Yash Chopra passed away in Mumbai at age 80. His films, most timeless classics, will be remembered forever.

To paraphrase arguably the most famous song of Yash Chopra’s illustrious film history, Yash Chopra banaya gaya filmon ke liye (Yash Chopra was made for films).  Unfortunately for the film industry and cinemaphiles alike, this King of Bollywood romance films has passed away at age 80. His career spanned over 50 years. The films, from Deewar to Darr to recent hit Band Baaja Baraat, centered on themes of love, and inspired generation after generation of film-goers.  As tribute to him, please enjoy the classic Kabhi Kabhi, complete with poem:

His newest film titled, in a twist of irony, Jab Tak Hain Jaan (As Long as I Live), premieres at Diwali. Rest in peace, Yash-ji.

Consul General Mukta Dutta Tomar and actors Lillete Dubey and Farouque Shaikh were interviewed by Hi India:

Lillete Dubey at Opening Night - Photo coutesy Rahul Rana Photography

“ The Chicago South Asian Film Festival has grown. As you can see here today, it looks very different from what it was in 2010 or 11. We had good films (in the past) but there is a buzz now and people are looking forward to it”, said Consul General Tomar while talking to Hi India. She also praised the organizers a lot for their hard work to make this a success.

The evening began with the Red Carpet Reception of celebrities and guests – the star attractions of this year’s festival being actors Farooq Sheikh and Lilette Dubey.

“ Things like this festival are very important because they are giving the platform to watch different films. Big films get to be seen anyway. Independent films that reflect the change in Indian cinema are needed to be seen”, said Lilette.

Farouque feels Indian cinema is bound to be global. “Since India has become global, so does Indian cinema. Whatever comes out of India becomes a matter of interest to people globally. The Indian diaspora is so wide spread and so large, it’s bound to be.”

The Times of India interviewed  Lessons in Forgetting writer Anita Nair, whose film starring Adil Hussian was screened at the festival:

Adil Hussain interviewed by Red Carpet host and Curry Smuggler Sachin Bhatia - photo courtesy Rahul Rana Photography

Anita believes that the CSAFF is a good platform to showcase cinema. “Audiences at such festivals are usually anyone interested in cinema, not just niche movie goers,” she says, adding, “A showing at this festival becomes a stepping stone to other film festivals and your film could also interest distributors in various parts of the world.”

Desi Talk  and Bollyspice also featured an extensive review of the entire CSAFF weekend, including filmmmaker interviews, film reviews, and more. Desitalk’s review can be seen here and here. Bollyspice’s feature is linked here.

CSAFF 2012 Program Book - Photo by Rahul Rana Photography

Chicago film aficionados were treated to an array of stellar films, acclaimed artists, and energetic parties at the 3rd annual Chicago South Asian Film Festival. The four-day festival held its Opening Night on September 20th with a star-studded red carpet reception followed by the North American premiere of the much anticipated Bollywood film “Heroine”. Artists who walked the red carpet include acclaimed actor Farouque Shaikh, Lillete Dubey, and Adil Hussain. Indian Consul General Mukta Dutta Tomar, Field Museum President Richard Lariviere, and Columbia College Vice President Dr. Eric Winston were also present to show their support. In his opening remarks, Dr. Winston said “I feel like a proud father” as he expressed his and Columbia College Chicago’s support for the Festival from its inception back in 2010.

Filmmakers Arshad Khan, Ulka Mohanty, Adil Hussain, and Samrat Chakrabarti - Photo by Rahul Rana Photography

Over the next three days, the Festival showcased the best of South Asian independent cinema to packed audiences at Showplace Icon Theater and Film Row Cinema at Columbia College Chicago. Moviegoers especially enjoyed hearing the various artists and filmmakers talk about their films and performances in the post film discussions. “Doggoned” director Arshad Khan described how his lead actress almost got arrested as they filmed without a permit in the streets of Montreal. Actor Adil Hussain got a standing ovation for his performance in “Lessons in Forgetting”, a film based on Anita Nair’s book of the same name.

