities merge with India for this relationship to work. Otherwise it is a one way street. We give and give. They take and spit on us back. I quite agree with Arundhati; India needs azadi from Kashmir too.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
All Quiet
After the hectic shooting schedule there is a sudden lull in my life. Two songs were to be filmed this week but have been put off for a variety of reasons. First week of August seems most likely now.
Post production has started but at this point there isn’t much for me to do. Initial briefings have been done and the editor has taken charge. The editor needs a free hand with the material so I am staying clear of the editing room. I guess my inputs will be needed only after a couple of weeks.
So, what do I do? Maybe I’ll start work on another script. A couple of scripts are in need of a re-look so maybe that.
In the mean time the political happenings are interesting to watch. It seems that the government has finally had enough of the bulling dished out by the left front. About time too. With just 61 MP’s (or 12% representation) they were allowed to dictate policy for far too long. That the new partners are a dodgy lot is like saying the ocean has water. Given the global slow down these partners will add to the misery of the country. Dr. Singh will need a lot of antacids to deal with them.
I’ll sign in again next week- hopefully and discuss the progress on my work as well as give my gyan on the fast developing political situation.
Post production has started but at this point there isn’t much for me to do. Initial briefings have been done and the editor has taken charge. The editor needs a free hand with the material so I am staying clear of the editing room. I guess my inputs will be needed only after a couple of weeks.
So, what do I do? Maybe I’ll start work on another script. A couple of scripts are in need of a re-look so maybe that.
In the mean time the political happenings are interesting to watch. It seems that the government has finally had enough of the bulling dished out by the left front. About time too. With just 61 MP’s (or 12% representation) they were allowed to dictate policy for far too long. That the new partners are a dodgy lot is like saying the ocean has water. Given the global slow down these partners will add to the misery of the country. Dr. Singh will need a lot of antacids to deal with them.
I’ll sign in again next week- hopefully and discuss the progress on my work as well as give my gyan on the fast developing political situation.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Almost a year!
It’s been almost a year since I last posted anything. Time flies, especially when you are having fun. At least that is what I’d like to believe. The last year or so has been a roller coaster of sorts. It’s had both highs and lows for me. The several near misses followed by the signing and the making of MASTANG MAMA (50% mast, 50% tang) have all contributed to make the last 12 months huge for me.
We are now nearly done with MASTANG MAMA’s shoot and things are looking good. It is a small fun film that should have the audiences in splits. As I head into the post production there are a million small anecdotes that come to mind. Maybe on another day when I have more time I will share some of them. At this point I am confused about how to feel. I am happy with the way things are going but the sense of insecurity and anticipation of things to come keep the tensions levels high. I hope to post more, if possible on a weekly basis. That way I will have a record of all I felt while MM was happening.
We are now nearly done with MASTANG MAMA’s shoot and things are looking good. It is a small fun film that should have the audiences in splits. As I head into the post production there are a million small anecdotes that come to mind. Maybe on another day when I have more time I will share some of them. At this point I am confused about how to feel. I am happy with the way things are going but the sense of insecurity and anticipation of things to come keep the tensions levels high. I hope to post more, if possible on a weekly basis. That way I will have a record of all I felt while MM was happening.
Monday, July 9, 2007
The Business of films!
It is easily the most frustrating business one can be a part of. I have, in the recent past, been interacting with some of the leading lights of the Hindi (Bollywood) film industry as well as working on scripts for some Hollywood based production companies.
Here are some of the observations. Most are true for Bollywood but I was surprised to find a lot of them were true for Hollywood as well.
1. Most producers are illiterate. This was served first up and was the most shocking truth. Many of the producers I have interacted with have no concept of reading a script. Nearly everyone I have met has asked me for a script. But these scripts have never been read. They are carried from shoot to shoot, from office to home and back to office in the morning. But none of the producers who have personally requested my scripts have got around to reading it.
2. Some of the producers have readers who read scripts and write comments/coverage. This is supposed to be the ‘pipeline’ that ensures a steady of quality scripts are processed upwards. However this is only in theory. Being illiterate the producers seldom read these comments. Scripts with glowing recommendations lie around waiting for the producer to say yes. This part is especially true for big studios where lame scripts are developed by hacks for delusional acting talent that’s on their payroll.
