slumdogmillionairereview.com

Take your pick from Genda Phool, Dil Gira Dafatan from Dilli 6, Tu hi Rab Ki Tarah, Aashiqui Aashiqui from the Mithoon album Tuhi Mere Rab Ki Tarah Hai, Teinu Le, Agre Ka Ghagra from Jai Veeru, Khudaya Khair, Jaun Kahan  from Billu Barber, Dhoondte Reh Jaogae, Salma-O-Salma from Dhoondte Reh Jaogae, Aaloo Chaat from Aloo Chaat, Oâ?¦ Saaya from Slumdog Millionaire,  Duniya, Pardesi and Emosanal Atyachar from Dev Dâ?¦ Now thatâ??s what we call real varietyâ?¦

Yours not to think, but to head for the nearest store. And take your pick of the best numbers that come together in the Sound of Bollywood â?? 2.

T Series comes out with the best of the latest Bollywood music yet again. This time with a compilation of the best numbers. Titled Sound of Bollywood â?? 2: Emosanal Atyachar, the numbers are exciting spanning across genres movies and albums. But in a sentence, it is the best of what is in Bollywood today.

Take your pick from Genda Phool, Dil Gira Dafatan from Dilli 6, Tu hi Rab Ki Tarah, Aashiqui Aashiqui from the Mithoon album Tuhi Mere Rab Ki Tarah Hai, Teinu Le, Agre Ka Ghagra from Jai Veeru, Khudaya Khair, Jaun Kahan  from Billu Barber, Dhoondte Reh Jaogae, Salma-O-Salma from Dhoondte Reh Jaogae, Aaloo Chaat from Aloo Chaat, Oâ?¦ Saaya from Slumdog Millionaire,  Duniya, Pardesi and Emosanal Atyachar from Dev Dâ?¦ Now thatâ??s what we call real varietyâ?¦

Yours not to think, but to head for the nearest store. And take your pick of the best numbers that come together in the Sound of Bollywood â?? 2.

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Lately Mumbai has been a lot in the news, be it fluctuating stock market, clash between business tycoons, terrorist attacks on the most prestigious property, change of government and last but not the least the most talked about slum area, which has gained lot of attention after the popularity of â??Slumdog Millionaireâ? movie.

Slumdog Millionaire needs no introduction, as the movie and its cast have gained international fame, by winning the most prestigious award The Oscars. While the stars of the movie are enjoying their visit to other countries, here back in India a lot of interest is growing amongst the national and international traveler to visit the slum areas of Mumbai.

Mumbai tour though has always been on the top priority of inbound tourists, but now there is a new addition in the itinerary and it is the slum tour. The movie has raised many question, as is this what the real India is? Is slum the only interesting part left in India? The answer may be no but on second thought, Mumbai tour gives boast to the city which does not really look after the slum area. Now the revenue generated from the slum tour can be invested in the upliftment of the people living there. These tour would also help in people to understand the lives of the poor. How they manage their big families in small income. It is very interesting to see how they accommodate themselves in such small houses. Moreover it would break the barrier between the rich and the poor.

The impact of the movie is such that it has apparently given a lot of business to the tour operator as well as to the hotels in Mumbai. There is also a rise in the online queries regarding the Mumbai slum tour. Dharavi- the biggest slum of Asia, needs no introduction too, as Slumdog Millionaire is based out of this area only. Dharavi has a long list of esteemed visitors, two of which are – Prince Charles and Bill Clinton. Those living near the slum area agree to the fact that now there is a new way to look at the slum. Though there are lot of problems but at the same there comes a lot of help from these areas, as one easily get daily workers, maids to look after the house as well as children. With the rising working population, there has been a rise in the demand for the household maids, and these slums are indeed to look forward to that. At the same time, for the people living in these slums, nearby middle class population is the source of income. Women especially get jobs easily in the nearby residential areas. Dharavi is also the center of the small scale industries, with people starting their own business from home. Every member of the family, joins in to promote the home business and therefore it boast a lot of self employment.

Before the movie, Mumbai Hotels located near the slum area might have faced location problem. But now guess they are the most happy ones, benefiting from the tourists interest to live near these areas. Mumbai tourism itself want people to visit the slum areas, to generate revenue for the people of slum and also to bring two different class and society to come together, to increase the understanding and to look forward to personal aid from them. Earlier visiting India and not visiting Mumbai would have left the trip incomplete and now visiting India and not visiting the slum of Dharavi- Mumbai, would be like missing the real flavor of the city.