Listen Amaya Q&A - Photo by Rahul Rana Photography

The highlight of the Festival was undoubtedly the world premiere of “Listen Amaya” starring the magical pairing of Farouque Shaikh and Deepti Naval. Director Avinash Kumar Singh’s debut film played to a sold out theater with numerous people sitting on the aisle floors to watch the tale of a daughter coming to grips with her widow mother’s relationship with a man who is not her father. “I desperately missed having my friend, confidante, editor, writer and wife Geeta sitting beside me as she has done all the way through this film” – said Singh in a touching acknowledgement to his wife.

Raveena Tandon addressing the CSAFF audience - Photo by Rahul Rana Photography

If the Festival began with a glamorous affair, the closing was no less sensational with Bollywood star Raveena Tandon attending the premiere of her film “Shobhna’s 7 Nights”. “We’ve made this film with a lot of love, not money” quipped the charming Tandon before the adoring audience.

A special panel on entertainment law was also held during the festival with one of Chicago’s premiere entertainment lawyers Robert Labate explaining the legal aspects of independent filmmaking. “We’ve found our stride as a Festival this year and truly elevated it to a world class event. We’ve got some interesting initiatives in store for 2013 and are looking forward to developing them in the coming year” said Festival Director Amit Rana.

For more pictures from the festival, please visit Rahul Rana Photography. Also, help contribute to the festival by filling out our survey.

Contributed by Kaivan Dave, CSAFF Marketing and Communications Director

Entertaining a family is not easy. Just as it’s becoming more difficult for families around the world to dine together, such is the case for watching movies together.  Nowadays, more and more people consume entertainment on their own, when it’s convenient for them as an individual, be it on their bedroom DVRs, computers, tablets or smartphones – essentially outside the family room.  While finding the time to coordinate schedules is one factor, another factor is the kind of programming available.

And that’s why we’re here – to try and help.  To give you a reason to spend some time together as a family while supporting a community organization.  And to offer you the chance to experience something with your kids so that you can talk about it, and maybe even teach them about something new or important when you go home.  Here’s to putting the “family” back in family films.

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Here’s what we recommend for families that want to bring children. Admission for kids under 12 are free for these two films:

Gattu: 9 year old orphan, Gattu, works for his uncle, but only cares about one thing – bringing down Kali the mysterious kite that no one can defeat.  He gets a few chances, but they all end up in defeat.  Then he finds hope in the form of a school roof, but since he’s not a student, he has to figure out how to get into the school, and stay there, to take advantage of this higher ground to eventually get him a real shot at Kali.  And when he comes face to face with the kite, it’s high risk, high reward.  Bring your whole family, your kids, your parents, your friends.  And bring glasses in case you have to read the subtitles.

Japari: The Dessert Mermaid – A solid follow up effort from Director Nila Madhab Panda, of I Am Kalam.  This time, he deals with the more serious issue of how Indian villages, still to this day, view female babies vs. male babies. While shedding light on some serious issues, it’s also partially shown through the eyes of the children in the film as they experience it, so as long as you’re with your kids, we think it’s a good way for them to learn with you.

Here’s what we recommend as solid films about families or that deal with family issues (some that involve children and some that involve parents).  While they touch upon some adults issues, we think they are acceptable for children to watch as well.

Listen Amaya – A modern story of a mother-daughter relationship that is strained by the possible addition of a familiar face, under a new dynamic – that of a husband for the mother and a step-father for the daughter.  The story is something that many single parents, widowers, or stepchildren can relate to in the form of a family drama. The quiet performances from Deepti Naval (mother) and Farooq Shaikh (widower) really stand out, as they don’t have to say much to get across what they feel.

Masala – This fresh Marathi film follows a couple, Raven and Sarika, on their journey for livelihood.  While they dabble in different entrepreneurial endeavors that lead them to subsequently better opportunities, they repeatedly learn that failure is the best teacher in achieving success.  And success does arrive, they realize that their magic was always just under their noses.  A light film with fun performances and a great soundtrack the carries the story forward in delivering its message.

