Kenny D Basumatary's Local Kung Fu wows Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee

It may look like a small film, but Local Kung Fu seems like a giant effort. And it has been creating ripples on social media. Set to get the biggest release for an Assamese film as it releases simultaneously in seven cities outside Assam, Local Kung Fu would be creating history as the most inexpensive action movie ever made. Not to mention, India’s first martial arts comedy! Made for a humble Rs 95,000 Local Kung Fu, releasing on September 27, has wowed the likes of Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee. Here’s a excerpt from chat with the man behind the film – Kenny D Basumatary – who has written, directed and acted in the film. 

The highlight of Local Kung Fu has been that it was made in a budget of less than a lakh. How did you manage that!

We shot in Guwahati in places where we wouldn't need permission, used our uncles' and aunties' homes as locations, got friends and family to act (only after auditioning - i was very particular about this), used old software to edit, etc. we got music for free because my brother is an arranger-composer anyway. Out of our budget, 58 k was for the camera and accessories, 5k for the mic, 13-15 k token payments for the actors, and the rest for rice cakes and about 200 plates of momos and noodles.  

How much work went into all the action scenes?

Lots! We wanted to make the fights the best yet in an indian film. We would choreograph and rehearse extensively so that (a) there were lesser chances of injury and (b) we could shoot coherent fights with longer takes instead of the usual high-shutter-speed-dancing-camera-50-cuts-per-second style that most movies use nowadays to disguise the fact that the actors can't really fight. Every fight had its own internal story - not just a random collection of strikes. We made shot lists of every move and explored the best angles to shoot them from. And we would do as many takes as necessary to get it right. The big flying kick at the end of the trailer - that we did 26 takes of! 26 kicks to the chest that laid me low for a couple of weeks. But it was worth it. The climactic fight was shot over a period of 21 evenings.   

It is being promoted as India's first martial arts comedy. 

It is, isn't it?   

You have not only directed and acted but also composed the music for film! Not many filmmakers have done that!

Not all, some of the music. It's mostly been done by my brother Tony, who's worked on the background music of Pune 52 and several tv shows like channel V's Gumraah.   

They say, making a film is easier than releasing it. Would you admit?

Hell yes! If you think making a film is hard, just try releasing it! When i was done with the film i found that in order to get it released, i had to go through seven stages of paperwork hell. Service tax registration, current account, producers' association, censor yada yada yada. Luckily, durlov baruah came on board as coproducer and his company Kuhipaat communications has been handling the distribution and marketing minefield.  

What have been best and worst experiences from the making of this film? And What were the lessons learnt? 

The best thing is always the end result when you sit in a theatre and hear people roaring with laughter at your jokes.  There haven't really been any bad experiences apart from the paperwork.  Lesson #1: The film will be longer than the script, so make it very very tight at the writing stage itself. #2 Learn, learn, learn. Prepare, prepare, prepare. #3 Different actors peak at different takes.   

There are apparently lot of people from Bollywood who have seen and liked the film. Could you tell us more about that?

Navdeep singh loved the energy in the film and was generous enough to give us a quote Dibakar Banerjee also messaged that he loved it. Adil Hussain, Dipannita Sharma and Meiyang Chang have been kind enough to say so on camera. And Anurag Kashyap got us to choreograph the fight in his short film That Day, After Everyday.   

Tell us about the opportunity to work with Anurag Kashyap.

Yes, it was quite a dream come true to work with one of my favourite directors. We choreographed and rehearsed the fight for four days, making an effort to use realistic techniques that a woman could actually use to defend herself against a man. For this I always first tested the techniques on my brother's music partner who weighs 110 kg 

In terms of economics, Assamese cinema has had a tough time in recent times. Would you suppose Local Kung Fu change a thing or two about the industry?

It would be too arrogant of me to make a statement on those lines. I just hope lots of people come to see it and be entertained.   

What is the way forward for Local Kung Fu and you?

We're looking at the possibility of a theatrical release for the Hindi dubbed version as well. As for my next project, it depends on which gets funded first. It could be my novel Chocolate_Guitar_Momos, it could be another romcom, another martial arts film or a woman-centered rural dramedy biopic called My Three Sisters 

Dandiya Queen To Perform For The First Time In The Central Suburbs

The festive season is upon us. Ganpati followed by Navratri!

Rightly dubbed as the ‘Queen of Dandiya’, Falguni Pathak stands as one of the most coveted performing artist and singer of the nation.  With a strong affinity rooted in the traditional Gujarati music, the songstress who is seen as the idyllic tomboy however misleads with her melodious voice. With a style that touches modern beats and folk tunes, the singer is known for her effervescent Garba nights that draw packed audiences during the Navratri Festival organised by Mangal Entertainment.