3. Most readers are wannabe writers. While they wait for their big chance they read and write coverage in order to survive. Nobody understands the frustrations of a script writer more than they do. Not only do their script go unread their coverage too is totally ignored.
4. The only way to get a producer to make a film out of a script is for him/her to ‘own’ it. The producer must believe that this is the one story that needs to be told and s/he must tell it. The story must connect at a very basic level. Either it works off the one page synopsis or it doesn’t get made at all.
5. Nobody has the time for great cinema. Most producers/production executives are happy with very basic level of scripts. Great writing means different things to different people. Producers don’t see writing in the same way as we do.
6. Above anything else the story you are pitching must have been done before. There should be a definite ‘model’ that the producer can identify with. So it is okay for a story to be a bit like ‘Godfather’. If the story is not like a successful film you are in deep trouble. A clear path to recovering the investment is necessary. Producers hate to get involved with scripts that need them to take a chance.
7. Most independent producers, even those with impressive credits, do not have access to movie stars. In the last 6 months I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “it is a good story and we would like to get into it, do you have a star?” Producers love nothing better than a ‘sealed deal’. If I were a drinking buddy of George Clooney I wouldn’t need to knock on producers doors. A small fact that they seem to miss.
8. Being a drinking buddy to a star gives you a much better chance of getting a film made than having the best crafted script in the world. Twice I have been told to ‘sell’ my script and let a moron director do the film. The moron director was doing joints with a major star while I was just typing a bunch of words on an old computer. That he didn’t have a script was the only stumbling block for him.
9. Bollywood special - Producers never say no. That they don’t say yes either means that you as a writer keep hanging on forever. Recently I have asked for my script back from 7 different producers, some had the scripts for as long as 18 months. I had to be rude to some of them but I guess it is okay. All 7 scripts have come back to me in pristine quality. Almost as good as new. Proving once again that they had never been read.
10. Formatting doesn’t matter in the least bit. Recently I’ve had two Hollywood based producers send me stuff to rewrite that was all over the place in terms of formatting. Their concerns were mostly about the story and how it moved. The only format Nazis I’ve come across are mostly wannabe writers stuck in minor details.
11. All the “Vice Presidents” and "Head” film development in the business collectively cannot mount a film. I suspect they may not be able to even buy toilet paper for the office without a committee having to ratify their decision. This is a pretty awful indictment of the way this business is run. But anyone who is in the business will tell you that it is true. The minute you see a card that proclaims “VP” or “Head” it should be your cue to excuse yourself. It took me between 6 months to a year of dealing with half a dozen of such professional to figure this one out. Films are made by guys whose card reads “Producer” or “President” or “CEO” or “Chairman”. Everyone else in the development process is just pushing paper.
So what is the way forward? I don’t know, keep at it I guess. Keep going till you find that elusive breakthrough. But be aware that you could die trying.
Here are some of the observations. Most are true for Bollywood but I was surprised to find a lot of them were true for Hollywood as well.
1. Most producers are illiterate. This was served first up and was the most shocking truth. Many of the producers I have interacted with have no concept of reading a script. Nearly everyone I have met has asked me for a script. But these scripts have never been read. They are carried from shoot to shoot, from office to home and back to office in the morning. But none of the producers who have personally requested my scripts have got around to reading it.
2. Some of the producers have readers who read scripts and write comments/coverage. This is supposed to be the ‘pipeline’ that ensures a steady of quality scripts are processed upwards. However this is only in theory. Being illiterate the producers seldom read these comments. Scripts with glowing recommendations lie around waiting for the producer to say yes. This part is especially true for big studios where lame scripts are developed by hacks for delusional acting talent that’s on their payroll.
3. Most readers are wannabe writers. While they wait for their big chance they read and write coverage in order to survive. Nobody understands the frustrations of a script writer more than they do. Not only do their script go unread their coverage too is totally ignored.
4. The only way to get a producer to make a film out of a script is for him/her to ‘own’ it. The producer must believe that this is the one story that needs to be told and s/he must tell it. The story must connect at a very basic level. Either it works off the one page synopsis or it doesn’t get made at all.
5. Nobody has the time for great cinema. Most producers/production executives are happy with very basic level of scripts. Great writing means different things to different people. Producers don’t see writing in the same way as we do.
