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the-south-asian.com March 2003 |
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MARCH
2003 Murphy's
Law &
Films Serialisation
of 'Knock at every alien Events
Lehngas - a limited collection Books
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by Avinash Kalla
What happens when an Oxford don and a graduate from the London School of filmmaking come together? The result is 'Road to Ladakh' a film that is exquisitely poised on a knife-edge between elusiveness and engagement, suspicion and tenderness. Road to Ladakh is a journey into a new kind of cinema playing up the juxtapositions and contradictions that are an inherent part of modern day India
Standing on a platform in Juan Les Pins at the Cannes film Festival, Ashvin Kumar dreamt of making a film. In fact, at that instance an idea for a film was born in his fecund mind. Five months later, the movie, Road to Ladakh is ready for screening. Written and directed by Ashvin Kumar, and produced by Shomit Mitter, this movie belongs to a genre all of its own.
Road To Ladakh too is a whacky rites of passage encounter between a dysfunctional, coke-snorting fashion model and an ultra-focused, strong silent stranger thrown together by chance into the magnificent wilderness of Ladakh or the Land of the Purple Moon. Both are outsiders in this mountainous resort in India, both are lonely, both crave the human contact that their roles in society deny them. Tentatively they search each other out in a film that is exquisitely poised on a knife-edge between elusiveness and engagement, suspicion and tenderness. " It's a love story revolving around two strangers who come from different backgrounds and meet accidentally. Suddenly they find a chemistry developing between them. It’s a real life situation but there's an element of surreal in the film which is essential to keep the interest going," says director Ashvin Kumar. Son of ace fashion designer Ritu Kumar, Ashvin holds a postgraduate diploma in filmmaking from the London Film School. " Don't ask me the obvious question why I didn't become a designer," warns Ashvin. " Just because my mother is a designer doesn't mean that I too must become a designer. I was always interested in film-making." When he attended the Cannes Film Festival he saw a number of filmmakers distributing pamphlets urging people to see their short films. " So I thought if I have to hit the international market then I must be here next year distributing pamphlets of my film. That set me thinking about a possible storyline and came up with the Road To Ladakh concept," says Ashvin. At once hilarious and sinister, bizarre and moving, psychedelic and intensely real, Road to Ladakh is the product of a singular vision. " The purpose of the movie is to demonstrate our abilities as film-makers. It is a labour of love, of passion and commitment. We want to share what we feel is our unique way of making films using the best talent that India has to offer to create a global cinema with a very strong regional focus," says producer Shomit who is an M.Phil in literature from Oxford University and a PhD in theatre studies from Cambridge University. According to Ashvin ever since filmmakers like Gurinder Chadha [Bend It Like Beckham], Mira Nair [Monsoon Wedding] and Aamir Khan's Lagaan made it to the Oscars there's been a heightened interest in Indian cinema. " These new age filmmakers are changing the entire approach to Indian cinema. They are not churning out tired old stereotypes but are portraying contemporary people in current settings. They are addressing a diverse range of issues and are voicing modern-day concerns," says Ashvin. He says he and his crew worked very meticulously on the storyline of the 55-minute film. There's a definite beginning, middle and a very appropriate end. Hopefully it should keep the audience glued." The crew for the film was drawn from the UK, Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Interestingly everyone demonstrated a commitment to the film and travelled all the way to India at their own cost to be part of the project. The sound track of the film has been composed by Susmit Sen and recorded by his band, 'Indian Ocean' and is showcased in his latest album, Depths of the Ocean. Susmit’s guitar playing was likened to John McLaughlin at the recently concluded Edinburgh film festival. Road to Ladakh is a journey into a new kind of cinema playing up the juxtapositions and contradictions that are an inherent part of modern day India.
*****
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