:::The Desi Flavor:::

Kal Penn Interview

From Mefi:

Filmiholic interviews Kal Penn. The interview begins with a discussion of his new film the Namesake, but covers a lot of interesting topics. There is an also an interview with Jhumpa Lahiri, who wrote the book the Namesake is based on.

Related: The Namesake' Redeems Kal Penn:

In "The Namesake" actor Kal Penn goes from a disturbingly unfunny comedic presence to a solid dramatic one. It isn't a perfect performance, but this isn't a perfect film. "Namesake" is rough around the edges, but radiates a poignancy that's impossible to shake.

Stepping into an arranged marriage, Ashima (Bollywood superstar Tabu) follows her husband Ashoke (Irfan Kahn) from India to New York City, where she's overwhelmed by the loss of traditions and cultural personality, clinging to her husband for guidance and love. From their marriage comes baby Gogol (Kal Penn), who grows up caught between the heritage of his family and the fast lane of life in America. When tragedy snaps Gogol to attention, he searches his complicated life to discover what's most important to him and his family.

Other:
: Namesake is a classic immigrant saga

: Kal Penn: Hot, sexy and Indian-American

Cartoon Theme parks planned for Delhi

India’s first ever American style themed parks are to be constructed in Delhi. At a cost of 5.5bn rupees (£70m), the two parks in Delhi will be based around children's channels Cartoon Network and Pogo, which are operated by Turner International.

Turner's operations in India contribute 10% of the company's revenues, with 26m homes receiving its Cartoon Network channel. The country's children appear to have an insatiable appetite for US characters, a sign, say some, of the Americanisation of the country. Sales from distributing cartoons alone are rising at more than 20% a year.

"Family entertainment centres", as they are dubbed by economists, are a fast-growing business in India, with sales doubling every year.

Analysts say that for companies such as Turner the centres are a way of selling cartoons beyond the screen: encouraging children to spend their parents' money on branded clothes and games in the "sealed" environment of a theme park.

Source: Yabadabadoo: cartoon theme parks planned for Delhi

Meet the Magoons

"Meet the Magoons is the story of a group of mates (Hardeep Singh Kohli, Sanjeev Kohli, Nitin Ganatra and Paul Sharma) for whom ketchup, chaos, country slices, tandooris, turbans and transvestites are all in a day's work.

The action is set around The Spice, a Punjabi curry house in Glasgo,where the day-to-day running of the business comes second to the cock-ups and cover-ups of the Magoons. If they're not encountering drug-smuggling samosa suppliers, they're being busted by an all-female police hit squad! squad!"

You can catch up on Meet the Magoons tonite on Channel 4 at prime time.

Related:
: Meet the Magoons - a review of the upcoming comedy

: The Scotsman interviews Hardeep Singh Kohli, the writer of the sitcom

Kohli grew up in Bishopbriggs and served time as a waiter in Glasgow restaurants owned by his cousins. It appears to have been the catering equivalent of boot camp and an experience he is now richly mining for comedy material. He bluntly summarises his restaurant work as "a 360 degree experience - from the shite outside to the banter and the crack inside the kitchen. It's two different worlds."

Channel 4 is giving Meet the Magoons a peaktime 9.30pm slot on Fridays and trailing it relentlessly during ad breaks. Kohli has thanked the network for "not hiding behind ghetto scheduling" in allocating a prime broadcast time, but bridles at any suggestion he is attempting an ethnic sitcom. He has been invited to sit on a panel about diversity at this year's Edinburgh television festival, but insists his sitcom has no agenda other than simply being funny.

"It's curious people ask me questions like that but they would never ask John Cleese: 'did you write a white comedy?' They would never ask David Walliams and Matt Lucas [creators of Little Britain] 'do you write quintessentially white comedy?' It's just assumed they write the comedy from their experience.

"Everything in my show, one way or another, is something that I've experienced. It just so happens I've experienced it with predominantly brown people in the frame. It's difficult enough writing comedy that's funny, let alone writing to fulfil other criteria. You've just got to write from the heart, and from the soul, whatever comes out, comes out."

