Bhopal Express

Started by Ravi, March 09, 2004, 03:22:41 PM

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Ravi

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Release Date: Shelved (there are no current plans for this film to be released in the USA, following the death of its original distributor, Phaedra Cinema)

World Premiere: December 2nd, 1999 in New Delhi, on the 15th anniversary of the tragedy. This film also screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival.

Title Note: (10/2/02) Back when this was to be released by Phaedra Cinema in 2001, it was to have been with the full title of "David Lynch Presents: Bhopal Express."

Nation of Origin: India

Language: Hindi with English subtitles.

Running Time: 100 minutes

Distributor: Currently seeking distribution in the USA; formerly to be released by Phaedra Cinema, but they went out of business (as of 9/3/01)

Production Company: Kintop Pictures (the company of producer Deepak Nayar (Lost Highway, Buena Vista Social Club, The Million Dollar Hotel), who also worked with David Lynch as Assistant Director on Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and Wild at Heart)

So, What Did David Lynch Do?: They're rare, but occasionally, a filmmaker or star will lend their name to a film they support, in the hopes that the endorsement will help the film find a larger audience. In most cases, the "presenter" was not actually involved with the production, but is merely a fan of the film. For example, India's The Terrorist, was "presented" by John Malkovich when it was first released in the USA. David Lynch is, of course, the director of such modern classics as the Straight story, Blue Velvet, and The Elephant Man.

Cast: Kay Kay (Verma), Nethra Raghuraman (Tara), Naseeruddin Shah (Bashir), Zeenat Aman (Zohrabai), Susan Anelo, Bhushan Kalyan, Arvind Pande, Vijay Raaz (Badru), Arthur Roberts, Bert Thomas

Director: Mahesh Mathai (debut; he also makes his debut here as the film's cinematographer; Mathai was apparently previously best known for directing a music video, "O Sanam" for Indian pop singer, Lucky Ali)

Screenwriter: Piyush Pandey, Prasoon Pandey (debuts; yes, they are brothers)

Based Upon: The true story of the Bhopal gas tragedy on December 2nd, 1984, when 40 tons of methyl isocyanate poison gas from the Union Carbide factory there spread over a 20 square kilometer area, killing 16,000 people and leading to illnesses for 500,000 others, including genetic damage to more than 150,000 citizens that may last for many generations. The Bhopal Express was a train that passed the factory at the point of the leak, killing all passengers aboard. (9/10/01) Oliver Stone now has a similar project in development, an adaptation of a book called It Was Five Past Midnight in Bhopal. It's unknown if he would direct or just maybe produce. (9/18/01) Several sources report that Oliver Stone's production company has denied Variety's story that Stone is involved.

Premise: This is the story of a young newlywed couple, Tara (Raghuraman), and Verma (Kay), living in Bhopal, India in 1984. Verma is an assistant supervisor at the Union Carbide factory, working there with his friend, Bashir (Shah), when there is a terrible poison gas leak, which drags them all through one of the most horrendous industrial disasters in world history. Through it all, the young couple's love perseveres...

Genre: Drama, Historical, Indian, Romance

Sites about the Disaster: Bhopal.org, Bhopal.net, UOGuelph.ca


Official Site

[The film is now available on DVD at indiaweekly.com]