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Archives for 2015

Russia accused of striking civilian targets in Syria

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Activists say warplanes are targeting civilians in areas under control of Western-backed rebels, a claim Russia denies.

Activists said Russian airstrikes targeted a mosque Idlib's Jisr al-Shoghour, destroying most of it and injuring civilians [Syria Civil Defence]

Activists said Russian airstrikes targeted a mosque Idlib’s Jisr al-Shoghour, destroying most of it and injuring civilians [Syria Civil Defence]

by Basma Atassi, Al Jazeera

Russian warplanes unleashed a new wave of air strikes against opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, amid concerns that many of Moscow’s targets were civilian.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Paris on Friday to discuss the air raids with his counterpart Francois Hollande, as Moscow maintained that the attacks were aimed at the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and other “terrorist organisations”.

France is a member of the US-led coalition against ISIL in Syria and Iraq. On Thursday, the countries of the coalition called on Russia to cease its aerial campaign which they said was hitting the Western-backed Syrian rebels and civilians.

“These military actions constitute a further escalation and will only fuel more extremism and radicalisation,” said the coalition, which also includes Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

Russian jets on Thursday hit areas in the suburbs of Hama and Idlib, all areas under the control of loose coalitions of rebel groups, including the Western-backed Free Syrian Army.

Activists on the ground told Al Jazeera that the majority of the attacks hit civilian targets, a claim that Moscow, a key ally of Assad, denies.

In the Hama suburb of Habeet, an air strike at about 08:30pm local time killed three civilians, including a 5-year-old girl, and injured 12 others, according to opposition activist Hadi al-Abdullah.

“The destruction caused by the strike was massive. A two-storey house was completely flattened to the ground,” he told Al Jazeera.

Earlier at 02:30pm local time, an attack on Jisr al-Shoghour in the northwestern province of Idlib destroyed a mosque and killed two civilians, other activists told Al Jazeera.

In Idlib’s Jabal al-Zawya region, two children were among at least seven civilians killed in suspected Russian air strikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based monitoring group said Russian air strikes on Syria have killed 28 people since they were launched on Wednesday.

‘Information warfare’

Putin rejected allegations that civilians had been killed in Russian raids, dubbing the reports “information warfare”.

Russia’s defence ministry said the air raids were hitting several ISIL targets, including in the group’s self-proclaimed capital, Raqqa.

Both Western officials and activists on the ground said expressed concern that they are attempting to hit opposition rebel fighters.

Both Idlib and Hama have no ISIL presence since January 2014.

The initial Russian strikes on Wednesday hit Talbiseh, a suburb in the central Homs suburb that is under the control of the Free Syrian Army, Ahrar al-Sham rebel group and Faylaq al-Sham group, and the al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra.

The rebel groups had pushed back ISIL from the suburb six months ago.

The air strikes came as Russia presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would call for consent from Damascus for attacks against ISIL in Syria.

Washington had previously blocked a similar resolution, and no date has been set for a vote on this one.

The Syrian conflict, which began as protests against Assad’s regime in 2011, has escalated into a multi-faceted war that has drawn thousands of fighters from overseas.

Over the past four years, more than 250,000 people have been killed and half of the population displaced.

Nine dead in shooting at college in US state of Oregon

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Nine people killed at a college in Roseburg by 26-year-old gunman who was later killed in a shootout with police.

Chris Harper Mercer

by Al Jazeera

A gunman went on a shooting rampage at a college in the US state of Oregon, killing nine people and wounding seven before he died in a shootout with police.

Authorities initially said more had died in Thursday’s shooting but the Sheriff’s department corrected this.

A visibly angry President Barack Obama made an impassioned plea for gun control in the wake of the shooting, blasting Congress for its failure to act in the face of “routine” mass killings.

The shooter – identified by US media as Chris Harper Mercer, 26 – opened fire in a classroom at Umpqua Community College in rural Roseburg, and moved to other rooms methodically gunning down his victims, witnesses said.

Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said nine people were killed and seven were injured, several critically. He said the victims’ identities would not be released for at least 24 hours.

Witnesses quoted in US media described scenes of terror and panic as the tragedy unfolded. One man whose daughter was wounded told CNN that the gunman ordered students to stand up if they were Christian and then shot them.

