R(EVOLUTION) is still hot in in the European circuit.  After an amazing audience response at Karlovy Vary and Prague in 2008, the film has now been invited to the competitive section of XIV International TV Festival bar at Montenegro. Later the film would travel East to be screened at Tbilisi 10th International Film Festival, Georgia where it will be screened in the HORIZONS section.

Links -

Montenegro   -   www.tvfestbar.com

Georgia            -  www.tbilisifilmfestival.ge

PREVIOUS festivals

“R(evolution)” was presented as a ‘World Premiere’ at the 43rd  Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Czech Republic), 4-12 July, 2008. It was officially selected and screened in the competitive section “Forum of Independents.” This is a Grade ‘A’ film festival, at the level of distinction of film festivals such as Cannes and Berlin. Festival website: www.kviff.com
 
“R(evolution)” was also officially selected and screened in the section “Indian Vista” at the 7th Third Eye Asian Film Festival, Mumbai, India, October16-23, 2008.
Festival website: www.affmumbai.com

Premonsoon clouds float over the Mumbai Skyline.

To be frank, we didn’t realize there was anything funny while we were slogging to get ready to roll. The humour was realized over a couple of drinks in the red light bar a few nights later with my rum-buddy – Sid, the production designer.

cont…  go to filmmaking page

First the transporters’ strike and then came the oil companies PSUs strike. Till last evening the situation didn’t look so alarming. Mumbai’s roads look different today. Marked reduction in traffic and many gas stations are shut. Autos and Taxis were the first to get hit. However, there may be a few stations on the highways, say 50-60 km from Mumbai which may still have oil becuase they have bigger dumps to cater to the requirements of heavy vehicles like tourist buses (plying on Mum-Goa highway) and heavy container trucks.

I will try to get some pictures posted by evening.

Srinagar greeted with a dry autumn and deserted streets. The tourists who thronged the markets and shikaras a few months back were missing. As a photographer I felt like the streets, the landscape too was barren, with a veneer of gritty yellowy dust all over compared to the lush greens three months back.

to read more click on the page – ‘11 Weeks’ – the film shoot. Part-1

Café Leopold

Leopold is where the mayhem seems to have started on the fateful night of 26^th Nov. The terrorists fired indiscriminately before hurling a grenade in the popular joint frequented by westerners, the office crowd, and the youngsters.  The terrorists left the scene creating chaos and panic on the streets and dead bodies strewn around in the café.

No sooner had the carnage ended in Mumbai, Leopold was back in action. No alterations or changes were done in its otherwise simple décor or style – it opened just the same way as it was on the night of 26/11 with the embellishments of bullet marks on the wooden pillars & shattered glass panes.

When I arrived there in the evening around eight the café was almost packed.  I somehow managed to get hold of a table. Everything seemed normal. The crowd was mostly Indian; having beer after office. Initially I noticed nothing amiss. As I settled down and glanced around I noticed the bullet marks and the two round holes on the Café’s glass façade.

Everyone who was present there seemed to have just one resolve – get the fear out of their mind.  The place looked lively, contrary to what I expected before I stepped in. it was an encouraging sight because collectively we managed to defeat the purpose which the terrorists wanted – fear.

As I pulled my haversack aside to take my camera there were few curious glances. With the permission of the café staff I took few pictures. A group seated few tables away waved and called me over. I was wondering if something had irked them. They lifted the table cloth and showed me a small pit right under the table. I looked on – blank. ‘Grenade!’ one of them pointed. This is the spot where the grenade had exploded after being lobbed in. With a sense of defiantness they raised their beer mugs and drank. It was a moment of fearlessness – an antidote to the venom of terror.