6. Above anything else the story you are pitching must have been done before. There should be a definite ‘model’ that the producer can identify with. So it is okay for a story to be a bit like ‘Godfather’. If the story is not like a successful film you are in deep trouble. A clear path to recovering the investment is necessary. Producers hate to get involved with scripts that need them to take a chance.
7. Most independent producers, even those with impressive credits, do not have access to movie stars. In the last 6 months I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “it is a good story and we would like to get into it, do you have a star?” Producers love nothing better than a ‘sealed deal’. If I were a drinking buddy of George Clooney I wouldn’t need to knock on producers doors. A small fact that they seem to miss.
8. Being a drinking buddy to a star gives you a much better chance of getting a film made than having the best crafted script in the world. Twice I have been told to ‘sell’ my script and let a moron director do the film. The moron director was doing joints with a major star while I was just typing a bunch of words on an old computer. That he didn’t have a script was the only stumbling block for him.
9. Bollywood special - Producers never say no. That they don’t say yes either means that you as a writer keep hanging on forever. Recently I have asked for my script back from 7 different producers, some had the scripts for as long as 18 months. I had to be rude to some of them but I guess it is okay. All 7 scripts have come back to me in pristine quality. Almost as good as new. Proving once again that they had never been read.
10. Formatting doesn’t matter in the least bit. Recently I’ve had two Hollywood based producers send me stuff to rewrite that was all over the place in terms of formatting. Their concerns were mostly about the story and how it moved. The only format Nazis I’ve come across are mostly wannabe writers stuck in minor details.
11. All the “Vice Presidents” and "Head” film development in the business collectively cannot mount a film. I suspect they may not be able to even buy toilet paper for the office without a committee having to ratify their decision. This is a pretty awful indictment of the way this business is run. But anyone who is in the business will tell you that it is true. The minute you see a card that proclaims “VP” or “Head” it should be your cue to excuse yourself. It took me between 6 months to a year of dealing with half a dozen of such professional to figure this one out. Films are made by guys whose card reads “Producer” or “President” or “CEO” or “Chairman”. Everyone else in the development process is just pushing paper.
So what is the way forward? I don’t know, keep at it I guess. Keep going till you find that elusive breakthrough. But be aware that you could die trying.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Colour by numbers
Babel it was last night. Overall not a bad film to watch even though it was a study in how a bad to mediocre script was saved by a good director.
I was very surprised at the clichéd characters and the resolutions to their issues that were served up by the writers. Check these out:
1. Mexican nanny – Fat, matronly and slightly stupid but with a heart of gold. I’ve seen the same nanny character in god knows how many other films.
2. Mexican nanny’s Mexican nephew – shady and in some kind of trouble. Where have I seen this before? I wonder if every young man of Mexican decent fits into this category as Hollywood would have us believe ….
3. Brad and Kate – can’t find the love they once had, but will find each other and overcome their loss after a life threatening incident.
4. American tourists - self centered. They couldn't care less about someone dying on the bus. They would rather worry about the air conditioning.
5. Moroccan tourist guide - poor but heart of gold.
6. Moroccan old woman- all wrinkled and poor but has the right cure for the pain, and of course a heart of gold.
7. Japanese teenager – disconnected, lonely and unloved.
8. Japanese father – having trouble connecting with his child and still mourning his wife’s death. Eventually father and daughter will find a connection. 9. American kids- in mortal peril but will pull through miraculously.
I was very surprised at the clichéd characters and the resolutions to their issues that were served up by the writers. Check these out:
1. Mexican nanny – Fat, matronly and slightly stupid but with a heart of gold. I’ve seen the same nanny character in god knows how many other films.
2. Mexican nanny’s Mexican nephew – shady and in some kind of trouble. Where have I seen this before? I wonder if every young man of Mexican decent fits into this category as Hollywood would have us believe ….
3. Brad and Kate – can’t find the love they once had, but will find each other and overcome their loss after a life threatening incident.
4. American tourists - self centered. They couldn't care less about someone dying on the bus. They would rather worry about the air conditioning.
5. Moroccan tourist guide - poor but heart of gold.
6. Moroccan old woman- all wrinkled and poor but has the right cure for the pain, and of course a heart of gold.
7. Japanese teenager – disconnected, lonely and unloved.
8. Japanese father – having trouble connecting with his child and still mourning his wife’s death. Eventually father and daughter will find a connection. 9. American kids- in mortal peril but will pull through miraculously.
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