Lately Mumbai has been a lot in the news, be it fluctuating stock market, clash between business tycoons, terrorist attacks on the most prestigious property, change of government and last but not the least the most talked about slum area, which has gained lot of attention after the popularity of  â??Slumdog Millionaireâ? movie. Slumdog Millionaire needs no introduction, as the movie and its cast have gained international fame, by winning the most prestigious award The Oscars. While the stars of the movie are enjoying their visit to other countries, here back in India a lot of interest is growing amongst the national and international traveler to visit the slum areas of Mumbai.Mumbai tour though has always been on the top priority of inbound tourists, but now there is a new addition in the itinerary and it is the slum tour. The movie has raised many question, as is this what the real India is? Is slum the only interesting part left in India? The answer may be no but on second thought, Mumbai tour gives boast to the city which does not really look after the slum area. Now the revenue generated from the slum tour can be invested in the upliftment of the people living there. These tour would also help in people to understand the lives of the poor. How they manage their big families in small income. It is very interesting to see how they accommodate themselves in such small houses.  Moreover it would break the barrier between the rich and the poor. The impact of the movie is such that it has apparently given a lot of business to the tour operator as well as to the hotels in Mumbai. There is also a rise in the online queries regarding the Mumbai slum tour. Dharavi- the biggest slum of Asia, needs no introduction too, as Slumdog Millionaire is based out of this area only. Dharavi has a long list of esteemed visitors, two of which are -  Prince Charles and Bill Clinton. Those living near the slum area agree to the fact that now there is a new way to look at the slum. Though there are lot of problems but at the same there comes a lot of help from these areas, as one easily get daily workers, maids to look after the house as well as children. With the rising working population, there has been a rise in the demand for the household maids, and these slums are indeed to look forward to that. At the same time, for the people living in these slums, nearby middle class population is the source of income. Women especially get jobs easily in the nearby residential areas. Dharavi is also the center of the small scale industries, with people starting their own business from home. Every member of the family, joins in to promote the home business and therefore it boast a lot of self employment. Before the movie, Mumbai hotels located near the slum area might have faced location problem. But now guess they are the most happy ones, benefiting from the tourists interest to live near these areas. Mumbai tourism itself want people to visit the slum areas, to generate revenue for the people of slum and also to bring two different class and society to come together, to increase the understanding and to look forward to personal aid from them. Earlier visiting India and not visiting Mumbai would have left the trip incomplete and now visiting India and not visiting the slum of Dharavi- Mumbai, would be like missing the real flavor of the city.

As declared by the United Nations Convention on the Right of the Child, every child has the right to live in safety and security. Yet hundreds of thousands around the globe suffer the long term effects of child abuse. It is a problem very few organizations are prepared to face.

Child beating parents are bad news at any time, but there are incidents where even children who have become stars, are beaten, in what would seem to be a continuing cycle of abuse.

Mohammed Ismail kicked and hit his ten-year-old son Azharuddin, witnessed by horrified neighbours and passers-by. Slumdog Millionaire star cried for his father to stop, as he tried to cower in a corner.

Azharuddin had just flown back from Los Angeles where the film had been awarded eight Oscars. After the long flight, Asharuddin had been given a rest day off school, but his father wanted to show him off to the neighbourhood. The ugly scene was in total contrast to the day before, when on Azharuddin’s jubilant  return to the slums, his father hoisted him up and paraded him around like some well earned trophy.

Ismail, who suffers from tuberculosis, apologized for the attack several hours later.

The tennis champion who has won five WTA Tour titles, Jelena Dokic and reached a career-high by ranking fourth in 2002, recently spoke out in an interview, about how her father would regularly beat her during tennis tournaments.

Jelena fled from her family in 2002, in order to evade the brutality. However, the years following the break up were filled with mental turmoil and severe depression. Jelena has struggled with her form and injuries and is currently ranked number 74 in the world, but is fighting her way back.