This year, once again, she will be the cynosure of all eyes as she will be belting out hit numbers like Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi Rangat, Sangat, Odhani Garba, Cham Cham Payaliya, Pari Hoon Main, Rhim Jhim, Ayee Re Milan Ki Raat Umbre Ubhi, Endra Meruwa Gayi to a packed audience throughout the nine days dedicated to the Goddess at Police Parade Grounds in Ghatkopar starting 5^th October 2013.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gaurav Kothari, Managing Director, Mangal Entertainment states, “ It gives us immense pleasure to be hosting the evergreen empress of Navratri for the second year in a row. Our concept this year would be celebration of the Devi Shakti in every woman. We have many surprises in store for audiences this year as we plan to make the show more interactive without making it any less devotional or celebratory.”

Since her professional and private debut in 1998, Falguni Pathak has developed into an artist with a large fan following across India. Her powerful voice and energetic performances are backed by a band (called Ta Thaiyaa) that can go up to eighteen members. She gained popularity in India as an entertainer for the Navratri (nine nights) celebration. Her Navratri performances are usually followed by tours to other countries, including the USA and UAE, entertaining mainly the NRI crowd. She has some very popular singles to her credit, still heard and appreciated all over India. Her albums are not only famous for the melodious songs but also for the fairytale love stories depicted within them.

 

Navin Batra “Controver​sies are my stepping stone to Success”

Making a Directorial Debut with ‘Supermodel’, Navin Batra who has received accolades & even criticisms even before the movie’s release talks about the challenges he had to face and how controversies didn’t bog him down.
Right from the first look of the movie poster which was alleged to be copied to the protagonists not getting along on the sets to the censor being unfairly stringent, Navin Batra has had his share of controversies right from the beginning of making the movie to the post production.
Navin Batra’s first flick which has already been nominated in one of the most prestigious awards under the Most Stylish Fashion Film category simultaneously got many red signals from the censor board. Navin Batra fought it all and has the scenes retained, he mentions, “There are lot other things which the censor board should consider rather than cutting intimate scenes which are depicted like in every other film. It was unfair and I fought for it till the very end and they had to give in. If there is a certain scene in the movie which my film required it and so it is there, there is no undoing at least when it is not something that would harm anyone.”
Fortunately movie goers won’t be disappointed since all the scenes are retained

An invite to revealing the truth behind Satya 2

Veteran Film Actress Kamini Kaushal conferred Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award by Kalpana Chawla’s father BL Chawla

(New Delhi/Gurgaon, Sept 26) Veteran Film Actress Kamini Kaushal, aged 86 years, was conferred Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award by Kalpana Chawla’s father Sh BL Chawla at a Function held at Epicentre, Gurgaon on Sept 25 by Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh Old Boys Association (PECOBA) in memory of its alumnus late astronaut Kalpana Chawla .

                        According to Amarjit Singh Kohli, Founder Gen Secy, PECOBA others who received the Award were Arjun Awardee and former Asian women chess champion Tania Sachdev of Delhi who has won 21 International Medals in Chess representing India; innovative educationist Minoti Bahri who is Director of Shikshantar School, Gurgaon and creative young kathak dancer Vidha Lal of Delhi who holds the Guiness World Record for most number of Kathak spins (103) in one minute.

Eighty six years old Kamini Kaushal has acted in films continuously for the last 67 years starting as the heroine of Chetan Anand’s film Neecha Nagar (1946), her latest film being Chennai Express (2013) in which she played role of Shahrukh Khan’s grandmother. She has acted in about 100 films till date and continues to be active.

               Film heroine Kamini Kaushal presented Pecoba Awards to outstanding PEC Engineers Avinash Mohindru of Amritsar, BM Khanna, former CMD, MTNL; Harjit Singh Anand, Director, Rolling Stock, Delhi Metro and VK Sood, former founding Chairman of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission. Also Sakha Awards were given by Kamini Kaushal to music composer Lovely Sharma, singer/compere Seema Verma, audiographer Santosh Sharma and organizer Rakesh Kumar               Speaking on the occasion Mr Amarjit Singh Kohli, General Secretary of PECOBA & Chairman Sakha said that immediately after Kalpana’s death, PECOBA had organised an Homage Assembly on 9^th Feb, 2003 in New Delhi in which the following message was received from Mrs Sonia Gandhi, the then leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha“Today we pay homage to a remarkable young Indian who shone like a star throughout her brief life, illuminating our lives, and bringing pride and glory to India. ... She was that rare person whose dedication, determination and quest for excellence matched her souring aspirations. Her brilliant career as an astronaut was achieved entirely through her own efforts - she pulled no strings, sought no favours, and she was willing to sacrifice her life to push forward the frontiers of human knowledge…. Kalpana's life will continue to inspire generations of young Indians. 

Signed SONIA GANDHI dated Feb 7, 2003. 

Mr Amarjit Kohli stated that now 10 years have lapsed since the death of Kalpana Chawla. The Government should acknowledge her contribution by bestowing Bharat Ratna on her posthumously, more so when it has already conferred Padma Bhushan on astronaut Sunita Williams who came much later.

The Function ended with a unique programme of Musical Homage with live singing and visuals entitled “ Kalpana Ki Udaan, Naari Ka Samman:” produced by Cultural Society Sakha, visual designing by Santosh Sharma, scripted and compered by Mamta Vani, orchestration by Lovely Sharma and produced and directed by Sakha Chairman Amarjit Singh Kohli.