I go to NY today to shoot Anthony Minghella’s segment of the film., New York – I Love you. I go there with a heavy heart and with some unease. Apprehension. I am going to give my daughter a big hug before i go.
Bandit Queen – director’s commentary
As they are re releasing the DVD of Bandit Queen in the UK. I decided to do an extensive director’s commentary on it. And I sat there and cried as I watched the film after almost 10 years. What happened to the director Shekhar Kapur ? Where did he get lost ? Bandit Queen has such subtext, such detail, such an emotional and innovative way of telling a strong story. Without having to resort to great directorial flourishes. The actors were great, probably the best I ever had. Ashok Mehta, the DP was great, and I rue the fact that he and I never worked together again. The editing was so acute and incisive, and unfortunately Renu Saluja died far too young. In fact wherever she and I disagreed, she was right, as I can see in the film now. The Music by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was so evocative and emotional withput being intrusive. Almost spiritual. And he died too young.
Why ? Because I worked completely in synch with the writing. with the music, with filming, wit the actors. We were all one team tethered to each other. Because there were no creative pressures from above. Because this was my most instinctual film. Because i did not try and prove anything to anyone. Just shot the film from the heart . And the film was made in utmost humility. Why ? Because all of us worked in trust, in faith and towards a common vision Will I be able to bring that humility back to PAANI ? God, I hope so. If I am half the director that I was in Bandit Queen, PAANI should be a wonderful film. Please try and hear the director’s commentary on Bandit Queen. I promise you, it will be worth it.
Should China give the US financial Aid ?
First lets all worship the much maligned American Consumer ! After all most of the economic development in the rest of the world, especially China (and certainly the Indian IT bussness) has happened due to the voracious appetite of the American Consumer. So the world is in trouble. The American Consumer, encouraged by the manipulative financial wizards of Wall Street, has grown too fat and suddenly realized they have been consuming far far more than they can afford. They have to start shedding quite a few pounds and the financial world is in absolute panic. There is talk of depression. There is talk of the fall of the financial and banking systems of the world. I would like to invite those that know more about this to contribute. but let me kick this off first …
Paani – will Water turn against us ?
We have forgotten how to worship water. After all if water is available to you on tap, and in the same place as you do your daily toilette , how could you even respect it ? Water to us has become functional – so we have started to take it for granted. It is now our right to have water running in our taps at our will and our command. But it never used to be like that and I assure you it will never be like that again. Nor was it supposed to be. We were supposed to go to water, not the other way round. In all of human history Water has been worshipped by every culture. Water was the centre of all community, of all existence. But now we pollute it, commercialize it, turn it for profit. We do everything but worship it. So Water is turning against us. That which nourished the very essence of life will soon teach us to value very drop we can find. Worship every drop.
My last conversation with Anthony Minghella
On Sunday, two days before Anthony Minghella went in for an operation on a tumour they had just discovered, Anthony called me to see if I would direct a short he had written as part of a film a called ‘New York – I love you’, where a bunch of directors make short love stories based in NY. Anthony was supposed to direct it himself but given his sudden illness could not do so. He told me his film was about the value of life, and how people sometimes just throw away their lives unable to look beyond into the real beauty of it.
Anthony was completely alert and aware of his own mortality at this time, and as long as I had known him, he had valued life in a creative and compassionate way..
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Arthur C Clarke – Open Forum
I don’t think I need to introduce the life and times of Arthur Clarke to anyone here. For those that have not read his books, he had written 2001 Space Oddessy, which for me is one of the best films ever made by Stanley Kubrick. It is such a terrific exploration into the mind and consciousness. I saw it way before I ever thought of becoming a director and the images, the concepts of evolution, the idea of the unity of the universe into one timeless eternity still haunt me. Would anyone like to discuss your favourite books and writings by Arthur C Clarke here, as a tribute to this great mind ?
Oh Kashmir ! Yasin Malik at India Today Enclave
Was speaking at the India Today Enclave with Amir Khan. But then attended a panel where Yasin Malik was speaking. For those that do not remember, Yasin was at one time the leader of the most feared terrorist group in Kashmir. Now he is a political leader looking for peace and reconciliation with India and Pakistan, because he believes that the future of the youth of Kashmir depends upon the two nations coming to terms. But he still supports the right of the Kashmiri’s to decide on their own future, even if it meant an independent Kashmir. A few years ago if he was seen in Delhi he would been shot in sight by the armed forces. So full marks to India Today for having the courage to bring such disparate views on the same platform as Finance Minister Chidambaram, and even on the same dias as a member of India’s Parliament…
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Is Earth Fluid or Solid ?
I just flew from Delhi to Los Angeles and observed the earth from above as I always do. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran into Europe, I look at the incredible landscapes and realize how beautiful our planet really is. I peer carefully to see if I can see remote civilizations – small settlements and try and guess how people live there and what it means to live so far away form major cities. I also see no barriers and the earth flows seamlessly from one landscape to another, and not from one territorial nation to another. I have been flying for so many years but I can never stop myself from glueing my nose to the window every time….
only vibrations
only vibrations
holding in their every pore
all possibilities
of all creation
past and present
and future
and all of eternity
only vibrations
pulsating
colliding with each other
in ecstatic and eternal play
the universe,
nothing
but the universe,
laughing
at itself
is nothing something ?
india times said I was on a spiritual search because of the turmoil of my personal life and post oscar success of golden age. Not true. I have been in turmoil since I was 10.
In Delhi we used to sleep under the open skies on the terrace in summer. There was no light, sound or other pollution at that time. The universe was there to comprehend in all it’s fairy tale glory. The stars bright enough to create shadows of my hand on the white sheets. It was beautiful, as my mother would give me a glass of water from the earthen pot called the Surahi. I still miss the taste of the earth in the water I drank in the light of the universe. And as I would lie there, staring at the stars the inevitable question would nag me again. Where does the universe go ? What lies at the end of the universe ?….