A Decent Arrangement – The story of Ashok Khosla, an Indian American copywriter who goes to India to get married.  Shabana Azmi brings a sense of humor, and a dose of reality to her role as Ashok’s cousin, helping him to navigate the modern scene of arranged marriage.  What’s refreshing is that the lens through which we get to see the courting process reveals that the tradition of the arranged marriage has evolved, to the point where the bride’s side finally has some negotiating power, and that’s a nice metaphor for life and the economy in India vs. that in the US.

“Nila Madhab Panda is back in Mumbai and is excited with the response to his recent release. Guess what? Even Aamir Khan has mailed the director to say that he would be happy to see the film that is on the issue of female foeticide but made in the entertaining format of an adventure thriller.
…Panda’s film has been selected for the Chicago South Asian Film Festival and the festival authorities there have also offered a special screening for Aamir.”

To read the post in it’s entirety, please click here.  Click the button below to purchase tickets for Jalpari: The Desest Mermaid or any other CSAFF selection.

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“Shanghai” is a political thriller directed by Dibaker Banerjee and adapted from a novel, which stars Abhay Deol, Emran Hashmi, and indie it-girl Kalki Koechlin. A urban redevelopment project kicks off to turn the fictional city Bharatnagar  into Shanghai. An activist and social worker kicks-off a campaign against the project forewarning the citizens it’s consequences. The same night he is brutally killed in a hit and run. The ensuing investigation is full of political intrigue which keeps you on edge. The film also sets out a symbolic message about Indian buearacracy, the industrialization, and the political system that will leave you asking: “Is India progressing?” Dibaker never lets the tension slip as he paces scenes with a tight screenplay and engaging perfomances.

“Paan Singh Tomar”, directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, is one of the best biopics of Hindi cinema. In it, Irrfan Khan portrays the life of the Tomar, a seven time Indian national steeplechase champion during the 50s and 60s.  He joined army at a very young age and that’s where his talent was first recognized.  After a premature retirement from the army, he settled down in his native village and resorted to banditry after a land feud. Khan’s  performance is flawless in a complex role.  He plays the role of an naïve, charming athlete, who turns into a menacing outlaw after a feud to protect himself, his family, and his honor. It’s refreshing to see that filmmaking with realism, depicting the story of a common man with sincerity.

Shoojit Sircar’s “Vicky Donor” is a light hearted comedy with a well-crafted script and great performances by newcomers Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam . The subject of sperm donation is bold and something south asian cinema has not explored before. Portrayal of an ultra-modern grandmother who knocks back a few drinks and wants a iPhone, the Bengali-Punjabi parental clash, and Dr. Chaddha’s euphemisms make the film very unique yet it had enough mass appeal to be a commercial success. Vicky Donor is the surprise entertainer of the year. It is the warmest, funniest comedy in a very long time.

“Kahaani” is another thriller, directed by Sujoy Ghosh, based in Kolkata. The film explores  feminism and motherhood. The film begins with Vidya Bagchi , played by Vidya Balan, landing at Kolkata international airport and hailing a taxi to a police station. At the police station, she files a missing person’s report for husband, who came to India on an assignment without contacting her. From there, different characters, with varying degrees of connection to Vidya are revealed as she pursues her husband. Cinematography by Setu captures Kolkata in its true essence. The minute character details in Bob Biswas, a contract killer who doubles as an insurance agent, or Inspector Chatterjee, who Bengali-fies Vidya into “Bidya”, show the effort put into the story and the screenplay. The experience of the film is greatly enhanced by letting the story unfold by itself as the story reveals these subtle details.

Contributed by CSAFF Programming Director, Mili Ghosh. In addition to her duties here at CSAFF, Mili runs Memories in Motion, a boutique choice for high-end productions of weddings and conceptual love/film stories.

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The Festival opens with the North American premiere of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine starring Kareena Kapoor. The lineup also consists of  director Nila Madhab Panda’s new movie Jalpari: The Desert Mermaid. The film was recently screened at the Marché Du Cannes and is based on the issue of female foeticide. “After seeing the film, people will get entertained and get a message too.” Panda said of his film in a recent interview.

