The Asian premiere of her film The Reluctant Fundamentalist is being held here today at the festival's closing.
Highlights
- Indian born director Mira Nair says
- she does not understand the fuss about Indian filmmakers'
- obsession with winning an Oscar or making movies to win
- accolades from the West.
- The 55-year-old filmmaker, whose first feature film Salaam Bombay (1988) won an Oscar nomination, says that Indian film makers should not make movies with an eye on the Oscars.
- "I don't understand why India looks up to the Oscars. The
- Academy awards were set up for Americans, to give a pat on
- their back but somehow it has become a greater obsession here.
- "The sad part is the kind of disconnect we have in
- sending the kind of movies. Unless we establish the reach of
- better movies, things won't change. Audience is my Oscar,"
- Mira said on the sidelines of the 43rd International Film
- Festival of India here.
- The Asian premiere of her film The Reluctant
- Fundamentalist is being held here today at the festival's
- closing. It is based on Mohsin Hamid's novel.
- "I was interested in making the movie when I first
- visited Pakistan. The movie tells the other side of the story
- post 9/11. We have heard the American version but not the
- other so my aim was to tell the story from a different
- perspective. It was a difficult project and took five years to
- make," she added.
- The film has premiered at various international film
- festivals but Mira says showing the movie in her home country
- gives her ultimate satisfaction.
- "I have been to a lot of festivals - London, Toronto,
- Venice, Doha - but coming back to India and showing the movie
- here gives a sense of completeness. I am happy and excited to
- be here and am waiting for the reaction from people here."
- The movie stars Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber,
- Kiefer Sutherland, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi.
Indian born director Mira Nair saysshe does not understand the fuss about Indian filmmakers'obsession with winning an Oscar or making movies to winaccolades from the West.
The 55-year-old filmmaker, whose first feature film
Salaam Bombay (1988) won an Oscar nomination, says that Indian film makers should not make movies with an eye on the Oscars.
"I don't understand why India looks up to the Oscars. TheAcademy awards were set up for Americans, to give a pat ontheir back but somehow it has become a greater obsession here.
"The sad part is the kind of disconnect we have insending the kind of movies. Unless we establish the reach ofbetter movies, things won't change. Audience is my Oscar,"Mira said on the sidelines of the 43rd International FilmFestival of India here.
The Asian premiere of her film
The ReluctantFundamentalist is being held here today at the festival'sclosing. It is based on Mohsin Hamid's novel.
"I was interested in making the movie when I firstvisited Pakistan. The movie tells the other side of the storypost 9/11. We have heard the American version but not theother so my aim was to tell the story from a differentperspective. It was a difficult project and took five years tomake," she added.
The film has premiered at various international filmfestivals but Mira says showing the movie in her home countrygives her ultimate satisfaction.
"I have been to a lot of festivals - London, Toronto,Venice, Doha - but coming back to India and showing the moviehere gives a sense of completeness. I am happy and excited tobe here and am waiting for the reaction from people here."
The movie stars Riz Ahmed, Kate Hudson, Liev Schreiber,Kiefer Sutherland, Om Puri and Shabana Azmi.