Malayalam-language film Papilio Buddha, directed by New York-based filmmaker Jayan Cherian, has had a whirlwind journey since it was made. The film that was initially refused certification by the Censor Board, with or without cuts, eventually managed to have a limited release in Kerala last year. The film is now screening at the Berlin International Film Festival in Panorama section. Jayan Cherian talks about Papilio Buddha and censorship:
What is Papilio Buddha about?
Papilio Buddha is a film about a group of displaced Dalits in the Western Ghats of India. It was shot in the milieu of a real land struggle in Kerala and is based on several real events. I have taken a decade of the history of land struggles in Kerala and superimposed a narrative on it. The strategy was to integrate the Dalit experiences of Kerala.
It also deals with how the female body is treated in the public space.
What is Papilio Buddha about?
Papilio Buddha is a film about a group of displaced Dalits in the Western Ghats of India. It was shot in the milieu of a real land struggle in Kerala and is based on several real events. I have taken a decade of the history of land struggles in Kerala and superimposed a narrative on it. The strategy was to integrate the Dalit experiences of Kerala.
It also deals with how the female body is treated in the public space.
- 2/11/2014
- by Nandita Dutta
- DearCinema.com
New Delhi, Aug 28: Director Prakash Jha Wednesday said his "Satyagraha" will hit the screens without any cuts as the censor board did not cut or ban any scene from the political thriller.
"They (censor board) said that you have made the film in a very sensitive way and there are parts we cannot cut. So, the film came out the same way we presented it," Jha told reporters here.
The 61-year-old also said that he doesn't want to define his films, saying: "I just try and make films and leave the definition to the audience."
Based on Gandhian principles and his (Mahatma Gandhi) ideology of non-violence, the film is about.
"They (censor board) said that you have made the film in a very sensitive way and there are parts we cannot cut. So, the film came out the same way we presented it," Jha told reporters here.
The 61-year-old also said that he doesn't want to define his films, saying: "I just try and make films and leave the definition to the audience."
Based on Gandhian principles and his (Mahatma Gandhi) ideology of non-violence, the film is about.
- 8/28/2013
- by Amith Ostwal
- RealBollywood.com
Ajay Devgn is pretty gung-ho about his upcoming film, Satyagraha. As you might be aware, the title of the film was a philosophy initiated by Mahatma Gandhi. It is known to all that Mahatma Gandhi was also the pioneer of the non-violence movement. But Ajay Devgn has a different view on Mahatma Gandhi. Says the actor, “Gandhiji was a very aggressive and a violent person. If you don’t have that anger in you, you wouldn’t think of frustrating your opponent without Read More...
- 8/22/2013
- Bollywood Trade
Ajay Devgn is pretty gung-ho about his upcoming film, Satyagraha. As you might be aware, the title of the film was a philosophy initiated by Mahatma Gandhi. It is known to all that Mahatma Gandhi was also the pioneer of the non-violence movement. But Ajay Devgn has a different view on Mahatma Gandhi. Says the actor, "Gandhiji was a very aggressive and a violent person. If you don't have that anger in you, you wouldn't think of frustrating your opponent without...
- 8/22/2013
- GlamSham
Prakash Jha is renowned for making political films that are relevant and entertaining at the same time! Will he strike gold again with Satyagraha? We will just have to wait and see when the film releases on 30 August. Satyagraha has a phenomenal ensemble cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita Rao in central roles. It is reportedly based on the current political climate that is affecting India and the goal to instigate change within the country. Satyagraha has two songs that have been composed by Salim-Sulaiman, who are famous for their work in films like Band Baaja Baraat (2010) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008). The album also features composers by the likes of Meet Bros Anjaan, Aadesh Srivatava and Indian Ocean Band. The lyrics to all the songs have been penned by Prasoon Joshi, who has written songs for films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag...
