Bollywood calling

A new book by veteran journalist Ann Leslie gives a very human picture of India’s ‘iron lady’ Indira Gandhi. During an interview with Mrs Gandhi in the 1970s, Leslie was struck with a case of the Delhi Belly and was forced to use the Prime Minister’s bathroom.

After Leslie’s third desperate visit to the loo in a short time, Mrs G got worried and helped the sick journalist out of the bathroom and on to her couch in her office and called her personal doctor.

Her concern could have ended there, but no! Instead according to Leslie the Indian Prime Minister sat by her and stroked her head “like one of the loving ayahs of my childhood” and sang what sounded to her like a lullaby. It is no wonder she was nicknamed Mother India!
 
This year’s London Film Festival running for the last two weeks of October has a strong contingent of movies coming from India mostly from the art stable. Apart from the European premiere of Danny Boyle’s Mumbai-based Slumdog Millionaire being given the honour of closing the festival, there are five feature films and a short from India.

The 12 international premieres at the festival includes Rang Rasiya (Colours of Passion) directed by Ketan Mehta. The sensuous story about the trials and loves of revolutionary Indian artist Raja Ravi Verma begins in Kerala and moves to British Bombay where he makes his fortune. Varma’s fascination for his muse Sugandha finally sees the artist dragged to British courts to be tried for blasphemy.

On offer are two films dealing with the effects of political situations on ordinary lives, and two comedies to lighten the mood. Acclaimed actress Nandita Das presents her seismically charged directorial debut Firaaq, about ordinary people whose lives are altered forever after the communal riots which ravaged Gujarat in 2002. Also showing is Santosh Sivan’s Tahaan — A Boy with a Grenade.

The humanist story deftly explores the experiences of childhood in a war torn region — Kashmir. Award winning director Shyam Benegal brings a bit of comedy with his Mahadev ki Sajjanpur (Welcome to Sajjanpur).

The enchanting comedy of errors set in an Indian village stars Bollywood actors Shreyas Talpade and Amrita Rao. And from the Tamil film industry there is Shashank Ghosh’s Quick Gun Murugan. This spoof Tamil Western promises to build a dedicated fan base East and West not least for its over the top desi humour.
 
Talking of films, Britain’s Bollywood darling Shilpa Shetty has said she is not ready to get married yet. While the 33-year-old is still going strong with boyfriend British Asian businessman Raj Kundra, she can’t hear wedding bells before her first film as a producer is released.

The action thriller under her new banner S2 Global Productions is currently being scripted and shooting is expected to begin by the end of the year. Of course Kundra is working very closely with her on the project.