Anything But Bollywood

On the season 2 finale of Anything but Bollywood Neha is in the studio with filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter Pushpendra Singh whose films have traveled to the Venice and Berlin international film festivals, and whose directorial venture 'Ashwathama' was screened at the19th Mumbai International film festival. Listen in as he talks about breaking the traditional 3 act structure of a story, how his acting process influenced his filmmaking, adapting folk tales for screen and much more.

00:34 Pushpendra intro 01:04 Starting in Filmmaking/Film screenings at hostel/Barry John & FTII 03:22 Dealing with parents 07:05 Working & assisting Amit Datta 09:33 Assisting Anup Singh 11:23 How acting experiences shape filmmaking 14:07 Lajwanti 17:22 Screenwriting 21:49 Ashwathama/ choosing the protagonist/growing up in a religious atmosphere/ 25:21 Chambal 28:54 Portraying with authenticity 31:45 Adapting folk tales, equating art with classical music 34:34 Translating from page to screen 37:41 Working with non-actors 39:21 Creating the look of the film with the DOP 41:15 Approach to sound 42:25 Barometer for success 46:23 Life and filmmaking co-existing 47:22 Distribution/Crowdfunding 50:08 Shift to documentary 52:19 Learning from teaching acting 54:24 Acting exercises 56:04 Advice for actors and directors 57:03 Upcoming projects 59:15 Recommendation

Watch the trailer for Lajwanti here: https://youtu.be/k0BDGVF1874

Watch the trailer for Ashwathama here: https://youtu.be/dvsiLhpaXcw

Recommendations:

Neha - Zama (2017, Dir. Lucrecia Martel): https://youtu.be/K8dW6YHINAA

Pushpendra - Nainsukh (2010, Dir. Amit Dutta): https://youtu.be/HueU_YnFwfg

Listen to the Anup Singh episode here: https://bit.ly/2I7iAB7

For any questions or comments find Neha on twitter @neharthak

You can listen to this show and other amazing shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Anything But Bollywood Neha is in the studio with actor Shahnawaz Bhat who starred in the film 'Half Widow' which was screened at the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival. Listen in as Shahnawaz talks about growing up in Kashmir, the lack of opportunities for artists there, and range of experiences working on indies like 'Harud' to a mainstream Bollywood film like 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'.

00:48 Shanawaaz Intro 01:24 How did acting happen? 02:43 Preparation for 'Harud' 05:10 Growing up in Kashmir 08:18 Learning from Aamir Bashir 09:49 Festival experience 11:39 Kashmiri language/audience 16:02 Experience on 'Half-widow' 18:32 Acting & relatability 19:50 Experience on 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' 22:20 Biding time between roles 24:26 State of filmmaking in Kashmir 26:14 The story of 'disappeared men' 30:01 Has perspective changed? 34:32 Role of art & creativity in Kashmir 35:40 Dealing with fear in a conflict zone 38:40 Ideal roles 40:00 Pointers for directors & actors 42:46 Recommendation

Check out Shahnawaz's body of work here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3919952/

Here's the trailer for 'Half Widow' : https://youtu.be/k_ITMZMsdwU

You can watch 'Harud' on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70153553

Shahnawaz's film recommedation: Underground (1995, Dir: Emir Kusturica) https://youtu.be/iKdl5r7_ZPc

(Note: This episode was recorded before the horrific incidents that took place in Kathua in J & K)

For any questions or comments find Neha on twitter @neharthak

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Neha is in the studio with documentary film maker Surabhi Sharma whose film 'Phir Se Samm Pe Aana (Returning to the First Beat)' was screened at the 19th Mumbai film festival. Listen in as Surabhi breaks down how to pursue subjects and premises for a documentary, what are the pros and cons of documentary film vs a fictional film and how her last film 'Bidesiya in Bambai' about bhojpuri music and 'Phir se...' about classical musicians took shape.

