Shekhar Kapur

Started by Ravi, June 04, 2004, 04:01:22 PM

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Ravi

http://movies.indiatimes.com/articleshow/707630.cms

Shekhar Kapur:Thirst for Action

Director Shekhar Kapur is passionate about his latest movie, Paani , a love story set in Mumbai 20 years hence when scarcity of water will lead to wars between those who have it and those who don't. With a budget of $20 million, the film is being co-produced by Barrie Osborne, who has films like the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy under his belt, and Intent, a company promoted by Kapur and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra. The film will be shot  later this year in India. He spoke to Archana Jahagirdar about the film and his commitment to promoting Asian cultures:
 

Given the current trend in both Bollywood and Hollywood, water scarcity is not a sexy subject for a film. What made you choose this as the central theme for your next film?

I have never made a frothy film except for Mr India. One of my talents is to make an interesting film about a serious subject. If people make frothy films, it means that they have absolutely nothing to say. Paani is a story I want to tell. I was coming down from a friend's flat in Malabar Hill where they have a swimming pool and then there was a slum close by where people have to wait for hours to get water. That's where I got the idea from for this movie.
 

Is the love story in the film a concession to the box office?    

Love story is integral to the art form through which I am telling the  story. It is because  of the medium that  I have chosen that there is a love story. Had I made a  documentary there would not have been a love story. Also, I am already taking a story which hasn't been done before, so why should I make it more difficult for myself?  
 

Barrie Osborne has produced films like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. How did you get him interested in 'Paani' and rope him in as co-producer?

Barrie and I have been talking about doing a film for a long time. Everytime I would say that we would do the next project after Paani , so he finally decided that instead of waiting to do a film after Paani, he might as well produce this film.
We say that flyovers are about getting from point A to point B fast, but it's also to avoid lower city. I showed him pictures I had taken of people laughing, dancing, living under flyovers and he was so moved that he decided to do this film.  
 

Given the fact that there is a strong international production team already in place, will the film have an international cast?

The film has to have authenticity. It is based in a city, so unless in the upper city the browns and whites mix, maybe. People have asked me if Leonardo Di Caprio will be there but I am seeing it more as a Hindi film.
 

The film is being presented by the company that you have launched with Deepak Chopra. How did this company come about?

The domination of western culture is coming to an end. And if you analyse, the culture that will take over is Asian. Bombay Dreams is already happening. People said who's interested in brown faces, critics trashed it, and yet it has been a success in London.

Western culture is pushing us to a path of violence, and there is also a lack of   creativity. That culture is very arrogant. We are looking at people to invest in so that we can promote Asian cultures and destroy western cultural domination.
 

What was the meeting ground for a film director like you and a spiritual guru like Deepak Chopra?

We share a deep relationship and we have common beliefs. But the prime motivation of coming together was more practical. Both of us are frustrated by the arrogance of existing cultures, and perhaps we will  be the instruments of change. That is the meeting point.
 

Bombay Dream was given a lukewarm response on Broadway. What would you attribute that to?

It's running houseful. When Elizabeth was released, critics totally panned it saying that it is  an MTV version of history. Critics are victims of their own prejudices. When Bandit Queen was released a lot of  critics said that an Indian film should be the way Satyajit Ray makes them. I am not saying  that Bombay Dreams is the best of its kind, but it has worked because it is the  first of its kind.
 

Today, you have access to both Hollywood as well as Bollywood. Why then did you choose to set your next film in India, when you could set it anywhere in the world?

I now want to be part of a movement that is Asianness which will hit us soon. I have flirted with Hollywood and I have realised that they have the same insecurities. There is also a standardisation setting in there which is boring. But this doesn't mean I will not go back to Hollywood. There are some projects which can only work out of there.
 

With Paani , does one see you in a more activist role?

I feel very passionately about Paani . I was very moved by a photograph where there were about 100 people standing around  a well for water. A few own the world's resources. This is what the West does. I  am taking on a more activist role in developmental economics. We need to find ways to take technology and support to the rest of India.

Pubrick

great news, a way underrated director.. and a total nutter, like an Indian version of Alejandro González Iñárritu.
under the paving stones.

MacGuffin

Elizabeth Sequel in the Works
Source: The Daily Telegraph

Aussie's The Daily Telegraph spoke to Elizabeth director Shekhar Kapur who says that he is working on a sequel to the 1998 Cate Blanchett drama.

Blanchett is expected to take the throne again and star in the epic - based on Queen Elizabeth I - which has the working title of Golden Age. "It is about the battle between her life as a monarch and her personal life," Kapur said. "It ends in the destruction of the Spanish Armada on the larger level."

The Indian-born Kapur said the script, which Michael Hirst is working on, would be ready in six months. "And then it depends on Cate's schedule and my schedule as to when we start shooting."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Ravi

Anyone know if Bandit Queen will be re-released on DVD?  Looks like the Pioneer DVD is out of print.