“They would stand up and he said ‘Good, because you’re a Christian, you’re going to see God in just about one second’,” Stacy Boylan told CNN, relaying his daughter Ana’s account.

He said his daughter played dead when the gunman ordered her to stand up as she lay on the floor.

Student Cassandra Welding was in a classroom when she heard 35 to 40 shots coming from an adjacent room.

She saw a fellow student be shot after opening the classroom door to check what was happening.

“Then we locked the doors, turned off the lights and … we were all pretty much in panic mode and called 911 (emergency services) and our parents and (said) ‘I love yous’ because we didn’t know what would happen, if those were our last words.”

‘We have become numb’

Voicing both anger and sadness at the latest mass shooting at a US school, Obama threw down the gauntlet to politicians and voters on the thorny issue of gun control.

“Somehow this has become routine,” said the president. “We’ve become numb to this.”

“We are the only advanced country on Earth that sees these kinds of mass shooting every few months,” he added.

“It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun.”

Hanlin said police were alerted to the shooting shortly after 10:30am and rushed to the site where two officers exchanged fire with the gunman who was later confirmed dead.

Authorities said investigators were examining social media postings thought to belong to the shooter. Several reports said he may have shared his intentions online beforehand.

Other reports said police recovered three handguns and an assault rifle at the scene along with a cell phone that presumably belonged to the shooter who wore a bullet proof vest.

Hanlin confirmed that authorities had identified the gunman, but declined to release his name.

“You will never hear me mention his name,” Hanlin said. “I will not give him the credit he probably sought prior to this horrific and cowardly act.”

A candlelit vigil was held late Thursday for the victims in Roseburg, a close-knit logging community with many locals among the 3,300 students at the college.

‘We all froze’

Brady Winder, another student at Umpqua, said he was in class when suddenly he heard a loud pop coming from an adjoining classroom.

He said his teacher called out through the door to see if everything was OK and then further shots rang out.

“We all kind of froze and bolted out the door,” Winder said. “I didn’t really have any time to think. It was fight or flight.”

Police searched the entire campus after the shooting aided by sniffer dogs and patted down students and staff as they left and boarded buses that transported them to local fairgrounds.

“Most of us have relatives taking classes here,” said Douglas County fire Marshall Ray Shoufler. “Pretty much everybody knows everybody type scenario.

“So something like this affects many, many, many people.”

School shootings are a disturbing reality of American life and many facilities have reinforced security in recent years, especially in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012.

Twenty students and six adults were killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut by 20-year-old Adam Lanza.

On Wednesday, a student who got into an argument with the principal at a high school in South Dakota pulled a gun and shot the school official in the arm before he was tackled and subdued by staff.

There have been 142 school shootings in the United States since the Sandy Hook massacre, according to data compiled by Mass Shooting Tracker.

Indian hockey team beats New Zealand A 3-1

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Akashdeep Singh

Auckland: The Indian men’s hockey team outplayed New Zealand A 3-1 to get its Kiwi tour off to a positive start here on Friday.

Akashdeep Singh (third minute), Ramandeep Singh (20th) and Nikkin Thimmaiah (26th) scored for the visitors, who will play their second match on Saturday.

During the match, the first quarter started with New Zealand A going on the attack and earning two back-to-back penalty corners in the first few minutes. India’s star goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh displayed his quick moves to thwart both the attempts.

Later Ramandeep was seen brilliantly dribbling past the defenders and gave a beautiful pass to fellow forward Akashdeep, who was quick to put the ball into the nets without giving any chance to the New Zealand custodian in the third minute.

After conceding a goal, New Zealand A players attacked again and looked for opportunities to score the equaliser. However, the Indian defenders restricted their moves and maintained pressure on the home team.

In the second quarter, centre-half Sardar Singh-captained India started with fierce attacks and kept the ball moving in the other half. In the 20th minute, Ramandeep sneaked into the defence line and scored a spectacular field goal, taking the score to 2-0.

Inspired by Ramandeep’s goal, defender Gurjinder Singh raced into the Kiwi circle and passed the ball to forward Thimmaiah, who outfoxed the defenders with his dribbling skills and made it 3-0 in the 26th minute. With this marvellous field goal, the Indians were in the lead 3-0 by the end of the second quarter.

