Ahead of the release of her book ‘A Place in My Heart’, film critic Anupama Chopra explains why OTT and movie theaters will coexist peacefully
Journalist and film critic Anupama Chopra in a place in my heart, there are separate chapters devoted to the wildly diverse range of Indian films: 1960s classics such as Mughal-e-Azam Trendsetters Preferred in the Early 2000s heart wants Lately, unconventional fare like short films tungras, When someone has been talking and writing about cinema for so long, it’s sometimes easy to see what he primarily sees from a movie, especially on the big screen. However, what stands out in this book is his development in cinema due to film festivals and acceptance of new formats and languages.
Ahead of the release of her book, Chopra recounts her formative years, the fundamentals of filmmaking, what remain the highlights, and how streaming has changed the cinema industry in an interview The Hindu Weekend,
film festival benefits
“When I started out as a journalist in the early 90s, it was difficult to access anything other than mainstream cinema – except at festivals,” says Chopra, adding, “Over the years, I have developed a cadence to something more non-linear. Fiction or cinema that is more about stillness. But the first reaction is always to the story, to the narrative. I want drama, I want plotting. For me, [a film] Always story and character-led.” Film festivals, as Chopra noted, were important for reaching films outside the world of commercial Bollywood. a place in my heart, she writes lovingly about MAMI (Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image), the film festival at which she became director in 2014.
(LR) Film director Ari Aster, maternal artistic director Smriti Kiran, Palestinian filmmaker Honey Abu-Assad, and festival director Anupama Chopra. photo Credit: Getty Images
Talking about her future, she says, “It’s amazing that there’s a hybrid model now, so I can watch movies outside of Toronto, for example. But the truth is that festivals are the biggest screens to watch movies on the big screen.” And also, when you are at a festival, you are completely immersed in that world of cinema for a few days. There is no real way to repeat it. Moving on, on to festivals. The possibility of showing films without censorship will also be huge.”
Chak De IndiaMILF a favorite
everywhere a place in my heartThere are chapters breaking down Chopra’s favorite films in a simple, elegant way. For example, a film starring Shahrukh Khan has an opening chapter about Go win, India (2007) which will resonate with a lot of readers. It’s sharply written and makes some nice comments about director Shimit Amin’s narrative style, but what I found particularly noteworthy was a paragraph towards the end, which explains how the film has gotten older, thereby acknowledging its weaknesses.
“You could argue that the film’s feminist stance is distinctive because ultimately Kabir is the male savior who is relentlessly pushing women to fight odds, situations and their worst instincts (at one point Bindiya offers to sleep with him). is if that makes him the captain). But Shah Rukh plays the role so inspiring that I am willing to make my peace with it.”
Retrospective criticism is a difficult balancing act at the best of times, but I think Chopra gets it right here, especially considering the actor in question. Many of Shah Rukh Khan’s films during the 90s can be considered retrograde by contemporary standards; That many discerning viewers like Chopra still fondly remember him, it is because of Khan’s enduring charm, his unmatched resemblance. Even though his films have given meager returns in the last decade, this aspect of his stardom has not been affected.
hunger for malayalam cinema
Chopra also explained how a specialist film publication is run (film companion) has expanded its horizons from a cinematic point of view. “I have started watching a lot more films especially from the Malayalam and Tamil industries,” she says. In the book, Chopra also writes about his favorite films. Kumbalangi Nights (2019) and Angamaly Diary (2017). “What I love about new age Malayalam cinema is that it is a story without color. I think some of the most exciting work in India is being done there right now. There is no dress; The people in these movies look and behave like real people. But there is great dramatic theft. Storytelling captures you without the temptation of glamor or fantasy. And they have been shot so beautifully! I could taste all that food Angamaly Diary — and I’m a vegetarian, so I won’t even eat much of it!”
OTT Shift
Perhaps crucially, one of the only produced streaming films Chopra talks about in the book is Martin Scorsese. Irishman, that too in reference to a theatrical screening organized by Netflix at Delhi’s Regal Cinema. “The movie theater is my office and my place of worship,” she grisly declares at the end. a place in my heart, Also, he believes that in the near future, “theatrical and streaming” [models] will happily coexist”.
“Streaming saved the film industry. In the last 18 months all these movies got online distribution platforms, found ways to recover their money. It gave birth to new stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Prateek Gandhi. So that the genie doesn’t go back to the bottle, I think. On some level, streaming has changed consumer behavior.”
Published by Penguin Random House India, a place in my heart Available in January at major book stores and online.
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