Wednesday, February 25, 2009
CHAI PANI ETC DVD COMING IN MARCH
The DVD of Manu Rewal's award winning satire on contemporary India, Chai Pani etc (Love Bribes etc) will be at last released in March 2009. If you are interested in buying the dvd register yourselves at the website www.chaipanietc.com. Apart from the film itself, the dvd also has interviews with Manu Rewal, Konkona Sen, Zafar Karachiwala and Gaurav Kapur. And as a special bonus it also contains Manu Rewal's short comedy Hollywood ki Pukar (the call of hollywood) which was screened in the "Global eyes" section of the Director's fortnight section in Cannes 2002.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
CHAI PANI ETC GOES WHERE SLUMDOG DOESN'T
There is probably a reason why "Chai Pani etc" had to face 7 months of censorship before it could be released in India, while "Slumdog Millionaire" hasn't faced any such issue in India.
In "Chai Pani etc", the dirt and poverty of the children isn't "milked" for its emotional power, but is framed in a particular setting (the images of poor rag pickers are seen in TV bureaucrat's office), in order to show, how a byzantine bureaucracy's refusal to allow the showing of the plight of poor children in slums on indian televesion, is linked to a much wider "culture of corruption", sloth and denial. Unlike "Slumdog" which thoroughly discredits whatever pretense it may have had regarding its relevance to the real world, because of its unlikely and predictable "fairy tale" second half, Chai Pani etc follows through, in a comic satirical tone, to the very end without blinking, by linking the low level bureaucrat's chai pani (bribe and nepotism) to that of the political system.
In "Chai Pani etc", the dirt and poverty of the children isn't "milked" for its emotional power, but is framed in a particular setting (the images of poor rag pickers are seen in TV bureaucrat's office), in order to show, how a byzantine bureaucracy's refusal to allow the showing of the plight of poor children in slums on indian televesion, is linked to a much wider "culture of corruption", sloth and denial. Unlike "Slumdog" which thoroughly discredits whatever pretense it may have had regarding its relevance to the real world, because of its unlikely and predictable "fairy tale" second half, Chai Pani etc follows through, in a comic satirical tone, to the very end without blinking, by linking the low level bureaucrat's chai pani (bribe and nepotism) to that of the political system.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Pertinent, funny, original and obviously provocative to some people.
How many Indian films talk about corruption, censorship and their link with poverty - a central reality of Indian life - in a funny yet subtle manner?
Neither does it pontificate about its weighty subject, like a typical holier than thou arty fare, nor does it resolve real life issues in the typical magical “Bollywood ishtyle”.
Irony, wit and intelligent humour lace this bitter sweat coming of age story about the loss of innocence. Additional highlights are the dynamic soulful soundtrack and elegant camera work that captures the timeless beauty of Jaisalmer and the reality of bureaucratic Lutyens’ Delhi.
Despite its subtle approach, Manu Rewal’s award winning satire, wasn’t given a censor certificate for seven months by the authorities and was denied the possibility of competing for the national film award on absurd grounds.
Neither does it pontificate about its weighty subject, like a typical holier than thou arty fare, nor does it resolve real life issues in the typical magical “Bollywood ishtyle”.
Irony, wit and intelligent humour lace this bitter sweat coming of age story about the loss of innocence. Additional highlights are the dynamic soulful soundtrack and elegant camera work that captures the timeless beauty of Jaisalmer and the reality of bureaucratic Lutyens’ Delhi.
Despite its subtle approach, Manu Rewal’s award winning satire, wasn’t given a censor certificate for seven months by the authorities and was denied the possibility of competing for the national film award on absurd grounds.
Chai Pani etc in New York and Miami
Chai Pani etc (Love Bribes etc) ran to great audience reactions in the recent screenings in the US. There were two screenings in New York and one in Miami at a local museum (MOCA). Interestingly, there were maybe around 50% people of Indian origin people at the two New York screenings (as it was an Indo-American film festival), but in Miami where there were only around 10% people of Indian origin, the audience reactions was even more enthusiastic. One of the members of the audience even guessed who one of my favourite filmmaker was - Woody Allen...To know more about this hilarious satirical film go to www.chaipanietc.com . Join our list, leave your email (and get the sexy Sare Jahan se Achha song) so that when we release the dvd you will be notified.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
