The BUZZ

MEANWHILE, IN BANGLADESH….

Indian actor Irrfan Khan-starrer Doob - No Bed of Roses , which was once banned in Bangladesh, has been chosen as the country’s official entry for the Academy Awards 2019.

Doob stars Irrfan - also its coproducer - as a successful filmmaker facing a midlife crisis when he has a tryst with his daughter’s childhood friend, causing a national scandal.

SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT BACK ‘VILLAGE ROCKSTARS’ IN OSCAR RACE?

Noted Assamese actor Adil Hussain has urged the government to release Rs 5 crore for the promotion of Rima Das’ Assamese film Village Rockstars ahead of the Oscars, where it will represent India in the Best Foreign Language film category.

The Film Federation of India (FFI) made the announcement of the selection of the film for the Oscars recently. But its selection committee chairman S.V. Rajendra Singh Babu, a veteran film producer, said there is an acute lack of funds to carry out the required promotional processes effectively, which is why many Indian movies haven’t made it to the final round, barring three, Mother India (1957), Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Lagaan (2001).

Adil said he was “flummoxed” by the statement and took to Twitter to blast the government.

“After selecting ‘Village Rockstars’, jury says there’s acute lack of funds to promote film at Oscars,” tweeted the actor, who starred in the 2017 Norwegian film What Will People Say which went on to become Norway’s official entry to the Oscars this year.

Adil drew the attention of the Assam government, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, his office and of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to the matter, hoping they “will immediately release Rs 5 crore for the promotion of Village Rockstars, since all other countries have already started their campaigns in the US”.

As Rajendra Singh Babu rightly pointed out, “It is impossible for independent and small producers to promote their film all by themselves. It is important that they receive funds to do so. It is important we follow these processes to reach all the Academy members and critics.”

Adil’s tweets got much reaction.

Actor Annup Sonii expressed disappointment, and wrote: “For the smallest achievement they have big funds but for this... ‘Acute lack of funds’. Eventually it will come down to the filmmaker asking for favours or donations... Sad... Very sad.”

Actress Renuka Shahane questioned: “Why don’t we from the film fraternity join hands and create a fundraiser for our Oscar entry? Let’s not depend on the government. It is important that we support this gem of a film onwards to the Oscars.”

When a Twitter user pointed out that “filthy rich, big stars and producers” from the industry “can afford your Oscar thingy”, Renuka retorted: “What do you mean ‘Our Oscar thingy’? It should be a matter of pride for the entire country that a young girl with no background or training in filmmaking makes an incredible film like ‘Village Rockstars’ that compels the jury to select it for the Oscars. Let’s not be myopic.”

But other users commented that the taxpayers’ money should not be used for Oscars.

“Is it some kind of national service? Why should we care about an American award? Why can’t the film industry fund these expenses?” the user questioned.

To which, Adil wrote: “Government can use taxpayers’ money to promote India’s image as a supporter of high quality art.

That’s what all civilised governments do! ‘Village Rockstars’ is an independent film. It’s not a mainstream run-of-the-mill film.

Set in Das’ own village of Chhaygaon in Assam, Village Rockstars is the story of “poor but amazing children” who live a fun-filled life.

The film won the Best Feature film Award at the 65th National Film Awards.

As for Das, she is hoping for the best as far as funds are concerned to put her film on the Oscars map.

“Village Rockstars is a film about dreams and hope. It has transcended so many barriers right from the time of its inception and I am hopeful that this time too, it will.”

Here’s hoping the Village Rockstars get their chance to be rockstars at the global village stage.

The India-Bangladesh bilingual co-production, written and directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, features Rokeya Prachi as Irrfan’s wife, while Nusrat Imrose Tisha plays the daughter and Indian actress Parno Mittra plays her childhood friend.

In a statement about the film, Farooki had said he took inspiration from a real-life incident “which shook the very foundation of Bangladesh’s judgmental Muslim society” and “how women struggle in our society and find strength in despair”.

The film walked on a path full of thorns as it was banned in Bangladesh on the grounds that it might be based on revered real-life author and filmmaker Ahmed, who divorced his wife of 27 years and married an actress 33 years his junior.

The ban was eventually lifted and the film released in October 2017 in Bangladesh, France, India and Australia.

Irrfan, who is currently undergoing treatment for neuroendocrine tumour in London, is thrilled that the Bangladesh Oscar Committee has chosen Doob to represent the country at the Academy Awards.

Bangladesh has yet to secure an Oscar nomination, though it has been sending entries to the foreignlanguage category since 2002.

The 91st Academy Awards will be held on 24 Feb, 2019.

On The Tanushree Dutta Saga

It was bound to happen.

Tanushree Dutta may have opened a floodgate with her sexual harassment allegations against veteran actor Nana Patekar.

Only weeks ago in Melbourne, actor Richa Chadha had told Indian Link’s Preeti Jabbal on the sidelines of the IFFM, that the Indian industry is rife for its own version of #MeToo.

Today she is one of the many newgeneration film professionals who has come out in strong support of Tanushree as her story of harassment and intimidation - not to mention pushing out of the industry - comes to the fore more and more clearly.

