How Tuesday Affected Bollywood?

By Fuad Omar.

The terrifying incident in the US last Tuesday has made many worry for the safety of their loved ones. The blast in New York's World Trade Centre that rocked America was a major concern for Bollywood too since so many of our stars are in the US at the moment.

Aamir Khan, Anil Kapoor, Aishwariya Rai and Preity Zinta had all gone there as part of their current world tour which is coming to the UK later next month. They were due to perform in Houston, Chicago and Canada last weekend and had performed in New York's Nassau Coliseum on September 1st. Also the whole of team of Sanjay Gupta's 'Kaante' were shooting in the country too including Amitabh Bachchan, Sunil Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Kumar Gaurav and Lucky Ali. Fortunately these stars are all fine and were nowhere near New York when the blast occurred. Shahrukh Khan was in New York with Santosh Sivan (director of Asoka), but was not near the blast. It is unclear as to whether he was in New York or had just landed and was waiting to take another flight to Toronto for the film festival where Asoka was to be screened, but all that matters is that he is safe.

The chaos and disorder that the world has seen over the past week is surely one no one will forget. What worries me is that two weeks after publishing my piece on how the argument that art reflects society can turn around with society reflecting art. We see events unfold that are simply serving no purpose except to create mass destruction. As I write this I am told that the trailer for the new Spiderman movie which is releasing next Summer is being withdrawn (even though it's been around for months), because it ends with Spiderman spinning a web between the towers of the World Trade Centre. That's fine and can be seen as a mark of respect. What is a little concerning is at the same time Arnold Schawarzenegger's new movie Collateral Damage is being scrapped three weeks before its due release until they come up with a new ending, one which does not involve the World Trade Centre's towers being blown up. Coincidence? Another controversial movie which is "currently being withdrawn from cinemas across the world due to its resemblance to reality" is Swordfish. Since this is a Bollywood section and I will be deviating from my point. I will not elaborate on the movie or its ideas/plot, but will say those who have seen the movie will know exactly why the film has been withdrawn and will understand when I say it could be seen as one which makes suggestions which bare similarity between life and art. I reiterate my point that filmmakers and controllers of media need to exercise responsibility, so that we can breed positivity and not hint or give reason for bad things to happen.

What's happening in the US and the way it is being reported is one such instance. As a media person I recently held discussions with colleagues about how we (as the media) could spread positivity and make the world a better safer place by doing what we're meant to, rather than creating REACTIONaries and not EVOLUTIONaries. The backlash against Sikhs, Muslims and Asians in general (in some places) is the result of REACTIONaries. A sad truth yes, and something to think about.

I urge you to go back and re-read the section on Art Reflects Society and make your won decisions.

The Toronto Film Festival was stopped for half a day on Tuesday as reports came in on what was going in New York. This is the first time the festival has been closed down, but re-opened on Wednesday. Ace whizkid director Santosh Sivan's Asoka's press screening, like many other films, was postponed as the festival recovers from the aftermath of the terrorist carnage in New York.
"Santosh and Shah Rukh were about to take off for Toronto when the airports in New York closed down," a festival spokesperson told the press. The film might be shown Sunday but the remaining screenings have not yet been scheduled and also by then, most of the critics and acquisition agents will probably have left the city, as the festival ends officially on Saturday.

In the US many cinemas had shutters on them and Hollywood cancelled most of its events, including the star studded Emmy Awards which have now been postponed until October 7th. Mira Nair's movie Monsoon Wedding, was being shown at the Varsity cinemas in Toronto during the time when the blast happened and so continued with patrons inside unaware of what was going on across the border. More than 400 reporters and trade representatives watched her bittersweet film without word as to what had happened. The screening started at 0830 hrs and was meant to have a press conference after it at 1100 hrs with Mira Nair and Naseeruddin Shah, but that was cancelled along with many other events. "I feel bad for my artistes," says Nair. "I would have loved them to meet with the press. It is they along with the writer, who have made this film memorable." When asked about the New York events, Naseeruddin Shah responded while shaking his head, "Where will this take us? When will all this end?"

The festival's director Piers Handling had considered closing the festival totally but decided against this after meeting with filmmakers and journalists who told him that doing this would only mean the terrorists had succeeded in evoking more terror, adding to their success.

Many filmmakers, directors, stars and journalists who had planned to fly out of Toronto last Thursday were stuck, including American actress Heather Graham, and character artists Harvey Keitel and Naseeruddin Shah. Also stranded is Aamir Khan, who had flown in from New York to join wife Reena and director Ashutosh Gowariker for the second public screening of his Lagaan at the film festival.

Being his positive self, Aamir tried to lighten the spirits of festival goers slightly. He was seen having a late breakfast with wife Reena at Over Easy, which is a small place next to the Park Hyatt Hotel where the Lagaan gang is staying. As he was leaving the table he bumped into Mira Nair and the two hugged like old friends as they congratulated each other on their respective films.

Aamir's shows are said to have resumed without delay and the world tour will find its way to the UK around mid-October.

Bollywood is getting things back to work as the world around it spins and stabilises after a bad time for all. Let's hope things get better soon.