(Highlighted by a candid conversation on Shakespeare and
his global influence on film, art & culture, the event saw some
heart-warming exchanges between the actors as they revealed as much about
themselves as about cinema at this star-studded club debut)
India-wide release: In a moment of true
metamorphosis for the Indian film fraternity, Mumbai witnessed two cinematic
legends celebrating Shakespeare’s world-wide influence on education, society
& culture. Sharing their own cinematic journeys, Megastars Sir Ian Mc
Kellen and Aamir Khan shared an inspiring conversation at the debut of Mumbai
Academy of Moving Images’ (MAMI) Film Club at NCPA today.
Hallmarking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death,
MAMI Film Club (in association with the British Council, the BFI, GREAT, NCPA
and Fountainhead) brought together megastars Sir Ian Mc Kellen and Aamir Khan
to share a dialogue exploring the many adaptations and interpretations of
Shakespeare’s work that filmmakers across borders have showcased for the big
screen. This mega-event was presented as a part of ‘Shakespeare Lives’ - a
global programme launched by the British Council and the GREAT Britain
Campaign.
Joined by the who’s who of the Indian film and business
fraternity, this star-studded launch event saw the likes of Kangana Ranaut,
Sonam Kapoor, Imran Khan, Kiran Rao, Kabir Khan, Mini Mathur, Rajkumar Rao,
Vinod Chopra (and many more) amongst the other 150 well-known faces that
attended the prestigious programme.
Sharing narrative on how Shakespeare lives on in film and
the extent of his work that has surpassed boundaries, Sir Ian Mc Kellen and
Aamir Khan used the MAMI Film Club’s launch as the perfect persuasive platform
to investigate the nature of historic cinema and its portrayal of the legendary
playwright’s most loved characters via some formidable movie picks. The
conversation not only examined ignited story-telling ideas by lauded
filmmakers’ world-wide, but also shed light upon little known secrets about the
author’s life that influenced his characters and their portrayal on the big
screen.
Having appeared in more than half of Shakespeare’s plays
staged all over the world, Sir Ian Mc Kellen in conversation said, “There is
nothing old fashioned about Shakespeare. You cannot understand Shakespeare in a
classroom or by reading. The right medium to discover his true genius is
through theatre with the right actors, the right director (the way it is meant
to be) as theatre, film and cinema are the best media to experience him. His
thinking is about modernism and issues that are relevant even today, hence his
work travels across the globe!”
Sharing his enthusiasm further, method actor/genius Aamir
Khan added, “The first time I experienced Shakespeare was in the tenth grade
when I studied Julius Caeser. It opened my world to a newness I had never known
(before). Infact, my first movie was also inspired by Romeo and Juliet, a true
Shakespearean classic. It was an honour
sharing stage with a legend, I feel discussions like these influence the
artists in all of us and inspire us to become better at our crafts.”
Through year-round activities such as screenings,
masterclasses, in-depth conversations with talent, and workshops, the MAMI Film
Club aims to serve as a platform for filmmakers and film lovers, to explore
their deep-rooted passion for cinema and to inspire and fuel creativity across
genres.
Ms Kiran Rao, Chairperson, MAMI says, “It’s time for the
world to stand-up and take notice of Indian cinema and its contribution to
film-making globally. Shakespearean adaptions in Indian movies (as well) prove
testament to the fact that we are on the brink of an amazing journey ahead.
MAMI via its Film Club and other year long initiatives aims to satiate the
exact same hunger for great story-telling one movie at a time. ”
Ms. Anupama Chopra, Director, MAMI feels, “2016 is a year
of transformation for MAMI and this conversation piece was a strategic move in
the right direction towards its bright future. We aim to make this festival one
of international acclaim and masterclasses cum workshops such as this ensure
that we bring to our country a slice of intelligent, researched and respected
cinema from the world over. We deeply appreciate the support extended to MAMI
by all our partners in ensuring the roaring success of our first event this
year and would also like to thank title partner Jio and associate partner Star
Network for their continued support in building the academy.”
Ms. Smriti Kiran, Creative Director, MAMI said, “The MAMI
Film Club is our education mouth-piece where we invite members of the film-industry
to learn from one another and establish a cohesive friendship with the sole aim
to uplifting Indian film-making and opening minds of budding movie-makers to
explore the yet unknown territories of cinematic brilliance. Sir Ian Mc Kellen
and Aamir Khan enthralled the audience with their insights and tongue-in-cheek
humour, teaching us that there is never is a ceiling for creativity as long as
you believe.”
The MAMI Film Club plans to organize a film-based event
every month starting May. Visit our website on
http://www.mumbaifilmfestival.com/ to enroll and stay up to date with the
latest events and festival related updates.
About The MAMI Film Club:
The MAMI Film Club is a platform for filmmakers and film
lovers, which is dedicated to igniting and cultivating a passion for cinema.
Through year-round activities such as screenings, masterclasses, in-depth
conversations with talent, and workshops, the Club aims to inspire and fuel
creativity. There will also be activities
designed to engage children and young adults, with the vision to nurture our
future audiences. Besides screening a host of curated series of uncensored
movies and the best of cinema from around the world, masterclasses will be
hosted with some of the most renowned and successful creators working in film,
both from India and abroad, to encourage conversations on cinema with an aim to
nurture, support, engage, educate and entertain. As a pre-cursor to
Half-Ticket, MAMI’s year round roster of activities will also feature Special
Film Programmes for Children and Young Adults to introduce cinema from all
around the world to them and do post screening sessions. The club will also
have a special focus on Knowledge Bootcamps that will be held for industry
members to encourage and enable exchange of knowledge and information within
the industry, and foster a more cohesive work culture.
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