The Bombay Talkies
Nithin Rao 
On May 3, 1913, the first feature-length Indian film, 'Raja Harischandra', was released in Bombay (as it was known then) by DadasahebPhalke, who directed and produced the 40-minute film.A And to mark the centenary of Bollywood, four top film directors have joined hands in a unique project, contributing four short films that are being merged into one. Bombay Talkies will be released on May 3 to mark the landmark event. Says ZoyaAkthar, one of the directors, contributing her short film: "The main person behind this project is AshiDua of Flying Unicorn Entertainment. The producer is a young gorgeous girl and only she could have got all four directors to agree to it. She is the queen behind the project." Viacom 18 Motion Pictures decided to fund the film which celebrates the centenary of Bollywood. Besides Zoya, the film has been co-directed by Karan Johar, AnuragKashyap and Dibakar Banerjee, all coming together for the first time to tell a story that is close to their hearts. "Making any film is a good experience, but working on this project has been fantastic," exudes Zoya. "I shot for 10 days on a tiny budget. But I wanted to do the project and it was super-fun." 
Her story is about how movies touch, inspire and influence people in India. It is about a little boy who wants to grow up and become Sheila (or Katrina Kaif). "It's a magical film, a dream-come-true story," is all she is willing to say at this stage about her film within the film. The young director � whose debut film was 'Luck By Chance' (2009), followed by the hit 'Zindagi Na MilegiDobara' (2011) � says she had worked on short films when she was in film school. Was it difficult to work with the other directors? "We are all pretty good friends," remarks Zoya. "We respect each other's work. And I have grown up with Karan." It was indeed a great credit line-up to be in and she's happy to be part of this remarkable film, adds the director.A Karan, whose films (which include box-office hits such as 'KuchKuchHotaHai', 'KabhiKhushiKabhiGham' and 'My Name is Khan') usually run for more than three hours was initially hesitant as he had never done a short film. "I was initially apprehensive, but I took it up as a challenge, especially since the other three directors had done unusual films," he says. "It was an august company to be part of and for the celebration of 100 years of cinema." According to Karan, all four films have a common theme � the love for Indian cinema � which is peripheral, but omnipresent. He says the four directors worked independently and only after completing their film did they met. "It was a great experience interacting with the other directors," he says. "We got along like a house on fire." All four filmmakers were on the same page. "We are all like-minded directors and team players, so there have been no problems," adds Karan. His film takes us on a journey into complex relationships connected by music from the movies. Of course, Karan � like the other three filmmakers � had to work on an extremely tight budget, unlike the millions of rupees that he splurges on his lavish films. AnuragKashyap ('Dev D', 'Gulaal', 'Gangs of Wasseypur') says he finally got the opportunity to do a film that he's been wanting to do for the last 20 years. "When I first came to Mumbai in 1995, I had gathered along with a lot of other curious Bollywood fans outside Prateeksha, the house of Amitabh Bachchan at Juhu-Vile Parle. I observed what all the other fans were doing and wanted to make a film on it." Of course, he got busy with the other films that have established his name in Bollywood, but when this offer of doing a short film came up, he grabbed it: and he had a ready story to tell, of all those anxious young men and women standing outside Big B are home and hoping to make it big in tinseltown. For Dibakar Banerjee ('KhoslaKaGhosla', 'Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye', 'Love Sex AurDhoka'), it was a fascinating experience, working with the other directors. "It was a fantastic opportunity of working with these three directors," says Dibakar. Before making 'KhoslaKaGhosla' (2006), Dibakar was about to make a short film. "But by a quirk of fate, my first film wasn't a short film," he says. "I was dying to do a short film, so when this opportunity came up, I jumped at it." His film features a failed actor who gets the last chance to make it big in films.
On May 3, 1913, the first feature-length Indian film, 'Raja Harischandra', was released in Bombay (as it was known then) by DadasahebPhalke, who directed and produced the 40-minute film.A And to mark the centenary of Bollywood, four top film directors have joined hands in a unique project, contributing four short films that are being merged into one. Bombay Talkies will be released on May 3 to mark the landmark event. Says ZoyaAkthar, one of the directors, contributing her short film: "The main person behind this project is AshiDua of Flying Unicorn Entertainment. The producer is a young gorgeous girl and only she could have got all four directors to agree to it. She is the queen behind the project." Viacom 18 Motion Pictures decided to fund the film which celebrates the centenary of Bollywood. Besides Zoya, the film has been co-directed by Karan Johar, AnuragKashyap and Dibakar Banerjee, all coming together for the first time to tell a story that is close to their hearts. "Making any film is a good experience, but working on this project has been fantastic," exudes Zoya. "I shot for 10 days on a tiny budget. But I wanted to do the project and it was super-fun." Her story is about how movies touch, inspire and influence people in India. It is about a little boy who wants to grow up and become Sheila (or Katrina Kaif). "It's a magical film, a dream-come-true story," is all she is willing to say at this stage about her film within the film. The young director � whose debut film was 'Luck By Chance' (2009), followed by the hit 'Zindagi Na MilegiDobara' (2011) � says she had worked on short films when she was in film school. Was it difficult to work with the other directors? "We are all pretty good friends," remarks Zoya. "We respect each other's work. And I have grown up with Karan." It was indeed a great credit line-up to be in and she's happy to be part of this remarkable film, adds the director.A Karan, whose films (which include box-office hits such as 'KuchKuchHotaHai', 'KabhiKhushiKabhiGham' and 'My Name is Khan') usually run for more than three hours was initially hesitant as he had never done a short film. "I was initially apprehensive, but I took it up as a challenge, especially since the other three directors had done unusual films," he says. "It was an august company to be part of and for the celebration of 100 years of cinema." According to Karan, all four films have a common theme � the love for Indian cinema � which is peripheral, but omnipresent. He says the four directors worked independently and only after completing their film did they met. "It was a great experience interacting with the other directors," he says. "We got along like a house on fire." All four filmmakers were on the same page. "We are all like-minded directors and team players, so there have been no problems," adds Karan. His film takes us on a journey into complex relationships connected by music from the movies. Of course, Karan � like the other three filmmakers � had to work on an extremely tight budget, unlike the millions of rupees that he splurges on his lavish films. AnuragKashyap ('Dev D', 'Gulaal', 'Gangs of Wasseypur') says he finally got the opportunity to do a film that he's been wanting to do for the last 20 years. "When I first came to Mumbai in 1995, I had gathered along with a lot of other curious Bollywood fans outside Prateeksha, the house of Amitabh Bachchan at Juhu-Vile Parle. I observed what all the other fans were doing and wanted to make a film on it." Of course, he got busy with the other films that have established his name in Bollywood, but when this offer of doing a short film came up, he grabbed it: and he had a ready story to tell, of all those anxious young men and women standing outside Big B are home and hoping to make it big in tinseltown. For Dibakar Banerjee ('KhoslaKaGhosla', 'Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye', 'Love Sex AurDhoka'), it was a fascinating experience, working with the other directors. "It was a fantastic opportunity of working with these three directors," says Dibakar. Before making 'KhoslaKaGhosla' (2006), Dibakar was about to make a short film. "But by a quirk of fate, my first film wasn't a short film," he says. "I was dying to do a short film, so when this opportunity came up, I jumped at it." His film features a failed actor who gets the last chance to make it big in films.Next Story
