Bollywood squashes talent - That's something debutante director Sona Jain learnt the hard way, though she carried on and made her first film, For Real
Woman power seems to be elbowing its way into cinema. After directors Rajshree Ojha (Aisha) and Anusha Rizvi (Peepli [Live]), it's Sona Jain's turn to make a mark in the Hindi film industry. Donning multiple hats writer, director and producer Jain's directorial debut, For Real, released in theatres this week. It's the story of an urban Indian family seen from the eyes of a six year-old girl.
Bollywood squashes talent
Jain says it's far from easy being a newbie, and a woman, in the industry, even if you have impressive film school credentials. Jain's journey has been an arduous one and what distinguishes her from the rest of the pack is that she made an entry without a large production house backing her. She hadn't planned to produce the film. "I spoke to producers. Everyone complains about the standard of writing in Bollywood, everyone complains that scripts kitni ghatiya hai. But these very guys shy away from giving a chance to good scriptwriters. Every producer that I went to, said, 'Yeh ladki (yours truly) bahut achcha likhti hai. Yeh DVD lo, aur copy kar ke humein de do'."
Jain has some pretty strong views about borrowed cinema. "I hate the phrase 'inspired cinema'. Don't copy other people's work; they have done it better already. It gets my goat when producers hand you Western DVDs to imitate." Firmly holding her own, the young filmmaker who has trained at New York University (home to filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and M Night Shyamalan) says a note she has pasted on her wall is her dose of inspiration. It reads 'Jump and the net shall appear'.
Not the one to mince words, Jain is candid about her views on Bollywood. "Talent is squashed, right at the inception stage. You just have to be brave enough, step out and say, 'I am doing this'. And not take no for an answer."
Jain made For Real with gritty determination. "It was challenging because I was writing, directing and producing. But I am a worker bee."
For Real features Sarita Chaudhury (of Mississippi Masala and Kama Sutra fame) and has music by tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. It has made a mark in several international film festivals, gathering appreciation from filmmakers Sudhir Mishra, Mira Nair and Vishal Bhardwaj. "It's a beautiful film. When I watched it, I asked Sona if she was married. She is not, and yet, she has managed to capture fine details of a man-woman relationship. That's amazing," says Bharadwaj.
Currently shuttling between Delhi and Mumbai, Jain is excited at the idea of working with mainstream Bollywood actors for her upcoming projects. What's decided though is that she will do it "only as long as I get to tell the story that I am committed to." ( mid-day.com )
Woman power seems to be elbowing its way into cinema. After directors Rajshree Ojha (Aisha) and Anusha Rizvi (Peepli [Live]), it's Sona Jain's turn to make a mark in the Hindi film industry. Donning multiple hats writer, director and producer Jain's directorial debut, For Real, released in theatres this week. It's the story of an urban Indian family seen from the eyes of a six year-old girl.
Bollywood squashes talent
Jain says it's far from easy being a newbie, and a woman, in the industry, even if you have impressive film school credentials. Jain's journey has been an arduous one and what distinguishes her from the rest of the pack is that she made an entry without a large production house backing her. She hadn't planned to produce the film. "I spoke to producers. Everyone complains about the standard of writing in Bollywood, everyone complains that scripts kitni ghatiya hai. But these very guys shy away from giving a chance to good scriptwriters. Every producer that I went to, said, 'Yeh ladki (yours truly) bahut achcha likhti hai. Yeh DVD lo, aur copy kar ke humein de do'."
Jain has some pretty strong views about borrowed cinema. "I hate the phrase 'inspired cinema'. Don't copy other people's work; they have done it better already. It gets my goat when producers hand you Western DVDs to imitate." Firmly holding her own, the young filmmaker who has trained at New York University (home to filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and M Night Shyamalan) says a note she has pasted on her wall is her dose of inspiration. It reads 'Jump and the net shall appear'.
Not the one to mince words, Jain is candid about her views on Bollywood. "Talent is squashed, right at the inception stage. You just have to be brave enough, step out and say, 'I am doing this'. And not take no for an answer."
Jain made For Real with gritty determination. "It was challenging because I was writing, directing and producing. But I am a worker bee."
For Real features Sarita Chaudhury (of Mississippi Masala and Kama Sutra fame) and has music by tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. It has made a mark in several international film festivals, gathering appreciation from filmmakers Sudhir Mishra, Mira Nair and Vishal Bhardwaj. "It's a beautiful film. When I watched it, I asked Sona if she was married. She is not, and yet, she has managed to capture fine details of a man-woman relationship. That's amazing," says Bharadwaj.
Currently shuttling between Delhi and Mumbai, Jain is excited at the idea of working with mainstream Bollywood actors for her upcoming projects. What's decided though is that she will do it "only as long as I get to tell the story that I am committed to." ( mid-day.com )
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