Shekhar Kapur's Paani shoot to begin April 2013, Danny Boyle to produce

Shekhar Kapur's long pending project "Paani" will go on floors in April next year, says the filmmaker.

"I am right now doing the organisation-related work before I start actual filming in April next year, " Kapur told IANS on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) summit in the capital Tuesday.

"Paani", based on water wars, will be produced by Danny Boyle of "Slumdog Millionaire" fame. Its music will be composed by A.R. Rahman.

The project was formally announced at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010.

Filmmakers tend to misread audience

Shekhar Kapur feels that Indian filmmakers tend to misjudge the audience and this eventually leads to compromising on the content of the films.

"The filmmakers don't have faith in the audience, there is a mistrust between both sides. There is a coalition of people saying 'how much money the film will make' and 'let's introduce an item number otherwise people will not go and watch the film'. But it's not like that, and this thinking has a huge impact, " Kapur said at CII Media and Entertainment Summit 2012.

The filmmaker, who is known for making films like "Masoom", "Mr India" and "Bandit Queen", feels that the Indian film industry is not growing, rather it's contracting.

"We say that it (films) is the medium of masses but it is actually now a medium of the elite, due to multiplexes. I think we are dismantling the audience that we have, " said the 66-year-old.

The filmmaker feels Indian cinema is behind Hollywood, only because of the lack of technology.

"We keep comparing our film to Hollywood movies. It is not that we don't make great films or don't tell great stories. We lack in technology, in production design, which is not considered important here, " Kapur said.

"We need to merge with the world to compete with them and not isolate ourself from the world. We have to improve our infrastructure, " he added.

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Books are a great inspiration for films, feels John Abraham

Many seek inspiration in books and it seems actor John Abraham is one among them. And ever since he turned producer, even more so.

At a recent book launch in Bandra, John told B-S, When you start looking at a book as a producer, the first thing that comes to your mind is that how are you going to convert that book into a story.

He further believes, Books are a great inspiration for films, I feel. I like reading inspirational books.

A book that I really admire is Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It's a novella. I even like reading fiction. There is so much that you can draw from these books that can be made into films.

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Major part of Kiran Janjani, Rushad Rana's film shot in five hours

Kiran Janjani and Rushad Rana feature in Mahesh Singh's upcoming film about a dancer

A major part of the project was shot in five hours of non-stop filming at Madh Island. Kiran was last seen in My Friend Ganesha while Rushad in Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi. Both are looking forward to their next B-Town outing.

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Farhan calls out for proper sanitation in trains

Bollywood actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar is dismayed at the state of sanitation in the Indian Railways and says the conditions demand immediate attention.

"Looking at the unhygienic state of our railway lines, it needs more attention from the Sanitation Ministry (Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation) than the Railways. It's a prime environment for mosquitoes to breed and it stretches across the length and breadth of the country, " tweeted Farhan.

His comment comes at a time when thousands of people in the country are afflicted with dengue. Veteran filmmaker Yash Chopra also recently died of dengue.

"The fact that, even in 2012, waste from train toilets falls directly onto the tracks is shameful! No reason this should continue, " added the 38-year-old.

Farhan is the son of famed lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar, who is also a Rajya Sabha member.

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Directors are moving away from tradition: Javed Akhtar

Lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, who has been in the film industry for four decades now, says directors of today are moving away from traditional filmmaking and hence losing their USP

'There is nothing wrong with Indian cinema, it is the filmmakers who have problems. They are moving away from the tradition because they are embarrassed of it.

The people who are making films listen to English songs, their interest in food, clothes and films are non-Indian. 'So how can we expect them to make Indian films?' Akhtar said while speaking on the topic of 100 years of Indian cinema at the CII Media and Entertainment Summit, 2012 today.

The 67-year-old, whose children Farhan and Zoya Akhtar are both directors, said that films nowadays are being made in an international format - shorter and without songs, which is hampering the culture. 'The songs are being played in the background and not included in the films at all. The movies are shorter. Indian films are losing their identity. Songs are integral to Indian films.

Removing them from our films is like omitting songs from an opera performance. They are removing what is the USP of Indian films, ' he added. On the other hand, veteran director and seven-time National Award winner Shyam Benegal feels young directors are rather doing a great job with their path-breaking films.

The 77-year-old, who himself is known for creating a new genre of alternate cinema, said, 'I feel that young directors are doing a great job. We have directors like Dibakar Banerjee, Anand Gandhi, who are showing a different kind of narrative in films. 'The work of the new directors are very interesting. They have a capability to hold on to the audience and that is what matters, ' he added.

'Sholay' director Ramesh Sippy feels that although there is no dearth of talent in the country, there is no backing. 'There are so many talented filmmakers, who are waiting to be noticed but unfortunately there is no one to back their project financially. So we cannot blame filmmakers for not doing a good job as we don't get to see those great films, ' Sippy said.

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Ang Lee has used 3D poetically, delicately: Irrfan

Actor Irrfan Khan says director Ang Lee has used 3D in "Life Of Pi" in a very poetic manner.

"I am glad to say that the film is the best among all 3D films you have seen till now. A lot of top Hollywood directors have also said that they have never seen 3D used in this way before. Ang Lee has used 3D poetically and delicately...cinema at it's best, 3D at it's best, " the 49-year-old told reporters Monday at a press conference here.

Lee won Oscar for the best director for his 2005 film "Brokeback Mountain" and before that his 2000 movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" won the golden statuette for the best foreign language film.

Irrfan describes Lee as a "very special director".

"He is one of the top most directors of the world. Not because he makes big budget films, but because his films affect the minds and hearts of the audience, " he said.

Based on Canadian author Yann Martel's Booker Prize winning novel "Life of Pi", the 3D fantasy adventure film follows the journey of an Indian boy from Pondicherry who after a shipwreck in the Pacific Ocean survives 227 days stranded on a boat with a tiger.

Meanwhile, talking about his future plans, Irrfan expressed a desire to give unforgettable movies to fans.

"I wish to increase my experience as an actor and entertain my audience. I want to keep giving my audience such cinema that they will never forget. I want to give films that keep giving them something to think about for several days."

"I don't want to give 'use and throw' films which you forget the instance you leave a theatre. My wish is to do films which become an experience for you and me, " he added.

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