Sunayana Kumari Joins Team 'I AM'

Hey Everyone,

Wanted to share with you all about Sunayana Kumari, another new joinee to the team "I AM". Here's what Sunayana had to say about how it all happened for her

A brief conversation with actor Rahul Bose (no, unfortunately he’s not a ‘friend’, as a lot of you might presume) led me to this gig. “So you’ve studied journalism and now you want to work in films?” – he quizzed me rather skeptically over the phone. After listening to me answer in the affirmative, he told me that he’d call me as soon as something came up. While I was expecting to receive this ‘call’ by sometime next year, my phone which lay next to me began to buzz his name again in a matter of seconds. Once he was on the line, he wasted no time and asked if I would like to assist in Onir’s latest project. “Onir, as in the director of My Brother Nikhil?!” came my inapt response to that query. From my shrill tone it became fairly obvious to both of us that I would only be too glad to work on this project.

I was scheduled to meet Onir for an interview on the 27th of July, which was a Monday. Sunday night therefore was spent going over blogs dedicated to this latest venture by Anticlock Films. As I sat on my bed reading about the series of shorts and learning that while meant to entertain they were also based on significant issues in our society, my excitement level began to soar. I remembered the uncharacteristic, emotionally charged speech I had made to my parents in a bid to let them allow me to work in films. I had said to them that eventually I’d make films that were politically and socially conscious and hence noble and hence they should let me and so on and so forth…. But here I was about to do just that in my very first assignment. Yes, I consider my self lucky.

Luckier still because I am part of the best team ever. The team comprises of individuals who are sophisticated in their knowledge of film making, kind to me and above all, a lot of fun. The Omar shoot has been a great learning experience and I can’t wait to start work on the remaining shorts

WHY MEGHA ?

In the beginning there was chaos, and nothing but chaos… and I stepped into the chaos looking for an answer….

I remember from the time I was in school in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, Kashmir was the place my mother always wanted to come to… a place of romance and beauty…. Years passed by… we never made it to Kashmir … and then the unrest… but now the dream that lay dormant in her was a living dream in me. I was looking for an excuse to visit this place…

About a year and half back I read the story of a successful Kashmiri Model in Bangladesh. One fine day he was arrested as a suspect RAW agent. After 40 days in prison he was deported to India. On arrival at the Delhi airport he was arrested as an ISI agent and kept in Tihar for three months. He was released because of lack of evidence, but not given a clean chit. The contradiction in the whole episode excited me….

He flew down to Mumbai and I met him. There was the man – once a model, now a suspect, a man with a broken nose, a limp and a few scars standing in front of me. Over the next few days we spoke and I realized that his story is not what I wanted to make a film on, but it started the process of another story in me. His conversations with me raised many questions in me. These were fragmented thoughts, scattered images and half spoken words.

Then I decided that I had to go…. On the 14th of October 2007, I was driving out of Srinagar airport-“WELCOME TO PARADISE” the sign board read… and all around it were bunkers, armored vehicles, barbered wires and army men. I heaved a sigh -Paradise indeed! This was the paradox that was to become a part of my sight and sound over the next few days. We drove straight to Azaan’s (my friend and guide) house. This would be my abode for the next few days as the family absolutely refused to let me stay in a hotel. I am glad that I did not insist. This was the first time I was living with a Muslim family. And the experience was most enriching. So many misconceptions, so many apprehensions – all destroyed over the next days as I ate, slept, chatted, and discovered Srinagar with Azaan and his family.

Once back in my Versova flat I try and give shape to my story but I realize that now it is perhaps more fragmented, scattered because that is what I feel about Kashmir… The shape is shapeless.

Images, images…. The magnificent Chinar trees, the cold fresh air, the extremely polluted and dirty Dal lake, the piercing looks of the army Jawans, PTV blaring everywhere, Café Arabica, Boulevard road, The posh new cottages, the burnt Habakadal with its memories of migrant Hindus, the beautiful woodwork that adorned ceilings, doors windows etc, the magnificent Dastgir sahab, the absolutely adorable kids( what was striking is how kids seem to roam around so freely in groups without any fear), the pony tailed today’s fashionable kashmiri boys, the colourfully dressed beautiful confident kashmiri women, the nun chai(salt tea), the food( I was eating all the time), The lonely army jawan, the wandering shepherds….

The day I was supposed to return back home I took a long walk up the mountain road… and at one point where it overlooked the whole city I sat down. I felt immensely sad – sad for the valley caught in this conflict of two nations, sad for this valley where trees were disappearing, heritage structures falling apart and ugly new malls coming up. Sad for the jawan whom I was trying to photograph when he stopped me ‘mera naukri jayega( I will loose my job)… paanch minute baitkar bath hi karloh( why don’t you chat with me for five minutes)”. I sat with him as he spoke about his home in the far west, about being unloved and unwanted by the local people, about being on the brink of death all the time, about a desire to speak to someone other than his colleagues.