Bhutanese culture harmed by Indian channels

More here: “Telecast of some Indian news and entertainment channels has been barred by cable operators in Bhutan, after local media labelled them as a threat to their cultural values. The channels that were taken off air from April this year included SUNTV, Asianet,
ETV Bangla, Aaj Tak and Zee News, apart from foreign channels like FTV and Ten Sports.

"There was no formal directive from the government and the above decision was taken by the cable operators themselves, following a series of articles, which appeared in the media in Bhutan," Reddy said.

He said it was alleged in most of the articles that some of these channels were "culturally degrading and were undermining Bhutanese cultural values, besides distracting students from their studies."

MTV Desi Coming your way

From WorldChanging blog:

"In late July, MTV will premiere MTV Desi, a new music tv offering aimed squarely at second-generation Indian-Americans (desis). The channel will mix Bollywood  videos with Asian Massive, add a shot of M.I.A., offer up cross-generational comedy (one suspects a la The Kumars at No 42), interviews with bicultural artists, profiles of happening desis and live house parties.

It's a mass culture tap into the notion of transnational identity -- the idea that despite a degree of assimilation, immigrant communities now retain close ties to their native cultures, thanks to easy air travel, transglobal business and trade, and you-are-there communications technologies. Unlike previous generations (say, that of my grandparents and parents, early 20th century immigrants and first-gen Americans, respectively), the "old country" isn't being left behind forever. This hybrid identity leaves a lot of young Asian-Americans hungry for pop culture that reflects their ties to both West and East.

MTV Desi will be the vanguard for two other Asian-American channels: MTV Chi, a melange of Chinese diaspora popcult, and MTV K, merging South Korean and Korean-American pop music. Says MTV exec Nusrat Durrani, "This country has had the African-American experience, the Hispanic-American experience, and now it is the time for the third-largest group, the Asian-Americans." While of Russo-Jewish extraction, I look forward to getting my fixes of Karsh Kale, DJ Cheb i Sabbah, Tabla Beat Science et cetera that much more easily."

More coverage here and from ContentSutra.

 

More links from lungis.com

: Time on the rising marketing potential of South Asians in America:

Welcome to the next marketing frontier. For years, Western companies have understood the potential of 1 billion consumers in India,but now they are slowly starting to realize the purchasing power of people in the U.S. who trace their roots to the subcontinent—a group known as desis. MTV India has aired overseas since 1996, but MTV Desi—a channel for Americans of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Bhutanese and Nepalese descent—is brand new, launching this summer. And MTV isn’t alone as it chases desi dollars. South Asian marketing is still in its infancy, but early adopters like General Motors, Citibank and GlaxoSmithKline are advertising in ethnic newspapers, buying airtime on satellite channels, sponsoring cultural festivals, underwriting minority scholarships and even creating new products, like MTV Desi.

 

Why the interest? It’s not just America’s growing appetite for South Asian culture—movies like Bend It Like Beckham and stars like Bollywood actress and model Aishwarya Rai. The marketing thrust started with the 2000 Census, which revealed that during the 1990s the number of Indians in the U.S. more than doubled—making them the fastest-growing Asian minority. There are some 2.5 million desis in the US, and the vast majority are Indian. That may not seem terribly significant compared with, say, 40 million Hispanics, but consider how premium a customer a South Asian is: Indians alone commanded $76 billion worth of disposable personal income last year, according to market-research firm Cultural Access Group, using figures from the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth; median household income is nearly $64,000—50% higher than the national average. The U.S. has always welcome the world's poor and working classes.d’s poor and working classes. India has sent its professionals.

: “MTV plans to further infilitrate the Asian-American market by releasing MTV Chi (for Chinese Americans) and MTV K (for Korean Americans) by next year.”

Kids with Camera

Born into Brothels won the Oscar for best documentary this year. Filmed in the red light district of Calcutta, it follows several children born into the brothels, whose mothers work as prostitutes. In a city where there is much poverty, they are even more shunned and maltreated than most, because of where they live and who their families are. Given cameras, they photograph their families, the streets where they live, and generate new hope for their lives. In the wake of the film, an organization, Kids with Cameras, has emerged to continue the project.

Kids with Cameras is a non-profit organization that teaches the art of photography to marginalized children in communities around the world. We use photography to capture the imaginations of children, to empower them, building confidence, self-esteem and hope.

Kids with Cameras has uploaded some of their photos to Flickr.