- 8/1/2013
- by Bodrul Chaudhury
- Bollyspice
Releasing in cinemas on 30th August, 2013 is Prakash Jha’s Satyagraha! The film boasts an incredible cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita Rao. For the music of the film, the fab duo of Salim Sulaiman were brought in to create the sounds of the world of Satyagraha! For a very important scene they are using Mahatama Gandhi’s song Ragupati Raghav Raja Ram, Mr Jha explained, “Yes, we have the song Raghupati Raghav in the film. It comes at a very crucial juncture in Satyagraha, in the life of the character that Amitabh Bachchan is playing.”
Check out Satyagraha’s ‘Raghupati Raghav’ sung by Rajiv Sundaresan, Shivam Pathak and Shweta Pandit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLC2mnT9jVs
First Song: Raghupati Raghav – Satyagraha is a post from: BollySpice
The post First Song: Raghupati Raghav – Satyagraha appeared first on BollySpice.
Check out Satyagraha’s ‘Raghupati Raghav’ sung by Rajiv Sundaresan, Shivam Pathak and Shweta Pandit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLC2mnT9jVs
First Song: Raghupati Raghav – Satyagraha is a post from: BollySpice
The post First Song: Raghupati Raghav – Satyagraha appeared first on BollySpice.
- 7/26/2013
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Mumbai, July 25: Filmmaker Prakash Jha, known for his political dramas, says his upcoming film "Satyagraha" is not about any movement but a story about a father and son relationship.
"It's not a story of Mahatma Gandhi, Anna Hazare or Nirbaya but it has the essence. It's a story about a father and son and their relationship. The film is not inspired by any movement," he said.
"The story is about a father and son who are poles apart. I am not here to create a social jihad," Jha told reporters during launch of the film's song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram".
Describing the song, he said: "We all love this song...we have not.
"It's not a story of Mahatma Gandhi, Anna Hazare or Nirbaya but it has the essence. It's a story about a father and son and their relationship. The film is not inspired by any movement," he said.
"The story is about a father and son who are poles apart. I am not here to create a social jihad," Jha told reporters during launch of the film's song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram".
Describing the song, he said: "We all love this song...we have not.
- 7/25/2013
- by Smith Cox
- RealBollywood.com
There were recent reports which stated that Satyagraha is based on social activists Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal, but filmmaker Prakash Jha cleared the air by stating that the film is about the relationship between a father and a son.
He said to the Times of India, “The film is about a man who is a retired school principal and a man who is successful in life but wants a father. It has nothing to do with Arvind Kejriwal and Anna Hazare.”
Apparently, Ajay Devgn is said to be portraying Arvind Kejriwal and Amitabh Bachchan is said to be portraying Anna Hazare. But Prakash says that they are showing protests as a whole and not focussing on any real activists. He also said he has been working on this script for almost 3 years.
He said,”My idea behind this is protests asa a whole. The society is going through a...
He said to the Times of India, “The film is about a man who is a retired school principal and a man who is successful in life but wants a father. It has nothing to do with Arvind Kejriwal and Anna Hazare.”
Apparently, Ajay Devgn is said to be portraying Arvind Kejriwal and Amitabh Bachchan is said to be portraying Anna Hazare. But Prakash says that they are showing protests as a whole and not focussing on any real activists. He also said he has been working on this script for almost 3 years.
He said,”My idea behind this is protests asa a whole. The society is going through a...
- 6/10/2013
- by Samreen Tungekar
- Bollyspice
It may not be true that Walt Disney wanted to be cryogenically frozen, but Philip Glass's new opera about the last months of his life explores the man behind the myth. Nicholas Wroe meets its director, Phelim McDermott
It was remarkably soon after Walt Disney's death in 1966 that the urban myth emerged of his body being cryogenically frozen in the hope that one day, pending advances in medical science, he might be brought back to life. "Of course it was absolute nonsense," says Phelim McDermott, director of Philip Glass's new opera about Disney, The Perfect American, which opens at the English National Opera . "But for some reason, this was a myth that people wanted to believe. One of our singers grew up in Florida and says, when he was a kid, everyone just knew that Disney was underneath the Epcot Centre. And after a while, these myths can...
