Mira Nair, Gurinder Chadha, Deepa Mehta – The Three Bhenjis in The Big Apple
THREE FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!
Three iconic South Asian film directors -Mira Nair, Gurinder Chadha and Deepa Mehta -all under the same roof at Asia Society was the big draw for film lovers in New York. They live on three different continents so to get these enormously busy power women actually together was a marathon task but here they were, all three of them sitting gleefully together, as if in a Delhi chaat shop. The great sorority of the Bhenji Brigade!
As Rachel Cooper, Director at Asia Society pointed out, “So much of what we all do is because we work together, and it’s in partnership. None of us are working in isolation, and it’s by working together that we’re able to do this. At heart is the generosity of these three incredible directors who are with us tonight, and we’re thrilled that we will all have a chance to hear from them.”
Aroon Shivdasani, the impresario and art maven who is the founder of The Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) had brought them together. Needless to say, it was a sold-out show with a long waiting list and film fans fighting for tickets. So, if you missed it, here is a surprise bonus for you. You can actually see the whole evening on YouTube, thanks to Asia Society. In fact, you can see it right here on Lassi with Lavina, from the comfort of your home.
Of course you missed the lovely, live packed reception where people were able to interact with the three directors. It was a battle for selfies, as everyone and their grandmother wanted a photo with each of the three high-powered directors.
So, enjoy the video and feel that you were there, because it is a thoughtful discussion really worth watching if you are a film buff or a fan of all three directors. Remember, these are the women who have given us unforgettable films like ‘Salaam Bombay’, ‘Mississippi Masala’, ‘The Namesake’ and ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’; the fabulous ‘Earth’, ‘Fire’ and ‘Water’ trilogy as well as the inimitable ‘Bend it like Beckham’ which got so many young South Asian girls questioning and changing their lifestyles and dreams.
So sit back and enjoy and in the meantime, here are some of the thoughtful things that each of the directors said. The good news is each one has wonderful plans coming up for the future.
Deepa Mehta for instance, is working on a film about an Indian female serial killer. Asked what drew her to the story, she said, “ I think anybody would be drawn to it. It’s based on a true story. It happened in 1870s in Calcutta. What made her serial killer, and how actually she got to a point where she let herself be caught. And it’s fascinating what makes somebody a serial killer, especially a woman in 1870 and the relationship she developed “trying to find out what made her kill. It’s a true story, so let’s see what happens.”
Mira Nair has been working for the past four years on an experimental portrait of the artist Amrita Sher Gil and has the rights to her diaries and her paintings. “ She had the most extraordinary life. She was born in Hungary to a Hungarian mother and a Sardar father, so she lived on this east west tightrope for all her life and her art. Eventually, she returns to India at 20 and her art really reflects how it is changed by India and the gaze that she brought to it was also remarkable.”
Nair has been influenced by Amrita Sher Gil’s work and her color and her framing in literally all her films and understands how it is to live between East and West, and to make one’s own voice between that in that way.
As a diaspora filmmaker, Gurinder Chadha believes these lives are not one-dimensional and cannot be pigeon-holed or stereotyped. She says, “So our lives are much more richer than people describe it and so for me, my challenge is to challenge everything like that. So if you say you can either be this or that, I say, let me show you 20 things I can be. Let me show you how to be Muslim. I love Bruce Springsteen. Let me show you how to be Punjabi. Let me show you the differences that make up that our enriched lives when we’re part of a diaspora, because nobody is articulating that.”
Finally, a shout out to diaspora Indians – which all three filmmakers are. Indian culture is not a static thing – it is a living, growing thing, always evolving and transforming.
Chadha says sometimes when she’s in India, people accuse her of creating racism by making films that talk about racism, and she feels they are being very parochial. “You know, you think Indian culture exists here? Let me tell you, Indian culture exists in Birmingham and Southall and New York and places like this, and we are bringing Indian culture back to you. So I think that that voice of the diaspora is something that that is going to be mine, what I’m interested in. I still tell the stories, still evoke that sense of injustice, but at the same time entertain. For me, that’s the key. Celebrate us and at the same time, express some of our frustrations.”
Mira Nair was asked where is home and where is her heart, living as she does in three countries.
“Well, actually there’s a beautiful line in ‘Mississippi Masala’, which is very true for me, which is home is where the heart is. For me, it’s really about the fullest engagement that creates my home. So, when I’m here, I’m here fully. I’m not dreaming of things in India or dreaming of things in Kabbalah. The one other thing that we’re privileged enough is we have three really living homes in these countries, and I just slip into it. And, you know, we work and so on. Of course, the ties of family are there, the ache of seeing my mother grow older and older – you know, so that’s the seesaw. But home is really where the heart is. I don’t subscribe to nostalgia. It’s a useless emotion. I subscribe to engagement and to be fully present, and that is my answer.”
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