When questioned about the incidents, Damir Dokic said, “A child, if they show that they are talented in something, should never be left alone. They should always be forced, I think even pushed into it. There are no limits”. Damir Dokic claimed the 2001 Open draw was rigged and threatened to pull Jelena out of the Australian Olympic Team. He was thrown out from the US Open in 2000 for abusing staff about the cost of a salmon lunch. Dokic also hugged the headlines when he destroyed the mobile phone belonging to a journalist, during Wimbledon. In 1999 he was banished from a tournament after calling match officials ‘Nazis’. He was later arrested after going into the street outside the arena, blocking traffic and jumping on the hood of a parked vehicle.

Damir Dokic, who is renowned for his unpredictable behavior was recently arrested and detained in Serbia for supposedly threatening to fire a rocket at the Australian ambassador’s car in Belgrade, as vengeance for Jelena returning to Australia. Dokic says he is considering kidnapping his estranged daughter.

When Dokic’s home in Fruska Gora was searched it revealed two illegal bombs, plus seven licensed hunting rifles and a Beretta handgun.

Dokic was incensed over the interview his daughter gave, saying he had beaten her. Dokic wants to sell his farm, where he runs a brandy-making business and create a tennis centre, where he will coach would-be tennis stars. Dokic was once a boxer. He was given the nickname of ‘Mad Dad’.

Winning eight Academy Awards, Slumdog Millionaire is amazing. It comes to DVD on June 1st and tells a story about three orphans from the slums of Mumbai whose parents were killed for being Muslim. The movie starts in Mumbai with Jamal Malik who is played by actor Dev Patel being tortured by a policeman while he is being interrogated. After being picked to be on their verzion of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, he ends up surpassing everyones expectations. The producers get suspicious when he answers correctly, especially after the host tries to trick him into answering wrong. This movie takes you through the game show and also flashes of his life in the slums to tell his story. The game show is his way of getting the attention of his love interest that was left behind after they were wrapped up with a gangster in a bad crowd. The movie focuses on the game show and the boys trying to find her and rescue her. Besides this film, the actors of Slumdog Millionaire are pretty much unknown. After this movie though, they are likely to be remembered. In addition to the film, the DVD includes deleted scenes, a short film called Manhja, two making-of vignettes, and commentary with Patel and the director, Danny Boyle.Slumdog Millionaire is a great movie that portrays three children who were orphaned after the killing of their families for being Muslim. If you are looking for the Slumdog Millionaire DVD CDwow is a great spot to look.

“It was an inspired idea by Vikas Swarup to write Q & A…A broad and sympathetic humanity underpins the whole book.” This was the acknowledgement from The Sunday Telegraph, London on Vikas Swarupâ??s debuting novel, Slumdog Millionaire. Before the release of its movie version, neither Vikas Swarup nor his so-called spectacular debut novel was popular among readers. Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy have together pictured and presented the movie in spectacular manner and have made the movie a great success in 2008. After winning 8 Academy awards from all total 11 nominations, Slumdog Millionaire is an international box office super hit.

After an excellent premiere in China, Slumdog Millionaire returned to the top of the foreign box office over the weekend, posting $12 million from 50 markets. In China, Slumdog Millionaire has started with a staggering opening of $2.93 million and the debut in China was the movie’s most notable performance, ranking as the biggest launch in the past ten years for a non-Chinese or non-American movie. How someone would describe the success of Slumdog Millionaire: as Danny Boyleâ??s thoughtful direction or as Vikas Swarupâ??s realistic depiction of poor, downtrodden ladâ??s struggle and success? Whatever may be the reason both Danny and Swarup are genius and the success of the movie scripts the real exploration and amalgamation of both of these two.

Here follows a detailed overview of Slumdog Millionairen (Courtesy: IMDb)

User Rating: 8.5/10 (123,020 votes)

Directors:              Danny Boyle

Loveleen Tandan (co-director: India)

Writers:                 Simon Beaufoy (screenplay) and

Vikas Swarup (novel)

Release Date:     23 January 2009 (USA) more

Genre:                   Crime | Drama | Romance more

Tagline:                  Love and money… You have mixed them both.

Plot:                        A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants To Be  A Millionaire?” He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers.