00:44 Intro/ accolades for Surabhi's films 01:39 Parentage/pursuing cinema 03:34 Transition to documentary/Jari mari 06:41 Making the 1st film and learning 11:25 Development of "Phir Se Samm Pa Aana" 17:10 Film time vs Real time 21:14 Time to film & edit 22:29 Video art 25:39 How shoots are structured? 29:31 'Bideshiya in Bambai'/Bhojpuri music/finding musicians 38:45 Funding 42:26 Who is the audience? 45:57 Spaces and platforms for documentaries 50:47 Learning about audiences 53:16 Identity as a feminist flmmaker 55:40 Negotiating with a privileged background 56:47 Deciding on an idea 57:49 Looking back at earlier work 59:24 Frustrations as a documentary filmmaker 1:01:25 Learning from students 1:02:22 Advice for filmmmakers 1:03:47 Next film 1:05:07 Relationship with collaborators 1:06:51 Recommendations

Read more about 'Phir Se Samm Pe Aana' here:https://www.mumbaifilmfestival.com/programmeDetail/248

Surabhi's film recommendations:

• A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings (2017, Dir: Prateek Vats)https://vimeo.com/208656271

• Kho ki pa lü / Up Down and Sideways (2017): https://youtu.be/zJsCbJfICoY

Also listen to the episode with the filmmakers of this film Anushka Meenakshi and Ashwin Srikumar here: https://bit.ly/2Hx7Ewm

For any questions or comments find Neha on twitter @neharthak

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Neha talks to filmmaker Anup Singh, whose film 'Song of Scorpions' starring Irrfan Khan and Golshifteh Farahani was screened at the 19th Mumbai Film Festival. Listen in as he talks about his inspirations to make film, his method of working with actors, his childhood as a refugee, and his previous film, the much acclaimed 'Qissa'.

01:17 Intro 02:06 Life as a refugee/Watching film at sea 06:28 Cinema as an art form 08:27 Experiences from first film 'Ekti Nadir Naam' 12:37 The crux of 'Qissa' 14:55 Personal history that inspired 'Qissa' 19:32 Making the film in Punjabi/Producer demands/Getting the project off the ground 23:40 Authenticity vs. Experience in fiction 26:18 The importance of being an outsider 29:58 Writing routine 34:09 Preparation for a shoot 35:35 Working with actors/Workshopping 40:29 Collaborations and ego conflicts 41:56 Seeking feedback 42:50 Dealing with failure 43:43 Learning from students 46:36 Next project 47:53 Relationship with Irrfan Khan 49:48 Approach to casting 54:55 Role of music 57:24 Recommendation

Watch the trailer for 'Qissa' here: https://youtu.be/ORO6Zp0oHDU

Watch the trailer for 'The Song of Scorpions' here: https://youtu.be/nBNRAiUcxco

Anup's film recommendation - Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011, Dir: Nuri Bilge Ceylan): https://youtu.be/4jKgHqU1jrs

For any questions or comments find Neha on twitter @neharthak

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Anything But Bollywood, Neha talks to the Ektara Collective, which is an independent, autonomous, non-funded group. They open up about how they collaborate with trained and untrained people to make films that are content-wise and aesthetically located in people’s subjective, contextual realities and experiences. They also discuss why art needs to be political, especially with the growing right wing fascism in the country.

For any questions or comments find Neha on twitter @neharthak(https://twitter.com/neharthak)

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neha talks to filmmaker Karma Takapa from Sikkim, who is creating waves with his film Ralang Road. He talks about how the film's setting played a key role in the plot and how he strives for authenticity.

For any questions or comments find Neha on twitter @neharthak(https://twitter.com/neharthak)

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Neha talks to documentary filmmakers Anushka Meenakshi and Ashwin Srikumar about their film 'Kho ki pa lü' or 'Up Down and Sideways' which was shot in Phek, Nagaland and explores the musical tradition of the Müle community. It was screened at the 19th Mumbai festival in the 'India Gold' section.