(via FlickrBlog)

Foreign Exchange TV

Foreign Exchange TV with Fareed Zakaria.

Widely respected for his ability to spot economic and political trends around the world, Fareed Zakaria has developed an international reputation as a global thinker. Describing him as "the most influential foreign policy adviser of his generation," Esquire named him "one of the 21 most important people of the 21st century."

Editor of Newsweek International since 2001, Dr. Zakaria oversees Newsweek's eight editions throughout Asia, Latin America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. His column - on subjects arranging from terrorism, national security and America's role in the world to the global economy and the rise of China- appears in Newsweek (USA), Newsweek International, and, often, The Washington Post, making it one of the most widely circulated columns of its kind in the world. His award-winning cover stories have included "Why America Scares the World," "How to Win the Peace" and "Why They Hate Us," which the Boston Globe said "ought to be mandatory reading in every home in America."

His international bestseller, The Future of Freedom, is a global analysis of how democracy has changed every aspect of our lives - from economics and technology to politics and social relations. The Washington Post called it "a work of tremendous originality and insight....[It] makes you see the world differently." More here.

Commonwealth Film Festival to showcase Desi movies

The Commonwealth Film Festival kicks of this week in Manchester (28th April - 8th May), with a series of new feature films and short movies from around the world. It includes Pink Ludoos, described as Canada's answer to Bend It Like Beckham. More here.

Chased by Dreams (gala presentation) is Bengali writer-poet-filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta's third film to be presented in the Festival after 2002's The Wrestlers and 2003's A Tale of a Naughty Girl. The allegorical road movie looks at a nation's concerns for its future by examining the intimate hopes and fears of its protagonists. Dasgupta will present the screening.

Two other Bengali films: Yours Truly Srikanta from India and Shankhonad from Bangladesh, 'offer meditative reflections on the wisdom one acquires later in life and the effortless relationship between man and his natural environment'.

Mathieu Ravier, the film festival's director says: "Beyond the ever popular cinema of Bollywood there is a fantastic range of diverse and entertaining South Asian films that rarely make it to our shores. For a limited time we bring you an exclusive sample of what this year’s best South Asian filmmakers are up to."

On the lighter side, Pink Ludoos is about how one Indo-Canadian girl, caught between old traditions and new lifestyles, is hell-bent on making the best of both worlds. Billed as Canada’s answer to Bend It Like Beckham, it stars Shaheen Khan again as the mother. She will co-present the film alongside Canadian director Gaurav Seth.

In a nod to women filmmakers from the Commonwealth, Pakistani documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid will present her bold investigation into the role played by women in cementing democracy and furthering social progress in Saudi Arabia, the world’s most conservative Muslim nation, in The Women of the Holy Kingdom.

Other desi films include:

: Dance like a Man

...story of Ratna and Jairaj, a couple of dancers of Bharatanatyam, the ancient form of Indian classical dance. Now middle-aged, they are left with doubts about both their career and their relationship. Having left the stage for good, they can only re-experience the crucial moment of a dancer’s debut through their only daughter, Lata (played by Ravi Shankar’s daughter Anoushka). Is Lata really committed to dance or is she doing it to fulfil her parents’ dream? What has been their own motivations for choosing such a difficult career? Have they really stayed true to childhood ambitions?

This profound family drama mines complex issues of family duty, social prejudice and the sacrifices dancers make in dedicating their lives to the art. The dance scenes, capturing the drama, sensuality and mysticism of ancient Indian traditions, are truly inspiring.

: Hari Om

...romantic adventure through Rajasthan which sees the unlikely pairing of a happy-go-lucky rickshaw driver and a beautiful French woman. When Isa and her husband accidentally get separated during a luxury train ride, she resorts to the help of Hari Om (and his colourful rickshaw), himself on the run. Together they travel through postcard-perfect landscapes while coming-to-terms with what they really want out of life.

This cross-cultural romantic comedy unfolds amidst the stunning backdrop of some of India’s most gorgeous locations, turning into a buoyant road movie in the process. The presence and charisma of Vijay Raaz (Monsoon Wedding) in the lead and his on-screen chemistry with French actress Camille Natta make for a convincing mismatched couple. Nitin Sawhney’s upbeat score is also a perfect fit for this charming feel-good movie, Indian style.

