Wide angle view
Mathures Paul
Prejudice against AIDS victims, communal harmony, an “item number”, a modest budget, Sonu Nigam among playback artistes, the involvement of Mahesh Bhatt… a perfect combination for a Bollywood blockbuster? Hang on. Let’s add another ingredient to the list. Signis India (Catholic Association for Radio, Television and Cinema) national president and spokesperson for the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, Dr Dominic Emmanuel, SVD. Sounds unbelievable? For the first time the Catholic church in India is taking the help of Bollywood to make a film, Aisa Kyon Hota Hai (Why does this happen?), which highlights different aspects of being AIDS-infected. And Kolkata has a small but important role to play in the film. Among the leading characters is Megha Chatterjee, an actor of Bengali origin. Credit is also due to Kolkata-based Father CM Paul, an enthusiast of the project.
“Documentaries are popular but feature films have a wider reach. Using Bollywood we are going beyond a small audience. And what’s wrong with Bollywood? Yes, there’s a group of individuals who don’t find good press. Otherwise, directors and actors creatively put forward issues of concern before a large audience. The film tries to show the ills of contacting AIDS. What’s wrong with that?” says Fr Dominic.Aisa Kyon Hota Hai? begins in the board room of an ad agency of which Raj is the CEO.
Members of the agency are about to review an HIV/AID campaign but some are prejudiced against members of other communities. Though everyone appreciates the ad concept, vice-president Aditi objects, for the creator of the ad is Muslim. This angers the CEO because he has been a victim of communal prejudices. The film, like a good Bollywood flick, then moves back 15 years to reveal a younger Raj. With a good track record, he becomes the apple of his teachers’ eyes and popular among girls. But for Raj, love is lust and he sees nothing wrong in one-night stands... His lack of faith in committed relationships stems from the fact that his parents’ marriage failed. In his life are four people — his mother Kiran, best friend Azad, Pallavi, who loves Raj and his crush, Tanvi.An “item” number features in the film.
“But it’s not tastelessly made and is more of a fast paced number. The song is played when the college basketball team wins. Further, the song has a story to narrate. So, it’s not mindless,” says Ajay Kanchan, director of the film, who is also a known documentary maker. “The church decided to make the film but it’s not a church film. The USP of the film is that it’s a mainstream production discussing a serious theme and has an entertainment factor,” he continues. As for Megha, the “pati Bangali” girl, “I play the role of a committed lover. My character is possessive and supports Raj till the end, even in the face of extreme criticism. Working with the likes of Mahesh Bhatt and others has been an experience. If budget permits, I hope the film will be dubbed in Bengali.”
At stake is Rs 15 million that has been raised through various agencies. Mahesh Bhatt’s help was taken to prepare the casting list, gain access to locations at a cheaper rate and involve names like Rati Agnihotri, Johnny Lever and Late Rajan Kinagi for a reduced fee (in some cases it was free). Scheduled for release in early February or last week of January, the film will be dubbed in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. “In 2002, a young Catholic priest-director produced a feature film in Kok-borok language on witch hunting, a social evil that labels women ‘witches’ and eliminates them to serve vested interests. But this is the first time the church is taking the help of Bollywood,” says Fr CM Paul.
Prejudice against AIDS victims, communal harmony, an “item number”, a modest budget, Sonu Nigam among playback artistes, the involvement of Mahesh Bhatt… a perfect combination for a Bollywood blockbuster? Hang on. Let’s add another ingredient to the list. Signis India (Catholic Association for Radio, Television and Cinema) national president and spokesperson for the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese, Dr Dominic Emmanuel, SVD. Sounds unbelievable? For the first time the Catholic church in India is taking the help of Bollywood to make a film, Aisa Kyon Hota Hai (Why does this happen?), which highlights different aspects of being AIDS-infected. And Kolkata has a small but important role to play in the film. Among the leading characters is Megha Chatterjee, an actor of Bengali origin. Credit is also due to Kolkata-based Father CM Paul, an enthusiast of the project.
“Documentaries are popular but feature films have a wider reach. Using Bollywood we are going beyond a small audience. And what’s wrong with Bollywood? Yes, there’s a group of individuals who don’t find good press. Otherwise, directors and actors creatively put forward issues of concern before a large audience. The film tries to show the ills of contacting AIDS. What’s wrong with that?” says Fr Dominic.Aisa Kyon Hota Hai? begins in the board room of an ad agency of which Raj is the CEO.
Members of the agency are about to review an HIV/AID campaign but some are prejudiced against members of other communities. Though everyone appreciates the ad concept, vice-president Aditi objects, for the creator of the ad is Muslim. This angers the CEO because he has been a victim of communal prejudices. The film, like a good Bollywood flick, then moves back 15 years to reveal a younger Raj. With a good track record, he becomes the apple of his teachers’ eyes and popular among girls. But for Raj, love is lust and he sees nothing wrong in one-night stands... His lack of faith in committed relationships stems from the fact that his parents’ marriage failed. In his life are four people — his mother Kiran, best friend Azad, Pallavi, who loves Raj and his crush, Tanvi.An “item” number features in the film.
“But it’s not tastelessly made and is more of a fast paced number. The song is played when the college basketball team wins. Further, the song has a story to narrate. So, it’s not mindless,” says Ajay Kanchan, director of the film, who is also a known documentary maker. “The church decided to make the film but it’s not a church film. The USP of the film is that it’s a mainstream production discussing a serious theme and has an entertainment factor,” he continues. As for Megha, the “pati Bangali” girl, “I play the role of a committed lover. My character is possessive and supports Raj till the end, even in the face of extreme criticism. Working with the likes of Mahesh Bhatt and others has been an experience. If budget permits, I hope the film will be dubbed in Bengali.”
At stake is Rs 15 million that has been raised through various agencies. Mahesh Bhatt’s help was taken to prepare the casting list, gain access to locations at a cheaper rate and involve names like Rati Agnihotri, Johnny Lever and Late Rajan Kinagi for a reduced fee (in some cases it was free). Scheduled for release in early February or last week of January, the film will be dubbed in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. “In 2002, a young Catholic priest-director produced a feature film in Kok-borok language on witch hunting, a social evil that labels women ‘witches’ and eliminates them to serve vested interests. But this is the first time the church is taking the help of Bollywood,” says Fr CM Paul.
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