Interview with 'Peddlers' director Vasan Bala

A couple of months ago I had the chance to watch Vasan Bala's film Peddlers, and those on Twitter would know that my mind was completely blown. Peddlers is a stunningly assured debut, part neo noir part dark drama, and completely engrossing - and it's one of the seven films to be selected for the Cannes critics week.

A true indie, Peddlers was made via crowd funding - close to seven producers pooled in for the project and the Indian rights have been bought by Eros under the Anurag Kashyap Films and Sikhya Entertainment banners. It stars a bunch of very talented newbies - Gulshan Devaiah as a cop, Kriti Malhotra (from Dhobi Ghaat), Murari Kumar (from Gulaal), Sagai Raj (from Videokaaran), Siddharth Mennon (who looks like Andrew Garfield), Nimrat Kaur, Megh Pant, with cameos by director Nishikant Kamat and indie filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan.

So what IS Peddlers about? As per the synopsis, 'A ghost town, Mumbai, inhabited by millions. A lady on a mission, a man living a lie, an aimless drifter. They collide. Some collisions are of consequence, some not, either ways the city moves on'. You can read an interesting post on the film here. 

Vasan has assisted Anurag Kashyap in Dev D, Gulaal and That Girl in Yellow Boots, and has also worked with Michael Winterbottom in Trishna. The Cannes selection of Peddlers was a triumph not just for him but also for Indian indie cinema. Those worried about a wannabe Anurag Kashyap can relax, because Vasan has doled out a very different and unique treatment to both the shooting and writing style and the characters. It's hard to pick something that stands out, because the cast is every bit as good as the direction, cinematography and story. 

I had the chance to interview Vasan - he talks about the film's inception, the casting process, his influences and digital cameras. Embedded below is the transcript:

MF: When and how did the idea of Peddlers first come to you?

VB: At the very germ it started with the song "God's gonna cut you down" by Johnny Cash. Around one and a half years ago I wanted to make a music video for the song. Just for kicks. It had a cop chasing a boy and a woman he was in love with. I think over the next six months the music video never happened but the script and the characters and the story took shape.

MF: Gulshan Deviah has done a fantastic job as a grey cop in Peddlers, was he your first choice for the role?   

VB: He was the first choice since the inception. In spite of his comic blast in Yellow Boots and the K.C angry rich boy act in Shaitan there was a more sensitive and vulnerable side to him. The idea was to excite him with the grey shades which he loves but thru that retain his vulnerability too. He is a strange mix of aggression, intensity and is a 'Good Boy' in every which ways. Whenever the film had a false start, no producer no money he would send a simple sms "just tell me when we are shooting, I'll be there". No questions on who is producing or the money nothing. Gulshan is a big part of Peddlers and an absolute pillar. Could not have made the film without him. Respect the man.                       

MF: The rest of the cast is superb as well. Could you tell us about the casting process of Kriti Malhotra, Nishikanth Kamath, Sagai, Nimrat Kaur and others?  

VB: For the character of Bilkis I was thinking of a very unaffected and unassuming demeanor with a slight and a very strange intimidating. Also she needed to be pretty in a very unconventional way but frail and vulnerable. Suddenly it seemed too much to ask for..plus a natural actress. A meeting with Kriti gave all the right vibes for the character. She has ambition but it does not show, she is pretty but it grows as you see her more. 

For Nishi Sir (Nishikanth Kamath). I can't thank him enough for bailing me out on a day's notice. The actor who was supposed to play the role opted out for some domestic issues. I met Nishi Sir at a restaurant at Yari road and asked him "Sir 2 din mein shoot hai, ek din ka kaam hai, aap karoge" Again no questions asked, nothing. Simple answer "Ok". He was a savior.  

Nimrat - I have always been a fan of her stage acts. Did not know if she would be open to do this role. My casting Director Anmol Ahuja convinced her to meet me and give the role a chance. Getting her on the project was Anmol's marketing genius, can't thank him enough.  

Sagai's character was added to the script after I saw Videokaraan. It was him or no one else and the character would have been out of the film.                      

MF: Peddlers is visually intoxicating. Which cameras were used during filming?   

VB: We used the Red MX and mixed some 5D too. Siddharth Diwan took it to some other level. He is the future, a very important DoP to be in the Indian and am really hoping in the International context as well. It's his first feature film but it's such a daring call to shoot it the way we did. Can't thank him enough for completely submit to the process and not stick to guidelines and rules. Have worked with him on a couple of short film and he knows most of my future scripts too. We are a team. With him I need to talk or discuss. There is a great connect while working. A lot it unsaid and a lot is achieved. He is brilliant.                      

MF: A friend recently said 'Anurag Kashyap is the best film school in India'. After seeing your debut film I have to agree with him. How much of AK's influence has gone into Peddlers?  

VB: ORGANIC !!! Anyone who is prepared to let go and be a part of evolution can be a student here. An open mind and a will to burn one's finger and ass through one's mistakes is all one needs. It's trial by fire. Anyone who trusts the process can learn some invaluable lessons of filmmaking and life in general from this school.                      