00:25 - Intro: Up, Down and Sideways 01:41 - Starting out in film making 04:17 - Root of the film/House hunting/The gift 08:34 - Learning from travelling 10:50 - Overview of the Müle community 12:31 - Meaning of songs/Translations 16:25 - The 10 minute shot 19:56 - Research process/Anushka's MA in music 22:28 - Ethics 24:18 - Politics of the film & Nagaland 28:36 - Sound design process 31:52 - Finding context in everyday working 34:17 - Larger context of the film 37:04 - Maintaining traditions 39:21 - Dealing with uncertainty 41:48 - Personal challenges 46:41 - Nature of collaboration 48:35 - Choice to be independent filmmakers 50:14 - Archive/Pad.ma 53:47 - Next project 54:10 - Advice for creators 55:30 - Recommendations

Watch the trailer for Kho ki pa lü / Up Down and Sideways here:https://youtu.be/zJsCbJfICoY

Anushka and Ishwar's film recommendation: Rubber Coated Steelhttps://vimeo.com/157655639

Find out about and watch the Padma archives here: https://pad.ma/grid/title

For any questions or comments find Neha on twitter @neharthak(https://twitter.com/neharthak)

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the first episode of the second season of Anything but Bollywood, Neha talks to filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan whose film 'Sexy Durga' got rave reviews at festivals but ran into controversy when it's title was changed to 'S Durga' in India.

01:33 - Intro 02:35 - Getting into filmmaking/Law school/Short films 10:24 - Kazcha film society 13:53 - Shooting without a script 18:15 - Casting process 19:38 - Narrative choices 20:38 - Time to shoot/Shot selection 23:01 - "Looped" narrative structure 24:42 - Shoot preparation 25:48 - Power equation 29:24 - Story vs. Film 31:12 - Title censorship 34:11 - Dealing with pressure 35:57 - Re-shoots 37:12 - Role of artists 38:45 - Film recommendation

Watch the trailer for 'Sexy Durga' here - https://youtu.be/gTLnpit1VcA

Get more details about the Kazcha film society here: http://www.kazhcha.in/index.html

Sanal's film recommendation: Western (2017, Dir: Valeska Grisebach) - https://youtu.be/p8f8zHDwv_c

For any questions or comments find Neha on twitter @neharthak

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Final episode of the first season of Anything But Bollywood, Neha RT will be talking to director Ashim Ahluwalia, popular for his films "John and Jane", "Miss Lovely" and the upcoming gangster biopic "Daddy".

01:45 - Early Days 07:55 - On "John and Jane" 13:41 - On Form and "Miss Lovely" 20:49 - On Improvising 33:03 - Making "Miss Lovely" 38:14 - Shooting On Film 42:31 - On "Daddy" 56:10 - On being a filmmaker 1:06:03 - Film Recommendations

Trailers - Daddy - Miss Lovely - John and Jane

Film Recommendations - "Faces" (1968, Dir. John Cassavetes) - "Drawing Restraint 9" (2005, Dir. Matthew Barney)

For any questions or comments find me on twitter - @neharthak

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the ninth episode of Anything But Bollywood, Neha RT will be talking to film programmer Deepti D'Cunha, who has programmed and consulted for festivals such as MAMI, Venice International Film Festival and Locarno International Film Festival to name a few.

01:46 - Intro 02:29 - Early Days 11:28 - Osian's Cinefan Film Festival + Mani Kaul 20:32 - On being a Film Programmer 24:34 - On Mentors 29:02 - On selecting an Indian film for Venice International Film Festival 38:51 - On Form vs Narrative 48:44 - On Negotiating with Filmmakers 56:00 - On Distribution 1:07:05 - 'Haider' at Rome 1:12:38 - Advice for Filmmakers 1:17:27 - Final Recommendation

Film Recommendations - The Battle For Banaras (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXu3XcTwkDM)

For any questions or comments find me on twitter - @neharthak (https://twitter.com/neharthak)

You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcast App on Android: https://goo.gl/tGYdU1 or iOS: https://goo.gl/sZSTU5

You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.