I smiled as I thought of the young Kashmiri girls who refused to believe that I was a director, and thought that they were far better looking than the Bollywood actresses.At the same time I felt uneasy when I saw the look many of them had when a group of pretty kashmiri women passed them. I thought how I would feel if I had to pass by a man with a gun every ten minutes….I would not be happy. I know it is much more complex, but this is definitely not it! They were not complaining because things are much better now, and they have accepted this as a part of their lives…. Would I be able to do that- I am afraid not, because they also represent memories of torture, abduction, rape and death.

I remembered my walk through Habakalal, trying hard to control my tears as I stood before the house of a Hindu friend who had to migrate after the militants murdered a family member. I remembered all the stories he had told me about the house, about the chinar outside his house, about the bridge across the river on the way to his school, about the loud speaker blaring in the night asking the kafir’s (Hindu’s) to leave…. About the house with eighteen rooms… so many memories.

Later in the night in the privacy of my room I wept… wept for all those people who lost their homes, live lives in refugee camps and who have the right to this “paradise”. I remembered my home- in Bhutan, remembered how we had to leave because of political unrest, how it affected my mothers health for good, remember our car pulling away from the house of my childhood, remember the students from my dad’s school standing on both the sides of the road and throwing rose petals on our car… and my dad’s face, unflinching, strong, trying hard to control his tears waving to the kids says a good bye to the school and house he built 25 years ago.

Memories jumble, emotions erupt, images intermingle…. And I know the script is beginning, the film that I have to make- a film set in kashmir, about the loss of identity, loss of home, of history, of fear, of hope and despair….That is perhaps where the germ of MEGHA started. I started working on a script on Kashmir with Merle Kroger called THE FACE…. But somewhere the story of the dual loss was disappearing.

As we started the “I AM” series I thought that it would be maybe the right platform to start the process. I spoke to my friend and writer URMI JUVEKAR (writer Oye Lucky Lucky Oye) about the concept. She readily agreed to write the film.

Working together with Urmi has been again something that both of us have been trying for a while …. And somehow it never happened after 1994….Fifteen years later it is happening now. … MEGHA was born……

This is a film that tells the story of the paradox that is Kashmir. The story of 300,000 migrants, who have lost their home and identity. This is the story of a population stuck in a conflict situation where nothing moves.

This is the story of two friends MEGHA and RUBINA which reflect the two sides of the same coin…..

CAST

We at ANTICLOCK FILMS offer you an opportunity to be a part of a process of the making of a film, to

be a part owner of a film. You can do this my contributing monetarily for the making of the film. To that end, we’ve established four different ways to help:

· Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 – Students category. Acknowledgement on the website and the end credits.

(Treated as donation)

· Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 – Acknowledgements in the end credits( Treated as donation/pledge)

· Rs 25,000 to Rs 100,000 – Return of your contribution at the time of the final film release and

acknowledgement in the end credits

· Rs 100,000 to Rs 15,00,000 – Acknowledgements in the beginning titles of the film and

proportionate share in the profits.

Total budget of each short film is – Rs 30,000,00 (Rupees thirty lacs)

Funds in Place by Anticlock Films – Rs 15,000,00 (Rupees fifteen lacs)

Please spread word and help support a film that wants to make a difference. Thank you.

· Contact: anticlockfilms@gmail.com

· Amar : +91 98337 48111

Connect

· Facebook: http://facebook.com/iammegha

· Twitter: http://twitter.com/iamthefilms

· Blog: http://iamabhimanyu.blogspot.com/

· Website coming soon : www.iamthefilms.com

· Cheques to be made for Anticlock films and sent to :

181 PARIKH BUNGALOW

FIRST FLOOR

ARAM NAGAR II

J.P.ROAD VERSOVA

ANDHERI WEST

MUMBAI 4000 61

INDIA

DIRECTED BY ONIR

PRODUCED BY SANJAY SURI AND ONIR

WRITTEN BY URMI JUVEKAR

DOP : ARVIND KANNABIRAN

EDITOR: IRENE DHAR

SOUND DESIGN : ARUN NAMBIAR

MUSIC : AMIT TRIVEDI

Megha Proposal

Megha Proposal

Omar Shoot: Day Three

20 Aug, Thursday

Well the bad news is that we still remain behind schedule for Omar. Rains interrupted day three leaving us with a backlog of 3 – 4 shots. The whole crew took shelter under a shed watching it pour hoping the rains would go so that we could resume shooting

However last night Abhimanyu Singh joined us. The actor played a merciless Maharashtrian cop who confronts Jai and Omar at an abandoned place. We shot the scene outside Bandra Joggers Park which served as a perfect cramped, restricted location for the look of the film.

Anyways, now the POA is that we shoot all the remaining scenes of Day 1 and Day 3 on the 27th and hopefully complete Omar without any further interruptions.

Cheers

Archis Achrekar

Omar Shoot: Day Two

19 AUG 2009, Wednesday

One night, one location and one scene.

I worked with junior artists for the first time last night. It was quiet unusual directing them especially the foreigners who played their part really well and made the scene look natural. However had to work on the others as time passed, a lot of them were drained and we had to keep them active and involved.