MF: How is it like working with Anurag Kashyap?   

VB: It can be tiring at times. He is such a Rockstar and such a presence,  he can be a bit of a distraction for fanboys working as ADs with him. One needs to completely disconnect from him and work only for the film. He does not teach anything as such. It's more an awakening and opening of mind he does, and it comes out of a grueling movie schedule with him. It leaves with a lot of self doubt and questioning. One has to deal with all that alone and in isolation without much help. He puts you in situations and leaves one in the lurch. One definitely comes out stronger and with a definite perspective. He does not breed clones. He certainly breeds individuals.                      

MF: Seeing as the frames of Peddlers look so good, given a chance to direct a bigger movie, would you go film or digital?  

VB: Film would be just so Lovely!! Yes with the budget would definitely go for Film.                        

MF: Who is doing the music/lyrics for Peddlers? Could you tell us what sort of music it would be? Is there a full blown soundtrack with songs?   

VB: The music is by Karan Kulkarni and lyrics by Varun Grover. Since it was Karan's first film the first assurance I gave him was make a dent, a signature don't bother about salability. Put that blame on me. Same was the approach in all departments. Don't fall back on any precedence or out think on anyone as to "what WORKS". Throw the WORKS word out and just flow into it. Having said all that jazz being a big big big Illayaraja fan requested him one song in that zone and he did it brilliantly in his own style. Songs are there but treated more like BG scores.                     

MF: I personally can't wait to watch the movie on the big screen. When can we expect it to hit theaters?  

VB: It's being worked out. Hope soon, very soon. Would be a dream come true to have a show of my first film at Arora Talkies Matunga. 

Movie Review: The Avengers

Yet again, cult filmmaker Joss Whedon has doled out a white-hot entertainer with glorious characters and enough action mayhem to make nearly every other Marvel/DC superhero blockbuster look like a zoo. The Avengers takes all your wildest expectations and smashes them like the Hulk - it's everything you want in a superhero movie, and more. While other films might win awards this year, I really doubt that they’d top this one in sheer entertainment mojo.  

The Avengers is a result of the biggest buildup in cinema history, with the quartet of Iron Man and its sequel, The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger made to pave the way for an epic boss fight, and it delivers in thoroughly awesome ways. Nearly every minute of The Avengers throbs with heart-pounding fun, from the big opening apocalyptic scene at the S.H.I.E.L.D base to the gargantuan effects-soaked final battle. Director Whedon combines extremely clever lines, bombastic CGI with unexpected character development, and elevates the overused superhero genre to something much more substantial. He completely resists the temptation to make a dark brooding drama, and in taking a more gregarious direction, The Avengers becomes infinitely more refreshing.

Firstly, you are unlikely to find a more likable ensemble of characters in any movie anywhere. Popcorn entertainers work entirely based on the level of the cast rather than the CGI razzle dazzle, and in The Avengers the gang truly makes for gleeful delight. Not only do you get to witness the spectacle of Iron Man and Captain America fight alongside each other, and The Hulk and Thor smashing people together, but you’re also greeted with terrific witty back and forth banter between them all. It’s clear that Whedon is crazy about comic books and he balances the large and iconic cast of characters with the passionate dexterity of a fourteen year old genius surgeon. 

The plot is naturally an excuse to get the big guys together. Baddie Asgardian Loki (Tom Hiddleston) arrives on earth to rule humans and has an alien army to enforce his regime. To deal with the threat S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) assembles the motley group of Avengers to kick copious amounts of alien buttock and defend the planet. But putting all these guys in a single room doesn’t go too smoothly initially – they bicker hilariously and bombard each other with scathing one liners. While Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is super serious and methodical, Tony Stark (Downey Jr) is amusingly narcissistic, Thor (Hemsworth) is a vengeful foreigner, Black Widow (Johansson) is menthol cool and sexy as hell, and unlike in her previous appearance, she is smart and suave. There’s an interesting twist to Hawkeye’s (Renner) character, but Mark Ruffalo brings a wonderful new shade to Bruce Banner and really steals the show as the Hulk. And miraculously, each character feels spot on and it's insanely fun to see these guys having their arguments. In one scene Stark in a pseudo Shakespearian theater voice mocks Thor by asking him why he is wearing his mother’s clothes. The big assemble in the second half and the scene preceding it makes you want to tear your shirt off and scream in ecstasy. 

That’s not to say the special effects aren’t present – they’re colossal and eye popping, and there are plenty of bigger than life moments. In fact the whole second half is one ambitious action scene grander than all the other Marvel movies put together. Hiddleston makes a very interesting villain, and a scene involving him and the Hulk towards the end will leave your face with the widest possible grin. Samuel L Jackson is his usual pulpy self and Whedon goes one step further and gives Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) a meatier role. The film wasn’t shot in 3D, and though it’s well done, you’ll garner the most enjoyment in bright and colorful 2D. 

The Avengers took almost fifty years to appear on screen together, and the wait has indeed been worthwhile. It’s one of the most entertaining movies ever made - it’s total delight to just sit back and enjoy the fireworks. 