Awards:                 Won 8 Oscars. Another 87 wins & 33 nominations more

Cast                         (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jamal K. Malik (Dev Patel)

Prem Kumar (Anil Kapoor)

Sergeant Srinivas (Saurabh Shukla)

Director (Rajendranath Zutshi)

Vision Mixer (Jeneva Talwar)

Latika (Freida Pinto)

Police Inspector (Irrfan Khan)

Youngest Salim (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail)

Youngest Jamal (Ayush Mahesh Khedekar)

Mr Chi (Sunil Kumar Agrawal)

Airport Security Guard #1 (Jira Banjara)

Airport Security Guard #2 (Sheikh Wali)

Javed (Mahesh Manjrekar)

Jamal’s Mother (Sanchita Choudhary)

Mr Nanda (Himanshu Tyagi)

Click Slumdug Millionaire for more information.

A lot of people who haven’t even used the product are saying that the Slumdog Emillionaire is a Scam. This has caused a lot of people to be weary about purchasing the product and potentially using it to better their lives. Like the saying goes, it takes one negative comment to ruin ten positive ones, so here’s about 11 good comments to change that. The question I present here, is why do you think the Slumdog Emillionaire is a Scam? Because it just happens to be in an industry that has so many different products released daily that it really is hard to track which is good and which is not? Understandable. To call Slumdog Emillionaire a Scam is a little harsh though. With the 15 modules, unique traffic generation content, and variety of learning tools, the only scam this product could present is if you let it sit on your computer and do nothing with it. We all know someone who has bought a ton of ebooks, the latest system, and continues to jump from one thing to another looking for the next best thing. Sadly, this person won’t succeed, ever. It’s the person who continues at it and works and works and works. If you are persistent, if you put a little time into the program every day, you WILL see results. I can honestly say the Slumdog Emillionaire Scam notions are false; it’s more like an excuse or finger pointing.

Do you really think the perfect system with a minor tweak is what separates the Gurus from the failed Internet Marketers? Or is it your drive to succeed? This product can give you all the tools you need to start with very low-risk, there is no investment beyond the product, the traffic sources are FREE people. F R E E. So you really can’t go wrong, especially when you factor in the great 8 week guarantee.

Really ask yourself what is holding you back from taking consistent action on a single method until you see results and master it? Experts get paid more, Professionals all focus on ONE thing and continue to improve, what is your excuse for waiting?

If Slumdog Millionaire was a huge surprise for the world of Oscars, Freida Pinto, the main actress in the super hit movie, has been the most surprising find of the movie. Born October 18, 1984 is one of the hottest up-coming Indian actresses in circuits. Though she is best known for her performance in her debut film Slumdog Millionaire, she has modeled for about four years now. Freida is this sultry, not-so-white, not-so-dark, tall, slim, and gorgeous girl that comes across as a very homely next-door gal in Slumdog.

The 24-year-old simple â??Latikaâ? (her character in Slumdog) waves her magic in several costly ads in India â?? but it is her movie scene that seems to have wielded wonders. This Cinderella girl portrays a slum dwelling citizen who is treated very badly by world as she grows up only to meet her true love, at the end of movie, at a railway station â?? the location most probably signifying a typical meeting place for long-lost souls. Freida adds a very sophisticated touch to the movie keeping the context relevant all the times â?? no known or rich face could have done that. She is a central character in the movie. No wonder the movie has propelled her to a new hall of fame. Freida and Dev Patel, star Slumdog, are rumored to have a relationship going.

Not that unusual awards have not come through either in the limelight of the usual suspects. Take a guess! She won the Best Kiss at MTV Movie Awards 2009 for Slumdog Millionaire. Now, thatâ??s a good one! There has not been any stopping for the beauty since the debut work got Academy Award. Offers are pouring in from all sides. Pinto has been cast in Woody Allen’s next film set in London. Recently it was heard that Pinto was to become the new ‘face’ of L’Oréal. This is in spite of rumors that she was due to sign a “six figure deal” with competitor Estee Lauder. Freida has been roped in to star in Oscar winner Julian Schnabelâ??s new film â??Miralâ?? â?? the film is being shot in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Rumor mill has it that she is the next bond girl. No confirmed news exists but there have not been any denials from any quarters. She has been learning Arabic for one of her roles. Now, given the hullabaloo about unrest in Arabic side of the world, it would not surprise if 007 lands in the Arab world only to find another â??spyâ? in this beauty! Wow, let me get a ticket to the first show!