The dialogue between Jai and Omar takes place in a coffee shop were they meet for the first time. We shot the scene at the CCD on carter road. It‘s very fascinating to observe Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur play implusive and erratic Jai and Omar respectively.

Unlike last night we faced no interruptions and we managed to complete the scene by dawn. Both Onir and Arvind seemed quite happy with the way the scene has turned out. Looking forward to day three now.

Archis Achrekar

(Assitant Director)

Press

1) To each their own sexuality, says Manish Malhotra - 17 August 2009, DNAIndia.com

Omar Shoot: Day One

18 AUG 2009, Tuesday

Yesterday evening the cast and crew of Omar gathered outside the Joggers Park of Lokhandwala to shoot the second installment of the five short film series.

For Omar, Onir and DOP Arvind Kannibaran developed a different style for executing the story by deciding to shoot it entirely at night. Shot on 16mm Arvind had a complete handheld setup created low key lighting and used swift pan and zoom creating a different look for the film.

Unfortunately we are running slightly behind schedule. Our first day didn’t go as planned. Our intention was to complete five scenes however due to restriction of shooting at night only, a mild shower and mob interrupting sometime we completed only two scenes. But the film is progressing fine. We intend to complete the remaining scenes on Thursday which we have reserved as a spare day.

Inspite of things not going in our favor it was interesting to see Onir not loosing his patience the entire night.

The performances of Rahul Bose and Arjun Mathur were simply brilliant.

The experience to be on set is always different. However what makes this experience unique is the healthy environment we have in our office which also prevails on the set. The direction team headed by Amar has a smooth functioning and understanding. In short I am having a great time working with the other ADs, Onir and Sanjay!

Looking forward to day two.

Cheers

Archis Achrekar
(Assistant Director)

Anticlock Films Presents - Team OMAR

I AM OMAR

Featuring
Rahul Bose
Abhimanyu Singh
Arjun Mathur (as Omar)

Banner: Anticlock Films
Producers: Sanjay Suri and Onir
Director: Onir
Cinematographer: Arvind Kannabiran
Story Screen Play: Merle Kroeger and Onir
Dialogues: Ashwini Malik
Music: Vivek Philip
Playback Singer: Karthik
Lyrics: Amitabh Varma
Editing: Irene Dhar Malik
Sound Design: Arun Nambiar
Engineer: Sameer C
Art Director: Sujith Sawant
Still Photography: Thulasi Kakkat
Make up Director: Elton Fernandez
Costume Designs: Manish Malhotra
Publicity Design: Siddharth Dutta
Graphics: Sidharth Meer
Asst Directors: Amar Kaushik, Sundeep Malani, Akhil Chaudhary, Archis Achrekar, Bianca Saldanha, Kumari Sunayna, Sumith Arora
Assistant Cameraman: Reddy, Vidushi Tiwari
Online Marketing: Mayank Dhingra
Making of Omar: Rajeev Kohli
Production Manager: Mohan Joshi
Production Assistant: Rakesh Jain, Rajesh Patel, Lalith
PR and Promotion: Arati Salgaonkar (Perception Managers)

So how do you find Omar's cast ?

Rajesh Jain Co-Owns Omar by contributing in the 1 Lakh+ category

बूँद बूँद से बनता सागर। joining us in this sea of change is Rajesh Jain with a लहर of hope that propels us closer to what we wish to achieve - a great cinematic experience where the real and the reel converge to give the audience an unprejudiced experience of cinema. Thank you Rajesh.

I AM with OMAR says Erath Valentina from Vienna

From the beautiful land of Vienna, here is "Erath Valentina" who has co-owned Omar by contributing in the 5,000-25,000 category. Welcome Erath to "our" Omar.

Omar is a film beyond geographies, it isnt just about issues of sexuality... it is a quest of what "I AM". And the I is beyond worldly definitions.

"Perception Managers" Joins Team "I Am"

We tread in a lane where many have refrained. "I Am" touches upon untold issues that are pertinent and relate to the present. The right medium, the right meaning, in the right concoctions needs to be administered to the world that bridges the gap between "real reelism" and the absolute ground truth.

We are happy to welcome a team that believes in Bridging The Perception : Reality Gap. Welcome ARATI SALGAONKAR , CEO - Perception Managers for volunteering to manage the Public Relations and Promotions of "I Am".

Manish Malhotra Joins Team "Omar".

As a part of this fantastic journey called "I AM" , we are constantly amazed and amused by the generosity and interest in being apart of this quest , this bespeak of the real being of a human lost in the mirror.

It takes an expert to understand the design , culture and resilience of a human trapped in the closet by the prejudice and coy ploy of the immediate society and represent it with shades and costumes that are apt.

The "I Am " team is very happy and extremely proud to announce that the enigmatic Manish Malhotra volunteered to take charge of the costume design for Omar.

Pic Courtesy: www.manishmalhotrablog.com

Thank you Manish.

OMAR TRAILER