Trailing 0-3, the New Zealand players managed to keep the ball in the Indian half and tried to create opportunities. In the 36th minute, they earned a crucial penalty corner and successfully converted it for their opening goal.

The Indians counter-attacked the home team and created pressure again. New Zealand were now playing a defensive game and kept their goal post protected. The scorecard stood 3-1 by the end of the third quarter in India’s favour.

In the fourth quarter also Indian forwards Ramandeep, Akashdeep and Nikkin kept the defenders busy and played most of the game in the opponent’s half. After a series of attacks from India, the match finished 3-1 in favour of the Asian Games champions.

(IANS)

Akhilesh targets PM, dares him to ban beef exports

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Akhilesh-Yadav

Lucknow: Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said those who spoke against “pink revolution” should ban beef exports as they were now in power and alleged that they wanted to disturb the “secular” ethos of the country by raising such issues.

Amid the outrage over lynching of a man in the state’s Dadri town after villagers accused him and his family of consuming beef, the Chief Minister today broke his silence saying that “our religion and our country” allow people to live the way they want and respect their rights.

“A rumour does not have anything in it but a lot can happen because of it. Our Constitution is based on secularism. Our schemes are all based on this principle but some forces want to vitiate the atmosphere.

“They want to rake up such issues. These forces talked about pink revolution. We will say today – you are in government now, so ban beef exports. You should build support for banning their export,” Yadav said in an apparent reference to Modi, who had in the run-up to last Lok Sabha elections attacked the then UPA government over meat exports, saying it was encouraging “pink revolution”.

Without naming Modi, Yadav said that those who are marketing the country abroad should consider what kind of food is eaten by the people there.

“The world where you are roaming, marketing and promoting your country, just think once what kind of food they eat from dawn to dusk. That’s why we should not interfere in each other’s way of life,” he said at a function here.

A blame game has erupted between BJP and ruling SP in the state over the killing of the 50-year-old man following rumours that he and his family had eaten beef.

Iqlakh was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son Danish was critically injured by a 200-strong mob which barged into their house on Monday night following rumours that the family had consumed beef. Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh.

Samajwadi Party has accused BJP of deliberately inciting violence ahead of 2017 assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh as part of efforts to polarise people while BJP has termed it a failure of the state government to maintain law and order.

(Agencies)

India pledges to cut emissions by 33-35 percent

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emmission

New Delhi: India on Friday pledged to cut its emission levels by 33-35 percent over the next 15 years in what it has termed as a fair and balanced commitment to protect the environment, based also on its own agenda for economic development.

Ahead of the crucial, 21st meeting of the Conference of Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change due in Paris from November 30 to December 11, India made a 38-page submission under what is called the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).

The submissions, called from the 196 parties (or countries) under the framework, is to serve as the basis for negotiating an agreement that will lay the path for a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. Thus far, 120 countries, collectively accounting for 85.3 percent of global emissions, have made submissions.

“Through this submission, India intends to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level. This commitment is further echoed in India’s actions in climate change adaptation with setting up its own ‘National Adaptation Fund’,” said New Delhi’s 38-page document.

“India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions is fair and ambitious considering the fact that India is attempting to work towards low carbon emission pathway while endeavouring to meet all the developmental challenges the country faces today.”

The submission said the country’s current policy framework also includes a favourable environment for a rapid increase in renewable energy, move towards low carbon sustainable development and adapting to the impacts of climate change — the highest possible efforts as evident from its multiple initiatives.

“Accordingly, India’s development plans will continue to lay a balanced emphasis on economic development and environment,” it said, recounting the framework’s mandate based on the principles of equity, as also common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities of the member nations.

The paper submitted by India, coinciding with Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, is based on the 1992 Kyoto convention and says that both in terms of cumulative global emissions and per capita emission, it has caused much less damage to environment but its actions to mitigate climate change were fair and ambitious.

“Much before the climate change debate began, Mahatma Gandhi, regarded as the father of our nation had said that we should act as ‘trustees’ and use natural resources wisely as it is our moral responsibility to ensure that we bequeath to the future generations a healthy planet,” the document said.