In FHM (UK)â??s May issue, where she was named the tenth sexiest woman of 2009! Ms. Pinto is featured in the June issue of Maxim magazine â?? one of the top mags in relevant circles! Some of the reputed magazines where the star has featured are Cosmopolitan (Chile, India, Mexico, Spain), Elle (US), Entertainment Weekly (US), Giant (US), People (US) Special Oscar issue, Vanity Fair (US), and Vogue (India).At 5 feet 8 inches of height, the face exudes a look fit to die for. Not bedazzling any expensive looks is one of her strengths because thatâ??s where actorâ??s emotions and expressions meet with that of audience â??and silver screen turns golden. The lady has obvious acting panache and combined with her sensible dialog delivery and proven mettle, she is bound for heights uncommon for an Indian actress. She reveals a sophisticated philosophy in her statement to Blackbook, â??The beauty of life is that it takes turns that are sometimes bigger than your wildest dreams.â?

Whether she goes on to break the barrier of going from Bollywood to Hollywood as a leading lady in major projects is yet to be seen but do not tell I did not warn you about this young Indian lady if she haunts in your dreams.You go girl!

The emperorâ??s new clothes! Thatâ??s â??Slumdog Millionaireâ? for youâ?¦ Five minutes into this celebrated patchwork of illogical clichés and you are struck by the jarring dialogues. The cumbersome delivery in a language which doesnâ??t come naturally to most of the actors sounds like someone scratching on walls with oneâ??s finger nails; it ruins the possibility of a connectionâ?¦ Had this film been made by an Indian director, it wouldâ??ve been trashed as a rotting old hat, which literally stands out only because of its stench, but since the man making it happens to be from the West, weâ??re all left celebrating the emperorâ??s new clothes. The film borrows an undoubtedly interesting narrative style â?? from films like â??City of Godâ? â?? but then uses it to weave in a collection of clichés from the Third Worldâ??s underbelly for the viewing pleasure of a First World audience. The real slumdog in the movie is not the main protagonist but India as a wholeâ?¦ The makers and those celebrating this movieâ??s hard-to-spot brilliance are actually serving up India as the accidental millionaire, which in fact happens to be a slumdogâ?¦ and like shameless fools we are gloating over its success without realising that it makes a caricature out of India.The film does not have the sincerity and honesty of a â??Salaam Bombayâ? or a â??City of Joyâ? and nor does this slime covered fairy tale have the integrity or the rootedness of the above mentioned scripts, or even a â??Shantaramâ? for that matter; the soundtrack and the performance of the child actors are the only bits in the film which live up to the hype. The real slumdogs whoâ??ve hit the jackpot after wallowing in acres of human waste are the makers of this film who are now raking in millions while those court jesters whoâ??ve critiqued the film and showered tributes and awards need to ask themselves why, scores of years after our independence, they still feel the need to suck up to the gora sahibs. Itâ??s not a question of xenophobiaâ?¦ itâ??s definitely a well cinematographed filmâ?¦ but the film has no soul, especially after little Jamal has jumped off the train and become a teenagerâ?¦ The rest of the film is just a modern version of the Westâ??s view of India where slums, slumdogs and Bollywoodian clichés have replaced the elephants and snake charmers. Itâ??s a well made caricature of a country and a caricature can never be a Mona Lisa, for a masterpiece canâ??t be one dimensional juxtaposition of sadistic extremesâ?¦ and thatâ??s my grouse with the celebrationsâ?¦And I say all this not because I donâ??t know what is India. I know its poverty and the real statistics around it a little better than most others â?? especially the Indian film critics who have given â??Slumdogâ?¦â? an average of 4 to 4.5 stars! But the fact is that the filmâ??s entire narration seems like the germination of a terribly sadistic and complex mind with the sole aim of satisfying the western idea of India â?? and its new found growth instincts at their cost – and it is done through a combination of illogical happenings in order to show everything in a disgustingly negative vein. Not that it doesnâ??t exist, but it surely doesnâ??t exist in this fictitious manner. While â??Salaam Bombayâ? had realism, â??Slumdogâ?¦â? is just every scrap of dirt picked up from every corner and piled up together to try and hit back at the growing might of India. And the awards almost seem like a sadistic effort to show the world â?? look we knew that this was India, and these are the slumdogs we are outsourcing our jobs to. It stinks of racial arrogance and itâ??s such a shame now on second thought to see the Indian faces â?? including that of the undoubted master, AR Rahman – celebrating its success. There is nothing positive about the film and it seems that a deranged sadist has painted his insecure negative self in each and every character of the movie. It illogically shows every negative thing about India happening in the protagonistâ??s life… slums, open-air lavatories, riots, underworld, prostitution, brothels, child labour, begging, blinding and maiming of kids to make them into â??better beggarsâ??, petty peddlers, traffic jams, irresponsible call centre executivesâ?¦ everything apart from western pedophiles roaming around in Indian streets!! And its winning of so many awards and nominations only goes on to prove strongly that the paradigm of cinema and recognition of films are in the hands of a few retarded imperialistic minds. Itâ??s a crying shame that our media hasnâ??t seen through this ruse and is touting â??Slumdogâ??sâ? nominations to claim that India is shining at the Oscars, while in fact it is lauding a film that mocks and ridicules the idea of â??Indiaâ??, pigeonholing its identity into the straitjacket of depraved poverty for a global audience.When the West wanted Indians to embrace them and their companies to come to India and capture the lucrative markets, suddenly we had all the Indian women, some very beautiful and some not necessarily so, winning all the Miss Universe and Miss Worlds. Today, they are in a crisis and India is looking unstoppable despite its slums and poverty, and they are losing their businesses to us. Isnâ??t it the best time to paint India as the Slumdog Millionaire?? All in all, the film is nothing but an endorsement of an erstwhile imperial mindset of the West and its blinkered vision of India. An English master has made an Indian slumdog. Donâ??t even waste your time watching this film in the theatres. It sucks and there is nothing great in it as a film too. Amitabh Bachchan was spot on when he said that Bollywood has made far better mainstream films. Take out a DVD of one of his old films insteadâ?¦

