The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Indian film ‘not just Bollywood’ Posted: 31 Mar 2013 09:40 PM PDT  'ID' tells the story of a labourer who collapses at the comfortable Mumbai flat of young graduate Charu and her quest to piece together who he is. - AFP pic PARIS, April 1 — Ask award-winning Indian filmmaker Kamal K.M. what he thinks about Bollywood and he throws back his head and roars with laughter. "Nonsense! Nonsense!" he cries. For Kamal, the winner of this year's Deauville Asian Film Festival for his film "ID", Bollywood's commercially successful diet of slick song and dance routines, far-fetched plots and cheesy dialogue is a bit "like opium". Producers and directors, he says, will joke among themselves that their films are "rubbish" but claim they have to keep churning them out because "the people insist". The Kerala-based independent filmmaker is sceptical and more than a little disapproving, believing the industry's leading lights should take greater responsibility for what they produce and give audiences more choice. "Bollywood is just one part of Indian cinema," Kamal told AFP in an interview in Paris, adding that around 10 of India's 31 states produce their own films. "Among that, Bollywood is one... the largest film-producing state (of Maharashtra). It is strong in the diaspora across the world and so that is why Bollywood is appreciated all over the place," he said. Inspired by a real life incident, "ID" tells the story of a labourer who collapses at the comfortable Mumbai flat of young graduate Charu and her quest to piece together who he is. The city of 20 million is a magnet for poor rural people from all over India who flock there in search of work, often leaving their families behind. Forced to live lives of extreme precariousness, security can be limited to nothing more than managing to find a piece of pavement or wasteland beneath an underpass that has not yet been claimed by someone else. Every day, thousands gather at so called labour points where they are picked up by employers to do casual work. In a country of extremes, Charu by contrast is part of a new generation of well-qualified young Indians employed by multinational companies. Her search launches her on a journey from one world to another, from middle class privilege and security to the grinding poverty—and anonymity—of the city's slums. According to Kamal, migrants often fall ill and die or are killed without their families ever knowing what has happened to them. "That is nothing. In any of these cities where this drastic migration is happening, that is quite common," he said. "There is a dialogue in the film where she (Charu) is asked 'why are you so concerned when there are so many unidentified dead bodies in this city?' "Someone says 'the government has a system, so why don't you leave them to it'," he said. For Kamal, the question of identity is pertinent in modern day India. "The idea becomes more important when you are cut off from your roots, when you are displaced. There is a huge amount of this in India. "In other places the displacement happens due to some war, some sort of calamity that is created by nature, but in India it is without (these) other issues that the people are getting displaced," he said. And with rapid development all over India over recent decades, a sense of alienation is by no means unique to the big cities. "The process of urbanisation is happening in the rural parts also now, because of this new lifestyle that is coming through now with the urban values," he said, recalling his own childhood in Kerala where food would be shared with neighbours daily. "Society is transforming. You think are on your own. Earlier we were depending on other people for everything," he said. Accepting his best film award in the French resort of Deauville earlier this month, Kamal dedicated it to the "common man". "The emotional impact of the film reminds people that you have to look at the person beside you even the stranger on the street," he added. – AFP-Relaxnews |
| Music agenda: Jazz goes to Cape Town, Coachella kicks off Posted: 31 Mar 2013 09:27 PM PDT
Shortly afterwards alternative music fans head to the USA for the annual two-weekend alt. fest that is Coachella, which this year features headline spots from Blur, The Stone Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phoenix as well as appearances from Bat For Lashes, Band Of Horses and many others. Cape Town International Jazz Festival April 5-6 Cape Town, South Africa The annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival draws together artists from all over the world for two days of jazz music and also features an accompanying photographic exhibition. This year's festival features performances from Buena Vista Social Club, the Steve Turre Quintet, the Brand New Heavies and many, many more. Tickets are R440 (RM147) for a Day Pass or R645 for a Weekend Pass. Coachella April 12-14/April 19-21 Indio, California, USA Held over two weekends in April, the Coachella music and arts festival features headline spots from Blur, Phoenix, The Stone Roses and Red Hot Chili Peppers and performances from alt. artists such as Bat For Lashes, Band Of Horses, Beach House and many, many others. Tickets cost from upwards of US$349 (RM1,081) for the weekend and have largely sold out. Check website for more details. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival April 26, 27, 28 / May 2, 3, 4 & 5 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is held over two weekends in April and May and celebrates the culture of the local area, with performances from some of the world's leading musicians. This year featured artists include Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac and The Dave Matthews Band. Tickets for this year's event cost upwards of US$50. Noah And The Whale: "Heart Of Nowhere" May 5/6 UK/USA Beloved British indie-outfit Noah And The Whale drop "Heart Of Nowhere" the group's fourth studi album, which has already spawned the single "There Will Come A Time". http://www.noahandthewhale.com The Electric Daisy Carnival: New York May 17-18 New York, USA Annual event the Electric Daily Carnival is one of the biggest electronic music events in North America, attracting upwards of 300,000 people. Pre-sale tickets are now available, priced upwards of US$215 for the weekend. The National : Trouble Will Find Me May 20/21 UK/USA American rock outfit The National release their long awaited sixth studio album, titled "Trouble Will Find Me," via 4AD. Daft Punk: Random Access Memories May 20/21 UK/USA Long-running electro act Daft Punk release their latest studio album, "Random Access Memories." Primavera Sound May 22-26 Barcelona, Spain The Barcelona edition of the annual Primavera Sound festival, one of the largest music events in Spain, takes place in the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain. This year's lineup features British rockers Blur, The Breeders, Daniel Johnson and many, many other artists. Tickets have largely sold out but single-day tickets for Thursday 23, Friday 24 and Saturday, May 25 are still available at the price of €80 (RM317). Sasquatch! Music Festival May 24-27 Quincy, Washington, USA The Sasquatch music festival takes place at the Gorge concert venue in Quincy, Washington State, USA. Tickets include camping and parking and cost US$337.50, though only a very limited number remain. VIP packages are also available for varying costs starting at US$6,500 per pair, although it does include luxury accommodation. The lineup for Sasquatch 2013 includes Mumford and Sons, The Postal Service, Sigur Rós, Vampire Weekend, The xx and many others. Optimus Primavera Sound May 30 - June 1 Porto, Portugal The Portuguese version of the Primavera Sound festival features an almost identical lineup to the earlier Primavera Sound in Barcelona, with Blur, Dan Deacon and The Breeders all featuring alongside numerous other artists. Day tickets for May 30 and 31 and June 1 retail for €55, tickets for the full festival cost €125 and combined tickets to Optimus Primavera Sound 2013 and Primavera Sound 2013 in Barcelona retail for €250. http://www.optimusprimaverasound.com – AFP-Relaxnews |
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