I love the Bollywood structure where there is no 300 pages applications and gate keepers and frustrations and the mediocre outcomes.. creativity is one thing and popularity is another. FTO has decided to keep audiences out of theaters.
let's face it Australia does not have any industry, or audiences as we have not master the art of going solo with freedom and still we heavily rely on gate keepers and mediocrity top up with I'm great attitude..the hypocrisy in film circles does not tell people that their films are worst and they don't have story...or a film for that matter...all is well...anyway, lets hope one day..now something creative:
following statement I've submitted as director's statement:
Director’s Statement
“Dinner with Nikhil” is a humorous take on two different cultures and their cultural differences. The film is about an over confident Indian guy and his survival tactics in the world unknown to him. The protagonist Nikhil is a street smart individual who wants to be successful at any cost in all aspects of life in a foreign country including a relationship with a white Australian girl. This film takes a mildly ironic look at the postcolonial mentality and competitiveness of Indians (where they must look successful in career, status and achievements by any means possible) in stark contrast to their easygoing egalitarian Australian counterparts. “Dinner with Nikhil” is also a story about a contemporary Australian girl and her casual but ambitious attitude towards life and relationships. Sarah Marsh too has big dreams and wants to meet a tall dark handsome, and preferably wealthy, man. When she is attracted to Nikhil, who seems to fulfil her criteria, she unknowingly enters a world which is bit more spicy, colourful and traditional than hers. How will Nikhil and Sarah respond to each other’s different habits values, beliefs? This is the source of the comedy. ‘Dinner With Nikhil’ also addresses the conditions of young Indian like the waiters Vinay and Shashank in Australian society where the sexual mores are starkly different from those in India . There are many interesting characters in the film that provide comical moments through their mannerisms and their perspective on the Australian way of life. In a nutshell this is a simple romantic comedy with funny complex characters.
STORY STRUCTURE
This is a visual film, where less dialogue and more action is the key element of story structure. Comedy of errors and farcical moment drives the narrative of the film. Indian accent, use of colloquial English words, different structure of sentences makes this screenplay very interesting for the Australian audience e.g. when Nikhil asks Sara “what is your line of business?” a common question in India but very alien for an Australian girl.
I’m aiming to shoot this film in a TV journalism style – part mockumentary, part Bollywood pastiche. The film is introduced through the eyes of the Indian TV reporter Kapil and his Aussie cameraman Bruce. This third person perspective will provide a unique cinematic dimension as a ‘film within a film’. What we want to integrate here is a combination of “reporting from location” with traditional cinematic story telling, to make the audience’s perspective and viewing experience more interesting. The collages of events (Nikhil picking up a plant from a strange house, Gunduswami’s introduction scenes etc.) will add to the overall humour of the film. The second subtle but important cinematic element is the use of colours. The Indian culture and way of life are very colourful. I want to explore and compare these aspects of two cultures this in the film – the relatively drab suburban experience of living in rented units in Parramatta and Harris Park contrasts with the Indian community’s more flamboyant world. The clothes, the food, the kites, and the red cricket ball -almost everything which relate to Nikhil - are bright loud and even garish. Sarah’s world is different - dark and somewhat stark Western Suburbs grit. When these two cinematic themes combine with Bollywood music, dance numbers and constant chattering, there will be create a lively prism of different moods through out the journey of the film.
CHARACTERS
The characters of this film are real characters based largely on my own experience. We’ve got an over confident Indian guy, a snooty Ausse Girl, the ex Indian army cook, two eccentric Indian students making for a sub-continent version of Fawlty Towers. They all have very interesting backstories. Nikhil is a man with a mission to do well in his new country to justify his father’s support back in the post office at Maniagar. Sarah has her own priorities – an aspirational Western suburbs girl who is looking for a way out of her humdrum, out-of-work situation. Gunduswami is a symbol of Raj Days from colonial India in Bangalore. Mix and match of personalities makes this simple story a very interesting film. I want to concentrate on the experience and understanding of the character, rather than telling actors how to act. The boot camp at the end of rehearsal schedule will give all actors a real life experience of working in an Indian restaurant and living the student life.
the story for this film has came from my own experiences as a migrant struggling to settle down in the unknown world of Parramatta, make a career and start a family. Being born and brought up in India, I was fascinated by the idea of comparing cultural differences and ways of thinking. I’ve tried to portray this in a humorous way in this film. My co-writer, Jack Douglas, as a resident of Macarthur, has contributed the other side of story. We have worked through the concept with lots of brainstorming for four to five months and it has been well received by the actors, the production crew and sample audience readers.
The actors have provided sound feedback given they are very familiar with the worlds portrayed.
WHY I WANT TO SHOOT THIS FILM
I want to portray ‘multicultural Australia’ from a uniquely Indian perspective and show how this amazing country is home to so many different, and at times conflicting, cultural currents. This film will be an entertaining contribution to the ongoing and increasingly strong interaction (not just in cricket) between our two nations.
Parth Nanavati
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