It was remarkably soon after Walt Disney's death in 1966 that the urban myth emerged of his body being cryogenically frozen in the hope that one day, pending advances in medical science, he might be brought back to life. "Of course it was absolute nonsense," says Phelim McDermott, director of Philip Glass's new opera about Disney, The Perfect American, which opens at the English National Opera . "But for some reason, this was a myth that people wanted to believe. One of our singers grew up in Florida and says, when he was a kid, everyone just knew that Disney was underneath the Epcot Centre. And after a while, these myths can...
- 5/31/2013
- by Nicholas Wroe
- The Guardian - Film News
Mumbai, May 15: Filmmaker Prakash Jha's political drama "Satyagraha", said to be about the uprising of the middle-class against a corrupt system, is likely to have a quote from Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography as its prologue.
"Satyagraha" as a concept is based on Mahatma Gandhi and Prakashji is planning to start the film with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography "My Experiments With Truth", said a source adding that nothing is finalised yet as they are still toying with the idea.
If reports are to believed and if Jha zeroes in on the idea, he may either request Amitabh Bachchan, who plays the lead role in the film and whose character is apparently inspired by social activist Anna Hazare, to give the voiceover for the.
"Satyagraha" as a concept is based on Mahatma Gandhi and Prakashji is planning to start the film with a quote from Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography "My Experiments With Truth", said a source adding that nothing is finalised yet as they are still toying with the idea.
If reports are to believed and if Jha zeroes in on the idea, he may either request Amitabh Bachchan, who plays the lead role in the film and whose character is apparently inspired by social activist Anna Hazare, to give the voiceover for the.
- 5/15/2013
- by Amith Ostwal
- RealBollywood.com
Mumbai, April 19: Filmmaker Prakash Jha's "Satyagraha" will be screened in South Africa because of its "inherent Mahatma Gandhi connection", says a source.
"A plan is being auctioned right now for a screening in South Africa for Satyagraha because of its inherent Mahatma Gandhi connection. It is being finalized which cast members will be travelling for the screening," said a source close to the team.
The movie's screening will take place somewhere in the month of August, before its release Aug 23.
Directed by Prakash Jha, "Satyagraha" features Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita.
"A plan is being auctioned right now for a screening in South Africa for Satyagraha because of its inherent Mahatma Gandhi connection. It is being finalized which cast members will be travelling for the screening," said a source close to the team.
The movie's screening will take place somewhere in the month of August, before its release Aug 23.
Directed by Prakash Jha, "Satyagraha" features Amitabh Bachchan, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee and Amrita.
- 4/19/2013
- by Shiva Prakash
- RealBollywood.com
Prakash Jha’s Satyagraha is in the making and how! One of India’s best bands, Indian Ocean, has composed a track for this film which is said to be the ‘youth anthem’ for the present youth. Prakash Jha is very happy with the track and said it is brilliant. Not only has the band composed the track, they will also be a part of the movie. According to a source, they have been flown down to Bhopal for a three day shooting schedule. “The idea is to have the band in the song to motivate one and all and encourage them to stand for their rights,” added the source.
Following that, Prakash Jha is using Mahatma Gandhi’s Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram in the film and is featuring it on Amitabh Bachchan, who is reportedly playing a role which is inspired by Anna Hazare. He said that the song...
Following that, Prakash Jha is using Mahatma Gandhi’s Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram in the film and is featuring it on Amitabh Bachchan, who is reportedly playing a role which is inspired by Anna Hazare. He said that the song...
- 3/13/2013
- by Samreen Tungekar
- Bollyspice
Prakash Jha is using the iconic Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram song in Satyagraha. It will be featured on Amitabh Bachchan who plays a role that many say has been inspired by Anna Hazare. Anna is a Gandhian and Raghupati was one of the most favourite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi who even sang the song to his followers during the famous Dandi March. Read More...