It might seem strange at first glance that Bollywood and Hollywood have become such cozy friends. The world’s two greatest film industries have always been independent of each other, with different aesthetics, storylines, actors and audiences.

But after more than a century running parallel to each other, Bollywood and Hollywood are now engaged in a symbiotic dance that has seen Bollywood movies become a Hollywood success, Singh is King top the worldwide box office charts, and Spiderman in all its avatars win the box office in India. Aishwarya Rai does a juicy cameo in Pink Panther:2, Sylvester Stallone and Denise Rich do cameos in Khambakht Ishq, and Snoop Dogg is an enthusiastic item boy for the keynote song in Singh is King. Hollywood is now financing Hindi movies, while Bollywood finances Hollywood flicks.

Cultural Imperialism is dead. Long live cultural free trade.

Still, some things do get lost in translation, so the increasing cooperation between the two film industries has created a demand for people who understand them both intimately.

Vishal Solanki is a gifted, young cinematographer who has experience in both cultures and both industries. Solanki began studying photography initially at the Indo American Society in Mumbai and subsequently succeeded in enrolling at the over 150 years old historic Sir J. J. Inst. Of Applied Art, Mumbai (the most reputed institution for Applied Art in India).

While studying for his BFA, Solanki also spent a lot of time drawing, painting and studying all forms of artistic applications. Solanki graduated Sir J. J. Institute Of Applied Art winning 5 awards, including the State Government Bronze Award for best work, the CAG Bronze and the John Walter Thompson ‘Big Idea of the Year’.

He returned to work as an apprentice to renowned veteran Director of Photography Binod Pradhan on commercials, music videos and one of the most successful movies in Bollywood history, Munnabhai MBBS directed by Rajkumar Hirani. Solanki also assisted cinematographer Vijay Kartik on his famous Bollywood venture Taxi No. 9211, directed by Milan Luthria.

On the other side of the world, Solanki was Director of Photography on Losing You, a feature film directed by Canadian director Ian Clay, which is slated for release in 2009.

Apart from feature films, he has created a stir in the Documentary genre, which is almost non-existent in Bollywood. His work on documentary Pashan Palvi has received immense praise and his work on female infanticide documentary titled ‘Sunaina’ is receiving a great response in film festivals in Europe.

When did you know you were going to be a cinematographer?

It happened over time, so I can’t give you a precise date. I always loved movies, and was particularly drawn to the look of a movie. While I was studying painting at Sir J. J. Inst. Of Applied Art, I took up a course in still photography alongside.

