Varadraj Swami, the write man!

Dashrath Manjhi, a poor labourer from Gehlaur village near Gaya, Bihar carved a 360 ft x 30 ft x 25 ft path deep through a hillock using only a hammer and a chisel for 22 long years only to shorten the travel between Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya from 55km to 15km. No easy feat, but to chronicle his life into a film is as difficult.

For though death brought glory to Manjhi labelling him the Mountain Man with The Bihar government proposing his name for Padmashree and the Films Division producing a documentary The Man Who Moved The Mountain, his life was scattered among the stories told and untold in the village where he spent 22 years striving to carve a path through a stubborn moment.

Hence, the real tribute was in August 2015 when writers-researchers Varadraj Swami and Shahzad Ahmad paved the way for Ketan Mehta-directed Manjhi: The Mountain man, a feature film starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Manjhi and Radhika Apte as Falguni Devi.

Excerpts from an interview with Varadraj Swami who, after penning The Mountain Man and his Cannes glory with The Endless, is now all set to direct his maiden feature film Gulmohur …

Tell us about Dashrath Manjhi…

Dashrath was an ordinary boy who ran away from home at a young age to work in the coal mines. He returned to marry Falguni Devi, the love of his life and when his wife wasn’t sent officially to his house with the bidaai, he walked up to the terrace of his in-laws and created a ruckus getting the whole village to listen to him. He had his way. Now that was Manjhi who would not let even a mountain come in his way.

What made Manjhi take up this task?

One day, Manjhi’s wife while crossing the Gehlaur hills to bring him lunch slipped, fell and later succumbed to her grievous injuries. Manjhi decided that he would carve a path and form a road to help his village. And he began his digging.

But it wasn’t easy…

Of course, it wasn’t. He was labelled a lunatic and was mocked for his efforts.

Did time change that?

Yes, Manjhi’s resolve found him support from villagers who helped him buy tools and gave him food. It was no easy task researching for the film. Our mission was successful as nine years after his death, a stamp was released by India Post with his name in the personalities of Bihar Series.

How was it researching for the film?

It was super strenuous and simply exciting. Ketan Ji gave us a four-pager and we knew that to translate this into a film, we had to be there at the place where Manjhi once lived. We had to blend among locals to get the real story. No one should ever know that we were researching for the film.

So how did you go about it?

We spent days in the village talking to the villagers and living amid them like nomads. But we got amazing insights into the life of an ordinary man who single-handedly accomplished an extraordinary feat while the world only stopped to mock him.

But you were on your own in no-man’s land, literally. Were there times when you simply wanted to run away?

We admit, there was no hotel within miles of the village. We had to depend on the hospitality of the villagers. Some opened their homes to us while others feared our intent. But we got anecdotes and incidents never known before. A lot of interesting stories came from Manjhi’s in-laws. The film was later shot in the real location that we captured.

Once the research was done, was it easy chronicling the life of Manjhi. He had a life full of drama from what you narrated…

See, when you hear something, it sounds exciting. But how do you chronicle the celluloid story of a man who only cut through stone for 22 years and his wife was dead? Will global audiences understand? Will urban audiences empathize? Do the villagers really care? So many questions, so many stories… To put together the incidents from the stories heard in a linear order and see a beautiful audio-visual story come to life was terribly difficult and hence, was exciting and exhilarating.

Did you ever revisit the place after scripting?

Yes, we did. As both Ketan ji and we felt the need to revisit to listen to, analyze and get into the mood of the film. We look for what we need and in the totality and we needed expressive people.

How is the situation there?

The people are very poor. But I am one of them by birth. I am a simpleton villager with a love for storytelling. I love to listen and tell tales. But I had no connect to come to Mumbai, forget being a part of the film industry.

How did you come to Mumbai then?

Well, my father wanted me to be doctor. I took the chance to go to Patna and ended up joining theatre. I could not get into NSD and so I went to Mandi in Himachal Pradesh to get into theatre. There, I found many people who wanted to come to Mumbai and we all came here.

Whom did you meet here?

I knew Tigmanshu Dhulia and Prakash Jha but I did not have the guts to meet Prakash Jha. So I joined Tigmanshu Dhulia in Charas as fourth assistant. Tigmanshu told me I should take up writing and so I went to Bhimsen ji to learn the art of writing.

How did Ketan Mehta happen?

I loved Sardar and Mirch Masala and was his ardent admirer. I used to often visit him and

In the time here, I made short films. The first was The Endless, a silent film. Someone suggested and I sent it to Cannes. It was selected and screened alongside Udaan, and won critical acclaim. Then, I made a few more short films. They won awards and acclaim.

Ketan ji knew about my journey and the fact that I belonged to the same area as Manjhi. I think he knew I was the right man for the job. And we set off on our mission. The rest is history. I also went on to be the Associate Director of the film.