- 3/7/2013
- Bollywood Trade
Prakash Jha is using the iconic Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram song in Satyagraha. It will be featured on Amitabh Bachchan who plays a role that many say has been inspired by Anna Hazare. Anna is a Gandhian and Raghupati was one of the most favourite bhajans of Mahatma Gandhi who even sang the song to his followers during the famous Dandi March.Amitabh Bachchan's character is inspired by Gandhi philosophies and it is only fitting that Raghupati Raghav...
- 3/7/2013
- GlamSham
Mumbai, March 6: Filmmaker Prakash Jha, who is shooting his film "Satyagraha", says he will be using Mahatama Gandhi's song "Ragupati Raghav Raja Ram" in the film, which will be featured on Amitabh Bachchan, who plays a role inspired by Anna Hazare.
Prakash Jha told Ians: "Yes, we have the song 'Raghupati Raghav' in the film. It comes at a very crucial juncture in 'Satyagraha', in the life of the character that Amitabh Bachchan is playing."
Revealing more about the song, a source close to the team further added: "Prakashji is using the iconic 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' song in 'Satyagraha'. It will be featured on Amitabh Bachchan.
Prakash Jha told Ians: "Yes, we have the song 'Raghupati Raghav' in the film. It comes at a very crucial juncture in 'Satyagraha', in the life of the character that Amitabh Bachchan is playing."
Revealing more about the song, a source close to the team further added: "Prakashji is using the iconic 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' song in 'Satyagraha'. It will be featured on Amitabh Bachchan.
- 3/6/2013
- by Lohit Reddy
- RealBollywood.com
Prakash Jha known for making hard hitting films based on current issues is busy with his forthcoming venture Satyagraha. The film which stars Amitabh Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpayee and Arjun Rampal has however run into trouble. Apparently, Jha who will be shooting the film in Bhopal has been alleged to have carried out illegal construction work on a playground in Bhopal which incidentally is the spot from where Mahatma Gandhi had issued his first call for Satyagraha in 1929. Due to this, the filmmaker has been facing the wrath of local residents. The reason behind these allegations is that the Bhopal Citizens Forum (Bcf) feels that the laying of a tar-road and construction of a makeshift market by the production house at the grounds of the historic 19th century Benazir Palace would damage the historic fabric of the area. However, on the other hand, the filmmaker states that...
- 12/10/2012
- by Bollywood Hungama News Network
- BollywoodHungama
Fictionalised account of animator's life, one of nine new productions to be staged by the company, will present a 'nightmarish' vision of Walt Disney
A new work by Philip Glass about Walt Disney will have its UK premiere at English National Opera (Eno) in June 2013. Glass's opera – his 24th – is based on Peter Stephan Jungk's 2004 novel The Perfect American, a fictionalised account of the final years of Walt Disney's life, described by Glass as "unimaginable, alarming and truly frightening". The novel, narrated by Wilhelm Dantine, a fictional Austrian cartoonist who worked for the animator in the 50s, mixes fact and fantasy, including meetings with Andy Warhol and Abraham Lincoln, to discover Disney's delusions of immortality and glimpse into his murky private life. He is controversially depicted as a racist, a misogynist and an antisemite.
La Times reviewer Richard Schickel called the book a "partially successful fiction ... [that asks us to] reflect on fame and...
A new work by Philip Glass about Walt Disney will have its UK premiere at English National Opera (Eno) in June 2013. Glass's opera – his 24th – is based on Peter Stephan Jungk's 2004 novel The Perfect American, a fictionalised account of the final years of Walt Disney's life, described by Glass as "unimaginable, alarming and truly frightening". The novel, narrated by Wilhelm Dantine, a fictional Austrian cartoonist who worked for the animator in the 50s, mixes fact and fantasy, including meetings with Andy Warhol and Abraham Lincoln, to discover Disney's delusions of immortality and glimpse into his murky private life. He is controversially depicted as a racist, a misogynist and an antisemite.
La Times reviewer Richard Schickel called the book a "partially successful fiction ... [that asks us to] reflect on fame and...