Three regional films are also playing at the Festival this year: the Marathi film Masala, Bengali film Runaway, and the Malayalam film Abu Son of Adam which was India’s entry to the 84th Academy Awards. Debutante director Avinash Kumar Singh’s world premiere of Listen Amaya serves as the CSAFF Centerpiece Film, and stars acclaimed actors Deepti Naval and Farooq Shaikh.  Shabana Azmi-starrer A Decent Arrangement, Delhi in a Day, Lessons in Forgetting, Rat Race, Shobhna’s 7 Nights, and Gattu round off the features.

The short-length films cover a variety of genres and topics. While Oscar nominated Raju explores the perils of adoption, Girl and the Auto Rickshaw tells a hilarious story of a sexist rickshaw that leaves its driver frustrated.

The 5 and Fatakara, which was nominated for a student Academy Award, echo themes from the Indian mythology Mahabharata. Two shorts come from the United Kingdom: My Lad and The New Brit which is about a Pakistani-Brit who has to stand up to his father and London’s racial undertones as he aspires to become a journalist.

For more information on the full list of film selections, please visit the CSAFF 2012 Film Guide.

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Commencing September 20, this 4-day festival will present:

• 24 films
• 5 world premieres
• 8 US premieres
• 11 Chicago premieres

The Festival opens with the North American premiere of Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine starring Kareena Kapoor.

The film is a bold, yet sensitive look behind the scenes of the glitz and glamour Indian film stars reside in. A special discussion about the film and its themes will take place after the film with acclaimed poet, lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar and Heroine cast member Lillete Dubey.

Listen Amaya starring acclaimed actors Deepti Naval and Farooq Shaikh will screen Saturday at 9 pm. The film by debutante director Avinash Kumar Singh tells the story of a daughter, Amaya, and her widow mother who begins to develop a relationship with Amaya’s friend played by Farooq Shaikh.

Closing out the Festival is the world premiere of Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon’s comeback film, Shobhna’s 7 Nights. The actress is expected to attend the screening in Chicago.

A.      “My Sweet Lord…”

Photograph: Rex Features

South Asian social, cultural, and political influences in the US are widely documented in the decades between “Awaara” and the “Temple of Doom.”  From Gandhiji’s influence on Dr. King’s non-violent civil rights revolution to Rajneeshji’s OSHO movement in Oregon these decades were filled with a cultural awakening of South Asian influences in mainstream society.  Not coincidentally this period marked the primary immigration period from India to the US for those looking for a taste of the American Dream.

This cultural awakening was not lost on creative legends in Hollywood, with Charlie Chaplin referring to Raj Kapoor as his brother in India.  In 1966, George Harrison visited legendary musician Ravi Shankar in India forging a friendship that would change music forever and would contribute to Shankar being called the “the most famous Indian musician on the planet”.  The relationship led to the 1971 documentary “Raga”. In the same time frame, Peter Sellers went “brown face” in 1968 for his film “The Party” where he played the character Hrundi V. Bakshi.

B.      “That’s me in the corner, that’s me in the spotlight…”

In the early 90s, there was rampant buzz in Mumbai that the first of its hot young stars was going to get the chance to truly “go Hollywood.”  Rahul Roy, the hero of the smash 1990 hit “Aashiqui” was widely rumored to leave Mumbai’s Film City for the bright lights of Tinseltown.  Unfortunately for Rahul, those opportunities did not materialize and his Hindi Film career slipped in the shadows in the fallout until his reemergence in the Indian TV Show “Big Boss” in 2006.

In 1991, the artistry of Tarsem Singh owned the MTV airways in R.E.M.’s masterful video “Losing My Religion,” which Singh directed won Best Video of the Year in 1991.  Tarsem has since gone on to direct major motion pictures such as 2011’s “The Immortals” starring the new Superman, Henry Cavill, and starlet Freida Pinto.

