The Aseem Chhabra Show » Filmmakers

“Bombay Summer” captures a bygone era

Aseem Chhabra — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:03:14 +0000

Tannishtha Chatterjee in "Bombay Summer"

Joseph Mathew grew up in Trivandrum in the 70s, when Mumbai or Bombay as he likes to refer to the city, was a mythical dream. In his first narrative feature Bombay Summer, Mathew, pays tribute to Bombay of an earlier era through his three protagonists, who capture its energy and youth culture in transition.

This past week, Bombay Summer had two sold out screenings at Indian International Film Festival in Goa. And earlier this month the film swept the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council film festival awards – winning trophies for best film, best director and best actress (for Tannishtha Chatterjee).

Mathew spoke about the film – the idea of Bombay, working with his actors and the music–before he left New York for the Goa festival.

Video: Bombay Summer’s Intersecting Lives

A chilling look inside the “Mumbai Massacre”

Sandeep Junnarkar — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:01:54 +0000

Last year’s terrorist attacks on Mumbai shook all of India and the world. To mark the one year anniversary of the attacks – PBS stations across the US will be broadcasting a documentary – Secrets of the Dead: Mumbai Massacre .

Produced by New York’s Channel THIRTEEN and directed by the Australian documentary filmmaker Victoria Pitt, the film examines the traumatic experiences of the survivors, including the guests at the Taj Mahal Palace and the Oberoi Trident Hotels, as they struggled through the ordeal.

In her conversation with Aseem, Pitt describes her emotional experience covering the harrowing attacks and takes us inside the corridors as the siege unfolds.

State of Siege:

Next Video : “Hazy Figures in the Darkness”

Film Crew Credit: Emmanuel Alexandre,Sebastian Bednarski, Byron Hangey and John Nolan

Photo Credit: Reuters/For editorial use in North America only in conjunction with the direct publicity or promotion of SECRETS OF THE DEAD.

Footage of “Mumbai Massacre” used by permission.

Filmmaker Sarah Singh on her documentary “The Sky Below”

Sandeep Junnarkar — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:06:52 +0000

In 2006 Sarah Singh – a New York City based Indian American filmmaker set out to direct a documentary on the partition of Pakistan from India. Singh’s journey along the western border of India with Pakistan – from Kutch all the way to Kashmir, then takes her to both the countries. She travels in Punjab, Delhi, Karachi to the North West Frontier Province, where she talks to ordinary folks, intellectuals and people in the arts.

Singh’s film – The Sky Below has played at film festivals, as well as other gatherings in India and also recently in Pakistan. Here Singh talks about her experiences in making the film, the regional dynamics of what is happening in Afghanistan, Kashmir and in the Indo-Pakistan relations, and how all of it is co-related to the line that was drawn out between the two neighboring countries in August 1947.

Noted Nepali journalist Kanak Mani Dixit says the following about The Sky Below: “One of the best films on Partition I have ever seen.”

The following video can be viewed in High Definition. First hit the play button in the center of the screen, then click the triangle in the bottom right corner of the screen. You will see the “HQ” option. Click that to play the video in “High Quality”.

Part I: Sarah’s inspiration and motivation for “The Sky Below”:

Part II: Deep emotions on both sides of the border:

Part III: Reactions to the film in the Indian Subcontinent

Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle interview

Sandeep Junnarkar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:10:15 +0000

Here’s a link to an interview with Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle. The movie was just nominated for 10 Oscars, including ones for best picture and director.

The interview is co-hosted by Aseem Chhabra and Sreenath Sreenivasan, the co-founder of the South Asian Journalists Associations and a professor at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.

Thank you to SAJAForum.org for the embed. Here’s a link to the questions and comments mentioned during the interview.