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India - News
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News Updates - 30
March 2001 World's largest Imax in Bombay - BBC Avatar's fusion food offers originality - San Francisco Chronicle Festival celebrates Asian culture - BBC Talvin Singh's worth sequel - BBC
Bombay - India's first image maximum or Imax cinema has become the latest rage in the country's entertainment capital, Bombay. The $12m cinema features a seating capacity of 525, six-track digital sound and a 30 meter dome screen - reported to be the world's largest. It was thrown open to public this week and the inaugural shows are all sold out. "It's a wonderful experience. A real-life feeling. Like the elephants are walking right alongside you," said a viewer after the screening of a wildlife documentary. Expensive But it was not easy to open one in India, according to the owner of the Bombay Imax. "I have been working on it for nearly 10 years.... But getting all the [permits], particularly for the import of some of the equipment, has taken a lot of time. And meanwhile the costs just kept going up," cinema owner, Manmohan Shetty said. The high cost of building such a cinema is also reflected in the ticket prices, which are nearly 50% more expensive than those at regular movie houses. But because of the novelty not many are complaining as yet. Virgin
market Indians prefer films that have been made in India for Indians rather than Western films or documentaries he added. No Indian film maker has ever made a film on the Imax format. But that will change with time, according to veteran filmmaker, Subhash Ghai. "If the Imax cinema becomes popular, more producers will think about this format and make movies accordingly," he said. The Canada based Imax corporation already seems confident about the concept becoming a long-term success in India. Immediately after the inaugural show in Bombay, they announced plans to open 10 more cinemas in the country in the next couple of years.
Avatar's in Sausalito has quite a following. Located in an industrial-looking strip mall, it's out of sight to tourists, but locals fill it night after night. The tiny place looks pleasant enough, with coral-colored walls hung with beautiful framed black-and-white photographs from India. A counter overlooking the small kitchen seems reminiscent of a diner, perhaps a previous incarnation of the space. The patterned carpet and decorative iron chandeliers add touches of style. What customers come for is the odd fusion mix of food, mostly Indian-based but with components from Mexico, Italy and Jamaica. While the menu isn't entirely successful, you'd be hard pressed to find anything like it elsewhere. Punjabi enchiladas, for example, feature a choice of meats or vegetables, Indian-spiced and wrapped in corn tortillas with Swiss and cheddar cheeses -- not what I'd expect to find at an Indian restaurant. Service is friendly and mostly efficient.
The Mega Mela - a huge festival of Asian culture - was held at Birmingham's NEC on Sunday with top entertainers from Bollywood to Bhangra. It also saw the presentation of the BBC Asia Awards, which recognise success within the British Asian community. The BBC TV Comedy Goodness Gracious Me took two awards. Its writer and star Meera Syal won best female personality and her colleague Sanjeev Bhaskar won best male personality. The words Mega Mela mean big fair, a huge celebration of Asian culture. This year's event featured some of the biggest stars in Asian and British entertainment. One of the stars of the BBC comedy sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, Nina Wadia, attended in two guises. She was one of the judges for the British Asia Awards, and a nominee for the Asian female personality award. "When Goodness Gracious Me began, I realised that we'd become role models, which felt like a huge responsibility," she said. "But I think we've set the standard and made Asian performers feel like they don't have to be confined to speciality channels - they can break into the mainstream."One actor who's always been happy bridging the gap between Asian and British culture is Saeed Jaffrey. The veteran performer is as familiar to Coronation Street viewers as he is to Bollywood film fans. "Put all negative thoughts aside," he advises young performers hoping to follow in his footsteps. "Prejudice is everywhere, but you must not think about it - simply believe in your own ability, and have faith in God and you will succeed."Stars of Bollywood's silver screen Sunil Shetty, Gulshan Grover and screen goddess Mahima Chaudry also attended. "The love and affection is crazy over here," said Indian megastar Sunil Shetty. "Our British fans rarely get the chance to see us, but it's quite inspiring for us to realise just how much we're appreciated."Bollywood
is keen to expand its audience here in the UK. With that in mind, the Tourist Authority has drawn up a movie map showing the locations where some of Bollywood's biggest blockbusters have been shot in the British Isles. The map is aimed at fans of the Indian silver screen in South Asia as well as the Asian communities in America and Canada.They want to lure more tourists - and more directors to Britain. This year's big hit Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabat was filmed almost entirely on location in Scotland. And Mohabbatein's director was lured by the romance of Oxford University and Longeat. "Directors want to film against the backdrop of the romantic country estates - and the iconic landmarks of London," said Prem Subramanian of the British Tourist Authority. Courage
"I do feel that I've had quite a hard time," she says. "Sometimes I just wish I could talk to my parents like other children do. I just hope people can see that not all 12-year-olds are the same." Her courage and stamina won her the young achievers award. The event was hosted by BBC newsreader George Alagiah, and Sky news presenter Lisa Aziz.
If there is one drawback to recording a landmark album, it must be the prospect of living up to it next time around. Talvin Singh's Mercury Prize-winning OK was one of those genre-busting discs which had critics searching for superlatives back in 1998.New album Ha has been a long time coming, but for once it proves to be a worthy sequel. Recorded over the course of 18 months in India and England, it follows its predecessor in blending ancient and modern traditions into a music that is literally timeless. Multi-instrumentalist Singh has again been joined by a host of virtuoso musicians - including flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, sarengi player Ustad Sultan Khan and vocalist Swati Natekar. Yet set aside its delicate melodies and this is an album dominated by some dazzling drumming. Talvin himself is first and foremost a percussionist, and his sheer love of rhythm shines through on each of the 11 tracks.From the slow reggae of Dubla to the quicksilver drum & bass of See Breeze, he spins an intricate percussive web - as throbbing tablas mesh with harsh electronic beats. “Singh is one of those rare musicians able to mould a range of influences into a strong and cohesive whole”Opening track One slowly unfolds its magic, as a languid flute and low bass pulse mix the traditional with the high-tech. Abolonia combines beats-per-minute energy with the depth and stillness of Indian classical music, while the sleek and funky The Beat Goes On draws its inspiration from North Africa. This instinct for breaking down musical barriers has become the hallmark of a career which has seen Singh work with musicians ranging from Courtney Pine to Siouxsie and the Banshees. Last year he went on to produce an electronic makeover for Morocco's Master Musicians of Jajouka, whose trance-inducing sounds stretch back over 4,000 years (making them a strong contender for the title of oldest dance music act in the world). Mixing and matching styles is no easy task, but Talvin Singh is one of those rare musicians able to mould a range of influences into a strong and cohesive whole. As OK suggested and this new album reaffirms, he has hit upon something strikingly original. |
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