Ravi

http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/10703.html


Shekhar Kapur may direct film on Buddha
IANS
Tuesday, September 28, 2004



The Dalai Lama, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and new age guru Deepak Chopra may come together soon for a film on the Buddha.

India's largest Buddhist group, the Mahabodhi Society of India, is commissioning the film and is in talks with Kapur to direct the $50 million venture that could hit the screens globally by end-2005.

According to the society's newly elected president, Bhupendra Kumar Modi, the project has the blessings of the Dalai Lama, who has also apparently provided his views on the script.

"It was a personal dream of mine to make a film on the Buddha," said Modi, a well-known industrialist who is pitching in with $10 million for the yet-to-be-named project.

Modi said he and Kapur met the Dalai Lama early this month in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The two also met important aides of the Dalai Lama.

"The Dalai Lama provided his suggestions for the script. He also wrote to his famous disciples in Hollywood to help our project," Modi said.

The Dalai Lama has famous disciples like Richard Gere, Goldie Hawn, Sharon Stone and Melissa Mathison.

Modi said filming could begin early next year and the project would be ready by end-2005. "The film's release could be coincided with the 2,550th birthday celebrations of the Buddha," he said.

"We have just started talking about it and it's too early to talk about the film," Kapur was quoted as saying.

Modi said it was Kapur who had approached him first to make a film on the Buddha.

Spiritual self-help guru Deepak Chopra is assisting with the script. Modi is trying to rope in Sony for worldwide distribution of the film that is to be extensively shot in India.

Ravi

http://www.waterthemovie.com/



Thirty-five years in the future in a city of 20 Million, when the Water Wars have begun between those that have it and those that don't, a young, impetuous renegade falls in love with the one girl he seemingly can't have.

World-renowned film maker, Shekhar Kapur, and his award-winning team present a stunning vision of a future fast approaching us: when water, the most valued resource in the world, becomes a political and economic weapon wielded by those who have it against those who don't.

WATER brings together an international team that includes many of the film industries most important visionaries:

Shekhar Kapur: director of the 8-time Academy Award nominated film Elizabeth, The Four Feathers and Bandit Queen.

Barrie Osborne: Academy Award winning producer of the trilogy Lord of
the Rings and Executive Producer of The Matrix.

Andrew Niccol: Academy Award nominated writer of The Truman Show and Gattaca.

John Mhyer: Academy Award winning production designer of Chicago, Elizabeth and X Men.

Jill Bilcock: Academy Award nominated editor of Moulin Rouge, Elizabeth, Romeo & Juliet.

AR Rahman: Composer designated in 2004 by Time Magazine as the "Mozart of Madras." His signature sound has scored over 70 "Bollywood" films and sold over 150 million albums making him the top selling artist in recording history.

Dave Stewart: Dave is perhaps best known as one half of the groundbreaking synth-pop duo the Eurythmics, one of the most successful and recognizable bands of the decade. His dynamic and distinctive sound has drawn him from the world of music into cinema where he has composed music for over two dozen films.

Deepak Chopra: World-renowned author and speaker will serve as an Executive Producer and spokesperson for the film. Deepak has the power to garner extensive media coverage, and brings a worldwide audience of people who are passionate about nurturing themselves, their communities and the environment.

All those involved in the film are passionate about the environment, and concerned about the future of our earth's most precious resources.

WATER will be shot in India at a budget of $20 Million. The film will be shot in a groundbreaking way, both in Hindi and English, to maximize distribution through Bollywood and English speaking territories around the world.

WATER brings to the fore the relevant environmental issues of today, in an emotionally charged narrative that is visually stunning and musically driven.




A Statement from the Director

Water (Paani) tells a story that could be true in New York, in Rio, in Mexico City, or in London. The characters, though Indian, could (and do) exist in New York, Shanghai or in Bangkok.

Though dealing with one of the most relevant issues facing our time, the film is designed to have a lot of energy, action and romance, without losing its authenticity. In the end it is uplifting rather than depressing. It is what we term a commercial film.

One reason to shoot the film in India is that for US $ 20 million, we will be able to produce a film that looks like a US $ 100 million production. The scale of this film will not be less than the big Hollywood productions.

There is a surge of interest in Asian Cinema world wide, as exemplified by the financial and critical success of Crouching Tiger and Hero from China (shot in a Chinese language), and other Japanese and Korean films. Audiences and buyers are looking for the next Asian breakout film. There is a lot of expectation that an Indian film too could soon cross the $300 million world wide sales mark.

The films that have succeeded in that realm have been authentic to their core culture, but within their own culture and form, tell an internationally accepted story.

I believe that Paani could be that film.


-Shekhar Kapur


http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/13447.html


Shekhar Kapur's mega tie-up with European media fund
IANS
Monday, February 28, 2005



Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has tied up with one of Europe's biggest film funds, the VIP Media Fund, to co-produce and distribute his films.