A gamut of stars like Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, Hansal Mehta, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vir Das, Swara Bhaskar and Anurag Kashyap have spoken out strongly in support of the Dutta, a former beauty queen: they’ve called for people to listen to her story and not judge her, as well as the need for others to come out about their own experiences.

Old-timers and the more established stars have chosen to remain silent, sadly even when pointedly asked. (We’re looking at you, Mr Big Amitabh Bachchan, at your lame, pussy-footed reply to media).

The social media backlash has been strong, and this class of ‘privileged’ Bollywood-wallahs seems now to have learned some lessons. Everyone one must be taking instruction on how to answer that inevitable question from the press this past week: what do you think of the Tanushree Dutta allegations?

Current favourite Varun Dhawan for instance, passed muster when he made an inane comment about “safe work places for everybody” or some such. Old-timer Asha Bhosle gave a long-winded answer about how important it is for women to talk about issues that affect them, and listed everything she has done for women’s upliftment.

Blah blah, you guys. How about: I am shocked to hear this, I hope the perpetrator is brought to book, I’d like to see Tanushree get closure, this kind of abuse is rampant, let’s clean up our industry.

Tanushree had first raised the allegation against the actor in 2008. She brought the spotlight once again on her unpleasant experience of working with Nana during the shooting of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss , in a recent interview. Eye witness reports have confirmed the story. The allegations were followed up by the release of a video in which her car was attacked.

Nana, 67, denies all allegations.

“What can I do about what one says? You tell me. What does it mean by sexual harassment.” Sounds very much like he does not know what acceptable behaviour is.

RIP, KALPANA LAJMI

Filmmaker and screenwriter Kalpana

Lajmi, niece of the legendary Guru Dutt and acclaimed for making women-oriented films like Rudaali, Ek Pal, Daman and Chingaari , died in Mumbai on 24 Sept following a multiple organ failure. She was 64.

Lajmi breathed her last at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital, where she was admitted in the intensive care unit six days before due to kidney-related issues.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal paid condolences, as did a slew of well-known names like Hansal Mehta, Nandita Das, Soni Razdan and Raveena Tandon from the film industry.

“Sorry to hear of the passing of Kalpana Lajmi, a filmmaker of rare sensitivity. The repertoire of her work, from depicting strong and resilient women to cinematic renditions of Assamese life, was remarkable. Condolences to her family and wellwishers,” read a post from the official President of India Twitter handle.

Her contribution to Indian cinema will be remembered forever, said Sonowal.

Lajmi had been undergoing dialysis for a couple of years, and true to her indomitable spirit, had said in an interview last year, “My kidneys have failed, but I haven’t.”

She had forayed into filmdom as an assistant director under renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal, following which she made her directorial debut with a documentary film D.G. Movie Pioneer based on Bengali filmmaker Dhiren Ganguly in 1978.

Her feature film debut came with Ek Pal . She also directed the TV serial Lohit Kinaare (1988) for Doordarshan and 26 episodes of a serial Dawn , on the freedom movement of India.

Lajmi’s last film as a director was Chingaari , based on the novel The Prostitute and the Postman by the late Bhupen Hazarika, her long-time companion.

She also penned a book, Bhupen Hazarika: As I Knew Him . It was launched on 8 September by Benegal and Lajmi’s mother, painter Lalita Lajmi.

The filmmaker, who was hospitalised at that time too, could not attend the event as her doctors had refused to allow her a long commute.

Known for fearless filmmaking with women in strong roles, Lajmi’s 1993 Dimple Kapadia-starrer Rudaali was even chosen as India’s official entry to the 66th Academy Awards.

KRISHNA RAJ KAPOOR: BOLLYWOOD’S ‘FIRST LADY’

Krishna Kapoor, the widow of the legendary Bollywood actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor, died on 1 Oct at the age of 87, bringing an end to the second generation of the influential clan.

A gamut of film fraternity celebrities mourned her demise, and remembered her as the pillar of the Kapoor family, and as someone who personified grace, dignity and affection.

Krishna, who married Raj Kapoor in May 1946, is survived by her sons Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Rajiv Kapoor, and daughters Ritu Nanda and Rima Kapoor-Jain.

“She died peacefully,” Randhir said in a statement.

Mrs Kapoor was due to attend on 2 Oct the inauguration of Raj Kapoor’s dream project - the planet’s biggest pillar-less dome in Pune on a property formerly owned by the late actor-filmmaker, which she sold to Vishwanath Karad. But fate willed otherwise.

Krishna was the sister of the legendary villain, the late Prem Nath, and comedian Rajendra Nath. Their brother-in-law is the other Bollywood baddie, Prem Chopra. She is known to have conducted herself with great dignity when Raj Kapoor had an affair with Nargis, but she put her foot down and moved out of the house when her husband got inclined towards Vyjayanthimala, Rishi Kapoor had shared in his book.

“He did all he could to woo her back, but my mother wouldn’t give in until he had ended that chapter of his life,” Rishi wrote.

In the industry, Krishna commanded a lot of respect, and that was visible as a string of celebrities turned up to pay their last respects.

Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani, Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Kajol, Ajay Devgn, Saif Ali Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kemmu, Alia Bhatt, Rani Mukerji, Ayan Mukerji, Anil Kapoor and Salma Khan were among those who were present.