The issue of climate change, ahead of the Paris conference, has been high on the Indian government’s agenda. During his visit to the US last month, this was the key point of discussions which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had when he met with the leaderships of several countries, notably the US, the UK, France, Japan and Germany.

India has also outlined in its document the impact of climate change on its economy and nation as a whole.

It said the country will need $206 billion between 2015 and 2030 to implement actions in agriculture, forestry, fisheries infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems to achieve the targets, not counting the additional investments needed to strengthen resilience and disaster management.

Quoting an Asian Development Bank study, it said the approximate adaptation cost for India in energy sector alone would roughly about $7.7 billion in 2030s, while the economic damage and losses to the country from climate change to be around 1.8 percent of its GDP annually by 2050.

“Mitigation requirements are even more enormous. Estimates by Niti Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) indicate that the mitigation activities for moderate low carbon development would cost around $834 billion till 2030 at 2011 prices,” it said.

The paper said the efforts thus on combating climate change has been self-financed.

“However, our efforts to avoid emissions during our development process are also tied to the availability and level of international financing and technology transfer, since India still faces complex developmental challenges,” it said.

(IANS)

Dadri mob killing: Owaisi attacks PM, says it was ‘planned murder’ over religion

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owaisi-in-dadri

Dadri: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, who visited the family of the man killed here by a mob over rumours that they had consumed beef, today alleged that he was targeted for his religion and questioned the Prime Minister’s “silence”.

Owaisi, who heads the Muslim right wing All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), met the wife of deceased Iqlakh this morning and alleged that it was pre-planned murder.

“This wasn’t an attack over meat. It was murder over religion to spread politics of hatred of a party. This is a pre-planned, cold-blooded killing. It cannot be an accident.

“This is the thought which is against secularism, it is against the brotherhood of India. It sees Muslims with an eye of suspicion,” the Hyderabad MP said.

Owaisi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “silence” on the issue, saying he should have at least sent his condolences in a tweet if “he believes in pluralism and upholding of law”.

“… we were expecting the PM would have at lease sent condolences to Sartaj (victim’s son) and condemned it. We were expecting that the PM who says ‘sabka saath sabka vikaas’ should have condoled at least with a tweet.”

The AIMIM leader also hit out at Union Minister and local MP Mahesh Sharma who had termed the attack as an “accident”.

“Mahesh Sharma is the Culture Minister of the country and it is unfortunate that the minister who has taken oath on the Constitution doesn’t have the courage and intellectual honesty to condemn the incident unconditionally,” Owaisi said.

“He and his PM say ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas’, then such incidents happen. These words should be put into practice,” he said.

He also hit out at the Samajwadi government, saying instead of nabbing the attackers it was “conducting forensic test on a piece of meat and treating the victim as accused”.

“They have so much poison in their minds that a person who had died, rather than treating him as a victim, they are treating him as an accused,” he said.
Owaisi demanded that the accused be charged with IPC section related to murder and a time-bound trial be held.

He said that he feared that Samajwadi Party government will let the accused go scot-free “as had happened after Muzaffarnagar riots”.

Iqlakh was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son Danish was critically injured by a 200-strong mob which barged into their house on Monday night following rumours that the family had consumed beef. Cow slaughter is banned in Uttar Pradesh.

(PTI)

India pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi on 146th birth anniversary

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GANDHI_ANNIVERSARY

New Delhi: The nation today remembered Mahatma Gandhi on his 146th birth anniversary with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi and other leaders paying floral tributes to him at his memorial here.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Mahesh Sharma, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, BJP leader L K Advani and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad too joined in paying homage to the Father of the Nation.

Modi, who arrived at Rajghat at around 7:40 AM, offered rose petals to the ‘samadhi’, which attracts a large number of Gandhian followers and admirers today.

Clad in a khadi kurta and white pyjama, and a long traditional scarf, Modi, during his brief visit there, paid homage to the Mahatma by bowing his head at his memorial and performing a ‘parikrama’ (circumambulation) around it.

“Heartfelt homage to revered father of the nation (‘Poojya baapu ko shat shat naman’),” Modi wrote on Twitter today.

He also posted a sepia-toned picture of Gandhi, standing beside a broom, to emphasise the Gandhian vision-driven mission of ‘Swachh Bharat’.

