Three weeks ago, Kaberi and I hosted the online launch event for Justin Smith’s latest documentary, Manikda: The Mystique of Pather Panchali. He had made the film to mark the birth centenary of Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who was born on 2 May 1921. Through Justin’s Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to complete the film…
Category: Films
About films: my films, films I’ve seen, films I’ve heard about …
Watch Tagore’s dance-dramas for free this weekend
Many of us around the world are in lockdown at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic. So Kaberi and I thought we should share some of Tagore’s humanity and help people celebrate the Bengali New Year (on April 14) at home by making these films available for free this weekend.
Where the mind is without fear
It has been over a year since my last post here. Let me explain why. In January 2013, I wrote about Coconut oil: after the cataclysm. Almost two years later, I have just completed the film You must be nuts! which traces the journey I’ve been on since then. It’s my fourth feature film – the first three being film versions…
A special Tagore anniversary
A version of this post first appeared on the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust blog on 9 May 2013. 7 May 2013 was the 152nd anniversary of the birth of the Bengali creative genius and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore. This year is also the centenary of Tagore winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. We celebrated the occasion at Shakespeare’s…
Two Bards’ birthdays
On April 23, (with a little help from our friends AJ and Melissa Leon) people all over the world celebrated Shakespeare’s birthday. Those who used Twitter to wish Shakespeare a Happy Birthday included Stephen Fry, Arianna Huffington and Geri Halliwell. Shakespeare’s birthday is certainly one I cannot miss, since it happens to be my birthday too….
A tribute to a Tagorean spirit
Ranajit Roy was renowned and widely respected for his integrity. His father, Shibdas Roy, was one of the early students at the school Tagore founded in Santiniketan. Thanks to being a very good singer, Shibdas Roy became one of Tagore’s favourite students and, later, an honorary teacher at the China Bhavan, teaching English to Tibetan monks. The family used to live in their ancestral home in Moukhira, about 18km from Santiniketan.
Happy Tagore Nobel centenary year!
So 2012 is over. Just to give you an overview, my blog had about 9,200 views during the year, of which just over 4,000 were in September. Looking ahead, 2013 is the centenary of Rabindranath Tagore winning the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Tagore dance – preparing for a global Q&A session
Last month, the makers of the film Sleepwalk with me proposed an evening where they were “encouraging everyone to host a pizza party and watch the movie with friends (pizza figures prominently in several scenes in the movie). And here’s the deal: Ira Glass and Mike Birbiglia will be video chatting with as many of these parties as possible.”…
A Tagore evening to remember
As you will have realised, last Sunday was the world premiere of Chitrangada in Brussels. The English-subtitled version of the film is now available worldwide via the Internet. Before midnight on Sunday, 28 October, if you watch it or host a screening of it for friends or for people in your area, you can be part of…
Gathering the team for ‘The Story of Gitanjali’
The Story of Gitanjali may not be as elaborate as the opening ceremony of the Olympics. However, it does need careful preparation and planning. Apart from the audience in the Gold Hall of the Square Brussels, where we will be on stage, we also need to keep in mind those who will be watching it on screens elsewhere.