- 4/24/2012
- by Imogen Tilden
- The Guardian - Film News
Philip Glass and Lou Reed occupied Lincoln Center last week, after a performance of Glass' opera, "Satyagraha," at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. At the time, quality footage was scarce, but today Open Culture pointed out a new video that artfully gathers scenes from the evening.
The black-and-white short film, "Visible Shape," by Jean Thevenin, is clearly meant to stir populist sentiment for the movement, and it's quite effective. Glass' music -- "Protest" from "Satyagraha" (as performed by the New York City Opera Orchestra) -- plays in the background, as the protesters being their chant: "When I saw you, I saw love." The camera focuses in on faces, lit up by the words Reed and Glass share with the intimate crowd.
"The police are our army," Reed says quietly, as the crowd echoes him. "I want to be friends with them."
Glass takes a more poetic tack, reciting the closing lines of "Satyagraha.
The black-and-white short film, "Visible Shape," by Jean Thevenin, is clearly meant to stir populist sentiment for the movement, and it's quite effective. Glass' music -- "Protest" from "Satyagraha" (as performed by the New York City Opera Orchestra) -- plays in the background, as the protesters being their chant: "When I saw you, I saw love." The camera focuses in on faces, lit up by the words Reed and Glass share with the intimate crowd.
"The police are our army," Reed says quietly, as the crowd echoes him. "I want to be friends with them."
Glass takes a more poetic tack, reciting the closing lines of "Satyagraha.
- 12/9/2011
- by Gazelle Emami
- Huffington Post
Manager Peter Gelb is leading the way in attracting a new, younger audience to New York's Metropolitan Opera, but at what cost?
In Peter Gelb's office at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, there's a screen that's flush with the wall so it resembles a window. It captures whatever is happening on the Met's stage – so its general manager's eye can be trained on rehearsals and performances all day long. When I visit, the set of Philip Glass's Satyagraha is being taken down, to be replaced, a little later, by that of Don Giovanni (both productions have British directors, to whom we will return).
It is appropriate that Gelb's eye on his operatic kingdom is via a screen, for cinema has become the company's boom area. Gelb claims it will reap $10m–$12m (£6.4m–£7.7m) net profit from this, its sixth season of live HD transmissions into cinemas. Donizetti...
In Peter Gelb's office at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, there's a screen that's flush with the wall so it resembles a window. It captures whatever is happening on the Met's stage – so its general manager's eye can be trained on rehearsals and performances all day long. When I visit, the set of Philip Glass's Satyagraha is being taken down, to be replaced, a little later, by that of Don Giovanni (both productions have British directors, to whom we will return).
It is appropriate that Gelb's eye on his operatic kingdom is via a screen, for cinema has become the company's boom area. Gelb claims it will reap $10m–$12m (£6.4m–£7.7m) net profit from this, its sixth season of live HD transmissions into cinemas. Donizetti...
- 12/9/2011
- by Charlotte Higgins
- The Guardian - Film News
Good reviews can be as harmful as bad ones, says Stephen Sondheim. In an extract from his new book, he reflects on a life of prizes, putdowns – and the joy of songs sung in Sanskrit
After a rotten review, you don't remember the good ones. The only pleasure you have is to reiterate, both to yourself and to anyone who'll listen, the bad ones, which you can quote in exquisite detail. Moreover, you have to come to terms with the truth that no matter how doggedly you try to deceive yourself to the contrary, if you're going to believe your good reviews, you're going to have to believe the less good ones as well, unless you're deeply self-delusional.
I've worked with a few of the deluded, and there's a part of me that envies their blindness. Richard Rodgers [one half of Rodgers and Hammerstein] was one. For all his success, he was so sensitive to bad...
After a rotten review, you don't remember the good ones. The only pleasure you have is to reiterate, both to yourself and to anyone who'll listen, the bad ones, which you can quote in exquisite detail. Moreover, you have to come to terms with the truth that no matter how doggedly you try to deceive yourself to the contrary, if you're going to believe your good reviews, you're going to have to believe the less good ones as well, unless you're deeply self-delusional.