Soon I was assisting my seniors in lighting portraits and helping them out in the dark room printing black and white photos. I then took up photography as my specialization at JJ. I was 18 and during that time, I was looking at movies constantly to get inspiration for lighting. Slowly, I realized that cinematography would offer me avenues to discover both lighting along with emotions with the help of narrative. Devdas had just released and whole of Bollywood was stunned by the visuals created by Binod Pradhan. After that, I had no doubts that I wanted to work and learn under him. I called his residence for around fifteen days non-stop, making friends with all his family, but he was generally out on shoots. Finally one day he picked up the phone and allowed me to meet him on set at Concorde Studios where he was shooting a commercial for Fair and Lovely cream. I would say after that shoot, I had no doubts that cinematography is what I wanted to do.

Was there a formal connection between the institute and Bollywood? Did you know when you got out of college you would work in Bollywood?

Well I won’t say that there was a visibly formal connection, but at the same time people seem to trust students of JJ without any doubt. I was doing still photography when I was 19 and 20 for big clients like Airtel, Planet M and a lot of advertising print media. Also, some alumni of JJ had emerged as successful filmmakers both in ad films and feature films. I just looked up to them and I thought that if they could do it, I could do it as well. I did not look at Bollywood as the only area of concentration since there was a lot of media like tv commercials, music videos and documentaries which in essence is not always Bollywood but I still have a strong liking in creating such media.

So your career began when you were still in school. What did you do then?

I am very happy with the way things have gone. I was always the youngest no matter which set I was on. At a certain point, people advised me that I was young and that I had time for formal training. I then planned to leave for my studies in Cinematography and Directing. I received an honors in both from the Los Angeles Film School in Hollywood.

That’s interesting, how do you compare and differentiate between Bollywood and Hollywood? Did you notice a difference between the industries?

Yes, definitely. There is a difference in almost everything. Every thought. Every way of doing things. On a larger level Bollywood is a film industry, whose psychology is primarily based on sentiments and beliefs of the Indian culture to a large extent and Hollywood is a more assorted basket as far as these beliefs are concerned. It is a more cosmopolitan mix of screenwriters, directors and other technicians who come along from diverse backgrounds. Also I think Hollywood films have a more universal liking than Bollywood generally because they are made for a wider audience whereas Bollywood aims at Indian audiences in India and rest of the world generally. Language also plays an important role in reaching larger audiences. Technically, there is also a difference in the length, pacing and the structure in which the scripts are written. Also, it is important to not that Indian audiences are very different from rest of the world. Very often it happens that a Hollywood film which does great in the US may not do as good at the box office in India and vice-versa.

Who are your favorite cinematographers and why?

I admire the work of cinematographers like Vittorio Storaro, Conrad Hall, Roger Deakins, Christopher Doyle, Dion Beebe, John Toll, Wally Pfister, Gordon Willis, Rodreigo Prieto, Dante Spinotti and Bill Pope. From Indian cinematographers, I am a big fan of Binod Pradhan, Ravi K. Chandran, Santosh Sivan, Ashok Mehta and Anil Mehta. I think they all have great skills in lighting and composition of course, but on a higher level it is how they perceive a script and transform it into compelling storytelling.

What was the most challenging job you’ve had and why?

I cannot think of one now. I mean of course there are many challenging things in every project we do, but most of that is planned in pre-production stages. I generally shoot films in many languages. Releve was no dialogue, whereas El Buen Amigo was in Spanish, Pashan Palvi was in Marathi and Losing You in English. India speaks many languages! This is a challenge for any cinematographer because in the end, he has to interpret the script and create his own language on celluloid which is based on lights and shadows; where every audience can connect on an emotional level. Also I have had the opportunity of working with good directors who knew exactly what they wanted so I cannot think of any anecdotes.

What is the future of cinematography, and film itself? The near future? Long term future? What new technology should we look out for?

As everyone knows that film is diminishing, as in film stock, digital technology such as Hi Definition and Blu Ray are definitely the near future. The beauty of technology is that you never know the long term future, because technology

always takes us by surprise! One thing is for sure, media will get more easy to access, through the internet via cell phones, laptops etc. making viewing an easier experience.

And what is the future of Bollywood-Hollywood cooperation and co-production?

It will be a great fusion of different sensibilities and techniques, coming together to tell a universal story with emotions for a worldwide audience. Both India and the US are vast countries, with cosmopolitan cities and people from all around the world and different cultures. India within Indians itself, is so diverse with so many languages, dialects and cultural behavior. This is just the beginning and I am sure it is one of a breathtaking journey!