What next?

Shahzad and I are penning a film on a freedom fighter. I am also directing a feature film called Gulmohur again penned by both of us. It is a beautiful film on a woman inspired by Hindi films that change her life. It is full of life and entertaining, a la Bollywood style. At the same time, it is deep-rooted and empowering.

Which kinds of films excite you?

I can never classify films into art or commercial category. Those barriers don’t exist. I simply want to make meaningful films.

Your advice to aspiring writer-researchers…

Google is updated by people who tell their own filtered or exaggerated stories. If you want to tell real tales, go get a firsthand experience. If I had not been there, I would not have got 42 hours of film footage. It was this trip to Manjhi’s village that gave us the impetus to tell the story as it was and shoot the film in the real locations. That gave it the desired impact. Even a case and piracy could not affect the success.  

Did the case and piracy stress you?

Yes, totally. Someone claimed rights to Manjhi’s story though it was public domain. Besides, we had permission from his family. And then the film got leaked ten days before release. Here we were in an auto and our auto driver is watching the pirated film. It wasn’t easy worrying whether people would go to theatre to see the film.

They did. Today, how does your family react to the should-have-been MBBS turned researcher-writer-director?

After Manjhi - The Mountain Man, my farmer family is our remote village in Bihar believe that I have finally arrived! And my father is waiting to know what I will be doing after 12 years of time pass and one success!

Cricket keeps youth away from vices Sohail Khan at TPL launch.

Dusshera is the day where good triumphs over evil. And what could be
more auspicious than to launch the Tony Premiere League (TPL), an
initiative by Daanish Hingora and Naren Moriani.


“TPL is an initiative where we, childhood friends from Bandra, come
together on the field to relive the good old days. I am not an underarm
cricketer but I am here with my friends” says Sohail Khan, the owner of
Mumbai Heroes, when he unveiled the TPL Trophy in the presence of
Daanish Hingora, Narein Moriani, Rahul Kanal and the team owners of TPL
at the players’ auction at Taj Land’s End, Bandra.


Add Daanish Hingora and Naren Moriani, Founders and Team Owners of
TPL, “Today in this era of mobile and computer games, cricket comes like
a breath of fresh air”.


Avers Rahul Kanal, Team Onwer, I Love Mumbai, and a pillar of
strength to TPL, “Cricket becomes a platform for us to unite people and
have fun on the field as well”.


Lauding Aaditya Thackeray’s move to have the exhibition match between
Yuva Mumbai and Mumbai Heroes on November 3 followed by the TPL
matches, Sohail Khan also seconds Daanish Hingora and Naren Moriani’s
opinion. “I completely agree with Daanish and Naren on their thought of
the need for cricket to precede over computer games. I am a father of
two children and I encourage my children to go out and play. Games keep
you away from vices. And Aaditya Thackeray with his move to promote
games among youth is doing just that. We are with him at every step and
as a youth icon, he inspires by example”. Interestingly, Tony Premiere
League (TPL), as the premiere underarm league of Mumbai that has set an
example for many to follow as well.


A brief  look at the teams. Founders and owners Naren Moriani and
Daanish Hingora bring to you the teams, Tony Gorilla (Naren Moriani),
Rayyan Rangers  (Daanish Hingora), I Love Mumbai  (Rahul Kanal), Ricky
Tigers  (Bobby Marwaha), Sach Indians  (Rohan Sachdeo), Team circus
(Chanakya Dhanda), Rama Tigers  (Deepak Moorjani), Dabang Boys  (Vinay),
Playboy  (Parag Sanghvi), Samat Lion’s  (Suraj Samat), Utsaav Jewel
(Ravi Pankaj Jagawat and Ravi Hinduja), Agicha Stallions  (Gaurav Agicha
and Sanjay Makhija), All Stars  (Zeeshan Siddiqui), Mumbai Dreamz
 (Wasib Peshimam), M II warriors  (Gurmeet Sonna and Kranti Shanbaug),
also the co-sponsors of the league.


The matches will also be live on tonypremiereleague youtube channel.

Vishwa Sahni’s Digits in the Digital Era art show inauguration at Artist Centre, Kala Ghoda

Musical genius Lesle Lewis inaugurated veteran artist Vishwa Sahni’s Digits in the Digital Era art show at Artist Centre, Kala Ghoda. Classical singer Soma Ghosh, singer Mudasir Ali, Sirf Kash, Sirf Sona, writer-director Anusha Srinivasan Iyer and artists like Prithvi Soni, Madhusudan Kumar, Kiran Chopra, Sonalli Iyengar, Vishnu Sonawane, Gautam Mukherjee among others graced the event.