: The Dusk (short film)

A small crowded boarding house in the suburbs of Pune. The home of, among others, an old man on the verge of becoming senile. Caught in a time warp, he is slowly losing touch with reality. He is lonely but everyone around him has had enough of him. As time stands still for him, for the others life goes on.

: Elephant Boy (short film)

A Scottish woman's act of charity inadvertantly sends a disabled Indian beggar boy from the streets of Mumbai to an ancient hill top temple. BAFTA nominee 2005.

: Yaanam - Beautifully photographed river trip along the waterways of Kerala

Bharathan and Damodharan are two boatmen who take pride in their work, transporting goods along Kerala’s elaborate network of waterways. Wooden sailboats such as theirs were once the lifeline of riverside dwellers, but the age-old trade is now threatened by alternative means of transport. The life is tough and traditional work is highly labour intensive - a reason for the strong Communist sympathies of the rural community. The men’s encounters along their metaphorical journey progressively illustrate the end of an era, but used to a life of hardship, the boatmen never abandon hope.

LA Based software engineer Sanjay Nambiar’s second film is a love song to one of the most stunning regions of India. Narrated by the boat itself through beautiful folk songs, Yaanam is a celebration of the spiritual bond that unites these men, their work, and the river which provides their sustenance.

: Legend of Fat Mama (short film)

The sad-happy story of the chinese community in Calcutta, India and their migration to Toronto, Canada in the aftermath of the Indo-China war in 1962.

: Yours Truly Srikanta

... based on the novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, renowned author of  Devdas. Set in Bengal at the turn of the century, the film follows the travels of Sri Kanta, a man torn between two women, two ideals of womanhood: the attractive and unknowable Kamallata, who lives in an ashram, and the seductive courtesan Rajalakshmi. Sri Kanta’s quest for inner peace and  freedom from any form of social convention puts him at odds with the strict beliefs of the time. It follows the skilled director (Stroke And Silhouettes’ Anjan Das) to explore issues of secularism in India in the face increasing religious fanaticism.

“Anjan Das' powerful ability to portray intimacy between people, as well as the magical camera of Sirsha Roy and the music of Bikkram Ghosh, keep the audience in a kind of trance until the very end.” - Rotterdam International Film Festival

Related:

: Projecting Peace - Stanford graduate Pakistani documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid wants to voice her own bit on terrorism. Her current feature - Reinventing the Taliban is a brave effort who ventured into dangerous pockets along the Pakistan-Afganistan border for the project:

Vimanarama: British Pakistani saves the world in new comic!

A new comic titled Vimanarama went on sale in the UK last week featuring a young British Asian as the main character. Ali, a stylish youngster in Bradford, goes on a mission to save the world along with his bride-to-be Sofia. More from Tina Sharma:

"The comic book series is illustrated by Phil Bond and written by British author George Morrison. The latter, a major name in comic writing, has a 25 year career that includes writing stories for X-Men, Batman and Superman comics.

Morrison says he made every attempt to ensure that the main Pakistani hero and heroine were realistic. So whilst characters include devout women who adorn headscarves, there are also those with a more liberal attitude dressed in jeans and t-shirts.

In an interview with comics website Newsarama, Morrison claims that inspiration for the sci-fi love story came after he began reading about Islam in the aftermath of 9/11, in an attempt to "comprehend the world's political and religious situation a little more clearly."

How under represented are ethnic minorities in UK media?

A major new piece of research, supported by trade unions, Ofcom, Skillset and other industry bodies will look at why ethnic minorities are under represented in the media industry, especially in London. More here.

The two year project, which began recently, is funded by the European Social Fund and will be carried out by the Working Lives Research Institute at London Metropolitan University, in partnership with Southern and Eastern Region TUC, the trade union BECTU and Skillset. The media regulator Ofcom is also part of the project.

Mick Connolly, Regional Secretary of SERTUC, says it is essential that businesses in London reflect the diversity of the working population. "An industry that fails to recruit from all of our communities will fail to capitalize on the depth of talent and breadth of experience that is London's major strength."

"This project is a valuable tool to analyze why the audio-visual industry in London is failing in this respect and will support recommendations that seek to address this problem."