I've worked with a few of the deluded, and there's a part of me that envies their blindness. Richard Rodgers [one half of Rodgers and Hammerstein] was one. For all his success, he was so sensitive to bad...
- 11/21/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Did a folksong-loving teacher really just happen to write England's most famous classical work? Film-maker Tony Palmer questions the myth of the author of The Planets
Making a film – any film – is a journey of exploration. If you knew at the beginning what you know at the end, why bother to make the film? This is one of the reasons I am often spurned by commissioning editors: I begin with no script, certainly no "agenda" (their favourite word), and no schedule. Not much of a budget either, come to think of it.
It was 40 years ago, while filming Benjamin Britten, that I first thought of making a film about Gustav Holst. I had noticed a photograph of the young Holst in Britten's music room, and asked him why. He told me, "I owe him more than I can tell you." Which was odd, because you almost never heard the name...
Making a film – any film – is a journey of exploration. If you knew at the beginning what you know at the end, why bother to make the film? This is one of the reasons I am often spurned by commissioning editors: I begin with no script, certainly no "agenda" (their favourite word), and no schedule. Not much of a budget either, come to think of it.
It was 40 years ago, while filming Benjamin Britten, that I first thought of making a film about Gustav Holst. I had noticed a photograph of the young Holst in Britten's music room, and asked him why. He told me, "I owe him more than I can tell you." Which was odd, because you almost never heard the name...
- 4/21/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Above: Zoulikha Bouabdellah's Al Attlal (Ruines), left, and Pierre Léon's À la barbe d'Ivan, right.
Nicole Brenez has curated two programs of new work from the French avant-garde for this year’s Rendezvous with French Cinema 2011 in New York; below she has offered her program notes in French. Program one (on Saturday) concentrates on filmmakers reappropriating images; program two (Sunday) is the new feature by Ange Leccia, Nuit bleue. Below, I’ve translated Brenez’s extended appreciation of Leccia and Nuit bleue; as usual, I’ve tried to stay faithful to the sound and rhythm of the original where possible. Beneath the translated extract you'll find the full article by Ms. Brenez in its original French. —David Phelps
***
…Although Ange Leccia has also practiced re-appropriating images (especially Jean Luc-Godard’s) in his installations and his films, Nuit bleuetakes up a different aesthetic vein, one rich with a long tradition of the French avant-garde.
Nicole Brenez has curated two programs of new work from the French avant-garde for this year’s Rendezvous with French Cinema 2011 in New York; below she has offered her program notes in French. Program one (on Saturday) concentrates on filmmakers reappropriating images; program two (Sunday) is the new feature by Ange Leccia, Nuit bleue. Below, I’ve translated Brenez’s extended appreciation of Leccia and Nuit bleue; as usual, I’ve tried to stay faithful to the sound and rhythm of the original where possible. Beneath the translated extract you'll find the full article by Ms. Brenez in its original French. —David Phelps
***
…Although Ange Leccia has also practiced re-appropriating images (especially Jean Luc-Godard’s) in his installations and his films, Nuit bleuetakes up a different aesthetic vein, one rich with a long tradition of the French avant-garde.
- 3/19/2011
- MUBI
It's hard to parse out the intended audience for Glass Box, a 10-disc set of Philip Glass' recordings for Nonesuch. Anyone willing to commit to such a huge chunk of Glass' music is probably already a fan. But mammoth as it is, Glass Box's sampler-platter approach falls into the same trap as many box sets: There's a lot of everything here, but almost never enough of anything. We get parts eight through 10 of the early statement-of-purpose work Music In 12 Parts, abbreviated versions of the popular operas Einstein On The Beach and Satyagraha, a greatest-hits collection of film music, and so on. Sticklers for historicity will probably prefer the earlier recordings of these pieces, and the box provides all the evidence a Glass-hater would need to condemn the composer, who's made repetition a cornerstone within his compositions, but also of his compositions. Early Glass works like "Music...
- 10/14/2008
- by Keith Phipps
- avclub.com
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