Vishwa Sahni and Lesle Lewis at Vishwa Sahni's art show at Artists' Centre Gallery, Kala Ghoda

Veteran artist Vishwa Sahni used the humble ballpoint pen as his instrument, brings to the world a story that unfolds through hands and digits...love, faith, trust, compassion, togetherness and above it all humanity. Vishwa Sahni's hands don't just speak -- they scream with their silence. 

Madhusudan Kumar, Sonalli Iynegar, Gautam Mukherjee, Vishnu Sonawane, Mudasir Ali, Vishwa Sahni, Sirf Sona, Sirf Kash, Lesle Lewis, Soma Ghosh & Kiran Chopra at Vishwa Sahni's art show at Artists' Centre Gallery, Kala Ghoda

The unmissable exhibition of the unique ballpoint works by the veteran artist is on display at Artist’s Centre, Kala Ghoda from Oct 3-9.

Weight and watch this Vidhi Kasliwal film!

Vidhi Kasliwal, Sachin Kundalkar, Sai Tamhankar  and Priya Bapat

When Sachin Kundalkar came to producer Vidhi Kasliwal with a  Vazandaar concept, she was game. Only thing is she wanted the story to be set in a younger age bracket. The director agreed, and seeds of Vazandaar, the Marathi film were sown. Today, as Vazandaar is set for a Nov 11 release, producer Vidhi Kasliwal is elated.

“The idea was to keep the film as real as possible, with the actresses putting on and losing weight in real as well as reel life. I was worried that no top actresses would agree to it.  But Sachin was sure and rightly so!”  Both Sai Tamhankar  and Priya Bapat agreed instantly. “The only thing was that both the actresses loved the opposite roles. The actresses liked the other characters, and got cast in the role of their choice.”

Vazandaar is a simple story on how we should love ourselves and look beyond our body image because self image is bigger than body image. “You have to look beautiful to yourself and accept yourself as you are. This film is bigger than just a film,” elaborates Vidhi who feels that though the protagonists are women, the film has universal appeal.

“Self image or body image is gender-blind. Men have equally had issues with their body... either receding hairline or shoulders are not that broad or not tall enough... the list could go on” Kundalkar, avers Vidhi, understands women psyche really well. She cites the references of Aiyya and Happy Journey. “He is a very sensitive person, attuned to feelings. That makes a very big difference.”

Vazandaar is about the friendship of two girls who are from different backgrounds, and how both of them help each other out. Their weighty issue almost costs them their friendship. how, both the women work to restore the friendship and keep that bond and girl power alive, forms the crux of the story.

JAS Motion Pictures’ auspicious launch on Ganesh Chaturthi

Jeetu Shankar  at the launch of JAS Motion Pictures on Ganesh Chaturthi 

Jeetu Shankar at the launch of JAS Motion Pictures on Ganesh Chaturthi

Jeetu Shankar with Nasirr Khan at the launch of JAS Motion Pictures on Ganesh Chaturthi



Ganesh Chaturthi marked the logo launch of JAS Motion Pictures, an interesting venture to promote new talent alongside veterans. The brainchild of famous Tabla exponent Jeetu Shankar, Arvind Agarwal, Somji R Shastri, Marques Xavier, Manish Begrajka, Bhadra Kanaiya & Puneet Chopra, JAS Motion Pictures aims to promote new talent in music, acting and all creative aspects and also JAS Motion Pictures will be venturing into TV serials.

The logo launch was attended by veteran music-makers of the likes of Virendra Shankar Raju Shankar, Deepak Pandit, Ram Shankar, Pradeep Pandit, Sarangi Nawaz Sabir Khan, Sanjay Vidyarthi, Surinder Khan, Kertikeya Tiwari, singers Sujata Trivedi, Aishwarya Majmudar, Sukriti Kakkar and Prakriti Kakkar, actor Nasirr Khan, comedian Shakeel Siddiqui among others. Performances began to herald Lord Ganesha post the launch and went on till wee hours of the morning.

The first offering from JAS Motion Pictures will be with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on the vocals, set to tune by Piyush Shankar and Rishabh Shankar both of whom are young talented artists.

Post this, five films will be announced by Ravi Rai, Nasirr Khan, Shivam Nair and Marques Xavier. Albums by new singers will follow. Carnival Cinemas will also be a part of the venture.

OZVAGANZA MELBOURNE OFF TO A GREAT START

Sonalika Pradhan, Rajpal Yadav and Vishwajeet Pradhan at Ozvaganza Melbourne party at Magazine, Bandra

Vishwajeet Pradhan, Sohail Khan and Sonalika Pradhan

Chinagate Group's Magazine was abuzz with masti, music, mazaa and  Ozvaganza Melbourne, a  Meilleur Events presentation. The hoi polloi of Mumbai was naturally there with actor Vishwajeet and wife Sonalika Pradhan, their Australian associates Eshwar Lakhawat and Raj Chopra, Smita Thackeray, Sohail Khan, Rajpal Yadav, Ruhan Mahendra Kapoor, Krishna Tamang, Vinod Kambli, Rohit Verma, Asif Bhamla, Ram Kadam, Archana Kochhar, Alexx O’Nell, Lesle Lewis, Madhushree, Mudasir Ali, Kavitta Verma, Eijaz Khan, Brinda Parekh, DJ Beyond 120, Allwyn Rodrigues, Purva Rana, Rehan Shah, Priyanka Shah among others.