1992 then brought us “The City of Joy” starring Shabana Azmi, Om Puri, and the late great Patrick Swayze.  Actress Ayesha Dharker also appeared in the film and went on to land roles in the second “Star Wars” Trilogy as well as the female lead in the 2006 film “Outsourced”.  “City of Joy” built upon the “Octopussy” and “Temple of Doom” trend of casting veteran Hindi Film stars in supporting roles for Hollywood Films.  These opportunities continued to be few and far between with nearly a decade passing between them, and sustainable Hollywood success proved to still be elusive.

With the prospect of a Bollywood star breaking into Hollywood fading away  US artists of South Asian Descent began to make their own mark both in front of, and behind the camera.  The 90s would turn out to be a decade of creative awakening for South Asians in the US.

1992 would also mark the year Mira Nair would introduce us to Sarita Choudhury in “Mississippi Masala” starring opposite Denzel Washington.  Sarita would go on to have a long career, including appearing in Mira Nair’s 1996 film “Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love” with Indira Varma.  (The film also counted screen legend Rekha amongst its cast.)

The same year  “Losing My Religion” was dominating the airwaves, Gabrielle Anwar landed a starring role in the film “License to Kill” with Richard Grieco.  The following year, Anwar landed a role alongside Al Pacino in “Scent of a Woman”.  Anwar has gone on to have a long career with roles in “The Tudors” and “Burn Notice”.  Most fans are not aware that Anwar’s father Tariq Anwar is an award winning film producer and editor whose resume includes “Center Stage”, “The Good Shepherd”, “American Beauty”, “Revolutionary Road”, and “The King’s Speech”.

Along with Sarita Choudhury, another modern pioneer in the advancing the footprint of South Asian Artists, Chicagoan Ajay Naidu made a significant crack in the proverbial glass ceiling when he appeared as a series regular on Al Franken’s short-lived show in 1998 called “Lateline.”  Ajay was already a veteran actor by the time he landed “Lateline” and the following year Ajay would appear in the epic cult classic “Office Space.”  Over the years Ajay would go on to have roles in “Hannibal” “K-Pax” and countless other projects, including his own project, “Ashes.”  Around this time, Aasif Mandvi was also breaking through on to the scene landing a role as a cabbie in 1995’s “Die Hard With a Vengeance” and roles in 1996’s “Eddie” as well as 1998’s the “Siege”.  His most notable role would come in 2006 on Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show”.  In 2009 Mandvi went on to co-write and star in his film “Today’s Special” which was a hit on the film festival circuit.

While the Bollywood-Hollywood actors crossing over was put on the backburner, Indian-born filmmakers did manage to break through on the directorial side,

Shekhar Kapur (director of “Masoom” and “Mr. India”) saw success by taking his artistry to another level with his widely acclaimed “Bandit Queen” in 1994 and 1998’s Oscar Nominated “Elizabeth”. Born in Punjab, Canadian Director Deepa Mehta went West to East and made her mark on the Hindi Film scene around the same time with “Fire” (1996) and “1947: Earth” (1998). Her successful elements trilogy would continue into the 2005 with “Water”.  These Hindi films achieved international acclaim due to Mehta’s breath taking work, and one can hope to see more like it breakthrough into the mainstream.

1998 not only gave us Mehta’s “1947: Earth” but also Mira Nair’s magnificent “Salaam Bombay!,” starring Shafiq Syed.  The film’s cast included Nana Patekar, and Irrfan Khan, and was the first of India’s submissions since “Mother India” to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.

Overall, the ‘90s proved to be a time of doors opening and we even saw hit shows like “Seinfeld” and “the Simpsons” introduce South Asian “characters” to their audiences.  Unfortunately, one can argue that the more commercially popular of these types of roles were often in essence “brown-face” roles playing to stereo types for laughs.

For example, many may think of Brian George’s role as “Babu” on Seinfeld as a breakthrough opportunity for South Asians to be on the #1 show on television, however while Mr. George often plays a South Asian character, as he does on “The Big Bang Theory”, he is not South Asian.

Despite making substantial progress in the 90’s, the combination of critical and commercial credibility remained elusive on a sustainable level for those in front of the camera.