"It has been my constant endeavor to attract international funding to the Indian entertainment business, as such funding brings with it international marketing expertise too," Kapur told IANS.

The VIP Media Fund is the largest and most successful film fund in Europe and has $500 million this year to invest. It has also signed a deal with Roland Emmerich, the director of films such as "The Day After Tomorrow".

"I do not believe that the 'independent' style of filmmaking that is so precious to Indian filmmakers will fit smoothly into the 'Hollywood' style of corporate filmmaking," said Kapur.

Two films have been announced as part of this collaboration - "Paani" being produced by Kapur and Deepak Chopra under the banner of their company INTENT, and "Buddha" being produced by Kapur and written by Chopra.

"European funding gives total creative freedom to the filmmaker and indeed French law protects the creative right of the filmmaker to the final cut of the film," said Kapur.

"And considering that three years ago almost 25 percent of all Hollywood investment in films actually came from Germany gives credence to funds like the VIP Media Fund, which is the largest such fund in Germany, currently at almost $500 million in funds."

The collaboration, said Kapur, was part of his efforts to push Indian creativity on to the world stage.

"Both Deepak Chopra and I continue to endeavor to bring Indian creativity and imagination to the international stage, and our venture with the VIP Media Fund is yet another example of our commitment to this."

MacGuffin

Helmer Kapur Takes 'Solace' from New Line

Shekhar Kapur has signed to direct the Bruce Willis starrer "Solace" for New Line Cinema.

"Solace" tells the tale of a doctor with psychic abilities (Willis) who is enlisted by the police to help track down a serial killer who turns out to have psychic abilities as well.

Ted Griffin and Sean Bailey wrote the script.

Kapur directed the Cate Blanchett starrer "Elizabeth" (1998), which earned him a Golden Globe best director nomination and a David Lean Award for direction at the British Academy of FilmArts awards. He also directed 2002's "The Four Feathers"
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Sleuth

shouldn't Ashley Judd be in this
I like to hug dogs

Ravi


matt35mm

The second page says "Comming Soon."  I don't think Buddha would've liked that.

MacGuffin

Two Set Sail for Golden Age
Owen, Rush join Elizabeth sequel.

Variety reports that The Golden Age, the long-planned sequel to 1998's Elizabeth, is finally coming together. In addition to Cate Blanchett reprising her role as Britain's Queen Elizabeth I, the trade claims that Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush will also return as the monarch's ally, Sir Francis Walsingham.

Also joining the regal cast is Clive Owen, who has been cast as explorer Walter Raleigh, Elizabeth's love interest. Just to further confirm that Owen will not be James Bond, Variety says The Golden Age will film in April 2006.

William Nicholson and Michael Hirst penned the screenplay. Hirst also wrote Elizabeth. The director of that film, Shekhar Kapur, will reprise his helming chores for the sequel.

Moviehole, however, points out a new Herald Sun article wherein Blanchett casts doubt on her participation in the project. "I'm really good friends with Shekhar [Kapur] and he's forever saying he's going to do this movie or that movie and I think there was talk about it," Blanchett reportedly said. "There's so much there if it were to happen, but my initial instinct is, why?"
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Pubrick

Quote from: MacGuffinBlanchett reportedly said. "There's so much there if it were to happen, but my initial instinct is, why?"
because it seems to be the right time for it..
Quote from: Pubrickthis epic revival is just another weird time warp to rise out of temporal confusion, which we're all in right now. remember when ppl said the musical was coming back? what happened to that? i wouldn't be surprised if the next phase was a series of films about the renaissance.. that would be interesting.
four feathers was a misstep for kapur. with Water and hopefully Golden Age he can get back to proving he could indeed kick alejandro gonzález iñárritu's ass.
under the paving stones.

Ravi


MacGuffin

Golden Actress
Cornish joins Elizabeth sequel.

According to Moviehole, rising Aussie star Abbie Cornish (Somersault) has been cast opposite Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen in The Golden Age, director Shekhar Kapur's sequel to Elizabeth.

Cornish will play Elizabeth Throckmorton, a lady-in-waiting for Queen Elizabeth I (Blanchett) who secretly married the monarch's lover, explorer Sir Walter Raleigh (Owen).

Kapur reportedly fought hard to cast Cornish, 23, who is not yet a big name actress but is poised for a major breakthrough thanks to her upcoming roles opposite Heath Ledger in Candy and Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's A Good Year.

The Golden Age is slated to commence filming next month in the U.K.

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

Pubrick

abbie cornish is fucking excellent. there's nothing i've seen her in that she hasn't stolen.

wow, it sounds like i gush over any australian actress that gets mentioned in upcoming movies, but you have no idea.. every single underrated tv/independent movie starlet is getting swept up in this aussie revival, and they're always MY favourites.. is someone watching my tv to see which faces are the only ones keeping me glued to the screen/interested in australian cinema? :yabbse-sad:

can't a man wack--- uh, keep his joys private anymore?  :shock:
under the paving stones.