Ozvaganza Melbourne, the brainchild of Sonalika and Vishwajeet Pradhan, will see Preity Zinta, Abhay Deol, world-famous DJs , Brazilian dance troupe, singers and performers among others swaying to Bollywood beats in Melbourne. The event also spells the confluence of leading designers from India, Pakistan, UAE, Sri Lanka and Australia, and is in collaboration with Smita Thackeray’s Mukkti Foundation.

Says Vishwajeet Pradhan, “Ozvaganza Melbourne aims to bring together the best of South Asia and Australia, and strengthening the India-Australia intercultural relationship and our motto of empowering women.”

Adds Smita Thackeray, “We for India is the new social initiative started by my NGO, Mukkti Foundation. I believe that the only way to empower women is by developing their skill sets, making them financially independent and capable of standing on their feet, to walk tall in society and with their heads held high. For this endeavour, we are proud to associate with Ozvaganza Melbourne, to take our cause further.”

Ozvaganza is powered by 90bids Official Online Portal, Exhibit Official Tech Magazine and managed by 3^rd Rock Entertainment.

Umformung – The Transformation, winner at 19 global film fests

Saharsh Khaitan, Neha Kapoor, director Sudeep Rajan Sarkar, Sushil Bhosale, Bappi Lahiri, Parijat Chakraborty and producer Rita Jhawar at the Umformung poster and book launch event at Bora Bora

Not long ago, criminal psychologist-filmmaker Sudeep Ranjan Sarkar’s Hindi feature film Umformung – The Transformation made news when monks and sex workers came together under one roof at Kolkata to watch the film. Now, Mumbai witnessed a celeb-studded Poster Launch of the film that speaks of equality among all of God’s creations. Besides Director Sudeep Ranjan Sarkar and Producers Rita Jhawar and Saharsh Khaitan, music director Sanjib Sarkar, actors Sushil Bhosale, Neha Kapoor, Parijat Chakraborty, Yogesh Anand of Reincarnation India, present at the do at Bora Bora Club in Andheri West were chief guest Bappi Lahiri, and celebs Shaleen Bhanot, Mudasir Ali, Gaurav Chopra, Aamir Dalvi, K K Goswami, among others.

The story of intense dimensions, two parallel stories juxtaposed in one world Umformung – The Transformation is about a Buddhistmonk in search of the ultimate truth on one hand, and a ruthless entrepreneur who knows that power is the ultimate truth on the other.

Languid and unbiased, the film unfolds as Karma unfolds. The journey of the monk from the idyllic monastery set in the mountains to prostitutes at a city brothel and his movement into the path of self-actualisation, alongside the transformation of the builder when life comes half way to meet her on her path of self-destruction,  forms the crux of Umformung – The Transformation.

                               

And that is all that Dr. Sudeep Ranjan Sarkar set to achieve  along with social entrepreneurs Rita Jhawar and Saharsh Khaitan, when he made his maiden film based on Buddhist principles. Umformung – The Transformation, interestingly,  the film is the winner of Best Story – Indian Cine Film Festival, Best Background Score – Noida International Film Festival, Best Director and Best Background Music –10^th Free Spirit Festival, Merit for Newcomer Director – World Film Award, and Merit for International Film – World Film Award, Jakarta, Best Background Score – 5^th Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival,   Official Selection – 4th Washington DC South Asian Film Festival, Maverik Movie Awards, Khajuraho International Film Festival, Miami Independent Film Festival among others. Umformung – The Transformation is distributed by Yogesh Anand Reincarnation India.

Unfazed by the accolades and worldwide acclaim, Sarkar is humble.  “Umformung – The Transformation isn’t just a film for me. It is a marriage of poetry, philosophy of life and a painting of moving images,” confesses the director, adding that the diverseness of the audiences of  the screening was a simple way to illustrate the open arms of Gautam Buddha and his tenets.

“Guided by Senior Rimpoche from McLeodgunj, Himachal Pradesh from His Holiness Dalai Lama’s temple, the film looks at Buddhism as a way of life and how detachment is the ultimate truth. A sex worker in that sense is no different from any of us in the so called respectable society, and by her straightforwardness and honest approach to life, is actually an inspiration to a monk to find Nirvana!”

Now that is one concept we are looking forward to see on celluloid!