(First published in Mid Day)

Movie Review: Mirror Mirror

After the masterpiece that was The Fall and the mess that was Immortals, director Tarsem marks his entry into the fairytale terrain, a crossing that draws mixed, unexciting results. Mirror Mirror, the new Snow White film tumbles on the big screen with weak writing, exaggerated visuals and mildly nauseating acting. Its tedious humor can't provide that effortless magical touch that the Disney classics are made of. 

The story remains similar to the Brothers Grimm version – a king (Sean Bean) of a faraway kingdom vanishes and his daughter Snow White (Lilly Collins) is raised by her scheming, deceitful step-mother (Julia Roberts), who plans with her crony (Nathan Lane) to take the kingdom away from Snow. Prince Charming (Armie Hammer) shows up and falls in love with Snow, and the outraged queen sends the girl away to the silver birch forest to be killed by a beast. Snow is rescued by the dwarfs (Danny Woodburn, Mark Povinelli, Martin Klebba, Sebastian Saraceno, Jordan Prentice, Joe Gnoffo) who teach her how to fight back and overthrow the evil queen. 

The problem is that the film is too visually opaque, quite unlike Tarsem’s previous movies. There is a bit of his trademark surrealist imagery, like the world where the queen enters by passing through the magic mirror, but there’s not enough of it. The kids would find most of the dialogue boring and the film clichéd - the CGI monster that appears in the end is too generic to generate much interest. Even the dwarves are painfully uninteresting, and one begins to realize that Tarsem is a great stylist, but a jaded storyteller. 

While the writing lacks depth and surprise, it’s the characters which disappoint the most, and Mirror Mirror fumbles along as a pastiche of classic Disney. While Lilly Collins is just about watchable as Snow White, Julia Roberts is disappointingly dull and not evil or menacing enough to make an impression. The film leaps to life only during the few moments when Armie Hammer satirizes his own good looks. The most fun part, however, is the Bollywood-esque climactic musical number that at least ensures you leave the hall not completely annoyed.

(First published in MiD Day)

Movie Review: 21 Jump Street

When you’re rolling in your seat writhing with laughter, clasping your stomach and experiencing a sharp pain in your jaw, you know you’re having a good time at the movies. Make no mistake, 21 Jump Street renders many such moments. Cheekily directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, brilliantly written and featuring terrific comic performances from Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, this is a thoroughly enjoyable comedy that delivers non-stop gut busting laugh-out-loud gags. 

Based on the 80’s TV series of the same name starring Johnny Depp, 21 Jump Street is a great send-up of the show and it buries a surprising amount of sweetness under the layers of snark. Coming up with a fresh angle to tackle the buddy cop genre is a tall order, and the film makes for an inside-out reconstruction of the overused theme. In fact Lord and Miller seem determined to tickle moviegoers frustrated with the predictable formula of the mismatched cops stories. They take down nearly every buddy cop movie cliché dating back to 48 Hours resulting in an utterly mischievous one that works better than it has any right to. The film’s closest cousin is Running Scared though shades of Freebie and the Bean crop up as well. That's fine company to keep, and the film ultimately earns it. 

21 Jump Street loosely follows the series - here we have former classmates Channing Tatum as Jenko, an unintelligent but popular chick magnet and Jonah Hill as Schmidt, a geeky overweight goofball who end up as security guards at a park. They chance upon drug dealers and are sent on an undercover mission back to high school to nab the suppliers. Things take a hilarious turn when they accidentally mix up their new identities at school, and it lands Jenko in the science classes meant for Schmidt, who poses as Jenko’s brother and enrolls in track and theater. The role reversal becomes a gold mine for laughs as Jenko begins to learn about the ‘awesomeness’ of science and outrages as Schmidt gets the ladies. The two keep forgetting that they’re on a mission, they even end up taking the very drug they’re trying to stop and hallucinate their gym teacher’s head turning into an ice cream cone. 

Lord and Miller deliver a lot of the fresh, boisterously quirky comedy of their previous film Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, and it seems like their inner monster was unleashed by getting a permit to make an R-rated film. There are a lot of dick jokes, and the plot is just an excuse for them to tinker with the audiences’ expectation of the riotous. The drug they’re after is called Holy F*****g Shit and it has the appropriate visual icon too. But what makes all the nasty humor work is all the stuff you don’t see coming, and the comedy has panache rather than a crude stink. There’s even a big car chase with a running gag that mocks Hollywood action scenes. 

Not to mention the hilarious Hill and Tatum, who are so devoted to their roles that you almost see a glint in their bromantic eyes. Tatum is way better at comedy than you imagine him to be, and his inherent woodenness is milked endlessly here. Ice Cube as the hysterically profane Captain Dickson is a delight. There’s also a fun cameo towards the end that tops Dali’s surprise in Midnight in Paris.

 

21 Jump Street is a clever and unexpectedly fresh film that is funny enough to make your face hurt with laughter. Watch it.

(First published in MiD Day)