Senior Rediff.com Contributor Aseem Chhabra is director of the New York Indian Film Festival, an entertainment writer and author of Irrfan Khan: The Man, The Dreamer, The Star. You can e-mail the author at aseem.chhabra@gmail.com
'What the film shows is an India, which was headed in a completely different direction than where we are headed.'
'I guess things happen when they have to happen.' 'And the film got delayed by COVID a little bit. But yeah, it's been a decade which I do not regret.' 'I feel like I have grown so much, as an artist, as well as just a human being.' 'So much life experience to channel into films that I think is an advantage almost.'
'The only violence I have had in any film of mine is a slap.' 'When Nikhil narrated the film to me, I was blown away.' 'I was literally screaming out of my chair.'
'He killed so many people, doing the kind of horrible things he did, and yet, he believed he was making the right choices.'
If there is one lesson we get from Depp vs Heard, it is that the American legal system is deeply flawed and the court of public opinion and social media make it harder for victims to get justice, observes Aseem Chhabra.
'Once I left my photographs at Ram Gopal Varma's office.' 'I told a friend I was concerned no one had contacted me. My friend said, "Itni jaldi nahin hota idhar. Time lagega".'
Rocky Aur Rani is definitely Karan's most subversive project, discovers Aseem Chhabra.
'I never got respect as an actress.' 'But when I became a director and worked with actresses like Cate Blanchett and Jessica Chastain, I felt such pride of being an actress.'
Kohrra is a terrific ensemble piece but the two fine leads keep show glued together, applauds Aseem Chhabra.
'There's this presence, a sense of patrolling and surveillance. And it's not coming from a place of safety.' 'It's coming from a place of 'You don't belong here'.' 'It's a malevolent force, the society at large is observing them.'
Twelve days of movie madness and 36 films later, Aseem Chhabra lists his top 10 favourite films from this year's Cannes Film Festival.
'It's everyone's dream to have their pictures show up on Google.' 'In the beginning, you're not used to it.' 'It's a bit weird and even now it's weird.'
'The Iranians are very resilient people. So even when they are throttled, they try their best to survive.'
Aseem Chhabra highlights 10 films that moved him, films that may show up in theatres near you.
India is shining, although I will argue that it is a temporary acceptance until India once again makes a mega-successful film like RRR or another beautiful, moving, documentary like The Elephant Whisperers, notes Aseem Chhabra.
'Rakesh's life is hard, but he knows how to find joy.' 'He doesn't think his life's value comes from money. He sees no shame in his poverty.'
'Love will always be a mystery.' 'The day it stops being a mystery it won't exist.'
'The point about arranged marriages is -- because I come from a progressive family -- the idea was completely alien. But I have realised over time that there are instances of assisted marriages working very well. If you look at it, really, in a microcosm, it is the same thing as Tinder, isn't it? I mean, if you are trying to meet -- yes, no, yes, no, no.'
'I am a non-resident Indian. I didn't come to India to shine a light on its negative aspects.' 'I came to India to showcase what I think are remarkable aspects of India and Indians on a global scale.'
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