hollywood calling
talk|29 nov 2012|talkmag.in
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FUN SAILING (Clockwise from right) Ahan Andre Kamat with director Ang Lee, Abbas Khaleeli and Vibish Sivakumar
Three Bangalore boys featured in Life of Pi, one of the most anticipated Hollywood films of the year, share their excitement with Talk
Afloat on a dream boat MARIA LAVEENA maria.laveena@talkmag.in
s you read this, there are three kids in Bangalore who are physically present here, but in their minds are on a small lifeboat with a young boy, a Bengal tiger, a spotted hyena, an injured zebra, and an orangutan. When Life of Pi was screened at city cinemas this
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Friday, it marked the international debut of three Bangalore boys: Vibish Sivakumar, Abbas Khaleeli and Ahan Andre Kamat. Vibish plays the role of Ravi Patel, the older brother of the protagonist Pi, the boy stuck on the boat with the animals. He can barely hide his excitement. This telecom engineering student from RV College of Engineering told Talk, “I loved every minute of the shooting in Taiwan... it was an incredible experience. Because of the shoot, I missed my semester exams, but I never bothered. Not everybody gets a chance to work with a phenomenal director like Ang Lee.” Vibish had to go through four levels of auditions in the nationwide search for actors, before he was selected for the role. In fact, the opportunity has helped Vibish make up his mind about the future. He wants nothing to do with engineering and wants to focus completely on in an acting career. Vibish, who shared screen space with acclaimed Indian actors like Tabu and Irrfan Khan, cheerfully says, “Tabu is a very good friend of mine. More than that, she used to teach me how to act. I got to learn a lot just by observing her.” Acting in a Hollywood film has its perks, but friends idolising him isn’t one of them. Vibish says, “My friends are happy and proud of me, but the way they see me hasn’t changed. I still receive the same treatment,” he explains. Abbas Khaleeli, who plays the role of the younger ‘Ravi Patel,’ says
he made it to the movie quite by watch of his grandmother throughchance. “I went for the preliminary out the shoot, says, “Shooting was auditions at my school just to bunk really tiring as it used to go on from my chemistry class. I never had an early morning to late evening. But, it idea I would come this far, but my was still a good experience.” parents were confident as I excelled Ahan took 15 days off from his at school plays,” he says. Describing school, but says he did not face any the shoot, which he calls an “amazing problems because his teachers were experience,’ he says, “I spent about supportive. one month at Taiwan and Munnar. The young celebrity also says With a big director like Ang Lee men- that he is not really enjoying all the toring me every secattention he is getond of the shoot, it ting at school. “My Abbas says he was really beyond school had arranged any price.” a congratulatory went for the Abbas, a 11th ceremony for me auditions just to and Abbas during standard student at bunk his class the morning assemSt Joseph’s Boy’s bly. That’s how High School, was lucky to catch the film’s premiere at everybody came to know about our the opening ceremony of the 43rd roles in the film. Now, all my friends International Film Festival of India in are pestering me to get them free Goa. He complains that the arrange- tickets for the premiere. But when I ments at the premiere weren’t up to didn’t get one, how am I going to get mark, but it was a great experience to tickets for them?,” asks a mildly watch himself on screen for the first annoyed Ahan. He said he would be time. His parents said he was always watching the movie on Saturday, a play-acting in front of them. “It didn’t holiday. When Talk asked Vibhish if he make a great difference when they saw me on screen,” he says, laughing. thought Life of Pi would make it big Interestingly, the youngest of like Slumdog Millionaire and win the lot, 13-year-old Ahan sounds Oscars, he responded like a seasoned more at ease when it comes to talking celebrity used to warding off irksome about his ‘stardom.’ Ironically, Ahan, a comparisons put forth by the media. seventh standard student of St “I have watched both movies. Joseph’s, acts as a school bully who Slumdog didn’t have much anticipatorments Pi in the early scenes. “My tion before its release, so it was a surshoot was at Pondicherry and I was prise when it swept the awards. But, feeling very nervous, so I had to do all Life of Pi has certain expectations and my scenes over and over again,” he the 3D effects used in the movie are the best. I am sure it will do really says. Young Ahan, who was under the well.”