Behind the scenes was a much different story of course as not only did Deepa Mehta and Mira Nair make their mark, but in 1999 Manoj “M. Night” Shyamalan gave us what is likely the most successful film ever directed by a South Asian Director.  “The Sixth Sense” starring Bruce Willis grossed a whopping $672.8M and earned 6 Academy Award Nominations including a nod for Best Picture.

Persis Khambatta as Lt. Ilia in Star Trak: The Motion Picture

A.      “We’re not here to start no trouble…”

January 26, 1986…the mighty Super Bowl Shuffling Monsters of the Midway Chicago Bears had just finished demolishing the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX…minutes later Vijay Amritraj took to the screen in the premiere of NBC’s new show “The Last Precinct.”

For many, including myself, it marked the first time they saw an actor of Indian descent on a TV show.  Three years earlier the same Vijay Amritraj, along with Kabir Bedi, shared celluloid space on the big screen with Roger Moore in the James Bond classic “Octopussy” (1983).  A few years earlier, in 1979, Miss India 1965 Persis Khambatta was cast as Lieutenant Ilia, in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”.  Khambatta was also to play the lead in “Octopussy” but was ultimately passed over for the part.

The year prior to “Octopussy”, “Gandhi” (1982), won the Academy Award for Best Picture and took home eight total Oscars.  Gandhi went on to gross $52.7M in the US, and proved a South Asian focused project could garner critical success. The film’s central character was played by Ben Kingsley who is half Gujurati.  Richard Attenborough also deserves a tremendous amount of credit for casting actors such as Roshan Seth, Amrish Puri, Saeed Jaffrey, and Rohini Hattangadi in this timeless epic.

The formula of a studio film with South Asian supporting actors continued in 1984, when Amrish Puri lent his commanding presence to “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (Roshan Seth was in the film as well) marking another noteworthy milestone; perhaps the first instance of a true major Hindi Film Star crossing over with a major role in a global blockbuster Hollywood production.  Temple of Doom would go on to gross $180M in the US and over $333M worldwide.

1984 also brought us “A Passage to India”, which was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning two.  The film, much like “Gandhi”, was a critically acclaimed British production, with a non-South Asian actor in the lead.  To its credit, the film also counted Victor Banerjee, Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth, and Art Malik amongst its cast.  The film would go on to gross $27M in the US.

Did you know that around the same time Amrish Puri was facing off against Harrison Ford in the “Temple of Doom,” Vijay Amtritraj’s brother, Ashok, began a long run behind the scenes as a producer?  To date he’s produced over 100 films (mostly “B” rated films starring the likes of Shannon Tweed) including hits like Steve Martin’s “Bringing Down the House,” which grossed over $164M.

High profile projects such as “Gandhi,” “Octopussy,” “A Passage to India,” and “Temple of Doom” occurring in quick succession foreshadowed a wave of opportunities for South Asians to break through into mainstream cinema.  Alas in 2012 we are still waiting for the floodgates to be opened, though the water is certainly flowing more swiftly than before.

B.     “Phir bhi dil hai hindustani…”

While these examples are from the early 1980s, our look back at the journey of South Asian Artists in the mainstream consciousness would be without merit if it did not go back further in time to include the Showman, India’s Charlie Chaplin, the Great Raj Kapoor who earned two nominations for the Palme d’Or grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival for his films “Awaara” (1951) and “Boot Polish” (1954).  Years later the inclusion of the Nargis classic “Mother India” in the best Oscar foreign film category in 1958 marked another milestone in South Asian cinematic history; one that would not be repeated for 40 years.

Of course it can be argued that the first significant South Asian media moment came in 1893 when Swami Vivekananda began his speech with the words “Sisters and Brothers of America” through which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago.

[But here are the million dollar questions…from Raj Kapoor at Cannes to the moment James Bond made his superspy way over to India in 1983 how many other milestones were there?  How many have occurred since?  Why isn’t there more content out there featuring South Asian Artists targeting South Asian Audiences?]

(To be continued – watch this space next week!)