Mahatma Gandhi, besides standing for liberty and freedom, also championed the cause of cleanliness, and Prime Minister’s ‘Clean India’ campaign which completed one year today is a tribute to his values.

“Cleanliness was very close to Mahatma Gandhi’s heart. Let us reaffirm our commitment for a Swachh Bharat & fulfil our beloved Bapu’s dream. A clean India will enhance our development journey & benefit the poor,” said Modi on the picture post.

President Mukherjee also paid floral tributes to the Mahatma at his memorial. An all-faith prayer ceremony was also held on the occasion at the memorial. Both Modi and Mukherjee attended the function during their brief visits.

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who arrived along with Sonia Gandhi, also paid homage to the Mahatma on his birth anniversary.

Ambassadors of France, Japan, among other dignitaries also attended the function.

A large number of school children also gathered at the venue to pay homage to the father of the nation.

The nation also remembered former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 111th birth anniversary with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the nation in paying homage to the leader, who gave the slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’, at his memorial at Vijay Ghat.

“Salutation on the anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri ji (Lal Bahadur Shastri ji ki jayanti par mera pranam,” Modi tweeted.

In his message, he also posted a picture, saying, “I bow to the proud son of India Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri on his birth anniversary”.

(Agencies)

Movie Review: ‘The Martian’ is not so interesting and strictly recommended for lovers of sci-fi cinema

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the martian

Producer: Simon Kinberg, Micheal Schaefer, Mark Huffman, Ridley Scott & Aditya Sood
Director: Ridley Scott
StarCast: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastian, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels & Micheal Pena
Genre: Sci-Fi
Verdict: Average

Plot: During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meagre supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit & spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return.

Aces: It’s the director Ridley Scott and the actor Matt Damon show all the way in league with the way the cameraman has captured the Mars planet and the storm that takes place out there.

Minuses: Too much of scientific mumbo jumbo and a serious lack of drama to heighten the viewers interest in the goings on.

Last Word: ‘The Martian’ is a typical sci – fi melodrama which can be strictly recommended for lovers of this genre of cinema.

Sania-Martina in doubles semis of Wuhan Open

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mirza-hingisWuhan: Leading women’s doubles pair Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis entered the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open tennis tournament here on Thursday.

The top seed duo defeated fifth seeded American pair of Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears 6-2, 6-2 in the last eight stage in only 58 minutes.

Sania and Hingis earlier beat Polish-Australian pair of Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Anastasia Rodionova 6-3, 6-2 in the second round.

The Indo-Swiss pair recently won the Guangzhou Open. They have won an impressive six titles together including triumphs at Wimbledon and US Open.

(IANS)

Nasheman.in interviews director & producer Vidhi Kasliwal

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“The Marathi film industry welcomed me with open arms. It says a lot about a fraternity when they accept members from different origins & ethnicities.” – Producer & Director Vidhi Kasliwal

Vidhi Kasliwal

Vidhi Kasliwal began her career as an Assistant Producer in ‘Woh Rehne Wali Mehlon Ki’ and went on to assist Sooraj Barjatya as an Assistant Director in ‘Vivah’ followed by turning Chief Assistant Director in ‘Ek Vivaah Aisa Bhi’. She is best known as the Writer & Director of ‘Isi Life Mein’. Vidhi Kasliwal, the founder of Landmarc Films & the Producer of documentaries ‘Block By Block’ & ‘Saathi Haath Badhana’, ‘Building For The Future’ & Marathi film ‘Sanngto Aika’ has set her feet firmly in Bollywood and is now growing from strength to strength.

Excerpts from an interview with the woman of substance…….!

You began your career as a director with ‘Isi Life Mein’. What made you take up production with ‘Sanngto Aika’ and now 3 more Marathi films?

From the very 1st day I stepped on to the sets of ‘Vivah’ a decade ago as an Assistant Director, I fell in love with movie making and every aspect of it. I was fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to direct my own film at quite a young age. That only added to my hunger of being a creative part of as many films as possible, hence the natural progression to producing. I wasn’t exposed to Regional cinema growing up, but when I did start watching regional films, I was drawn to Marathi films, because of several reasons. Firstly, the language was more familiar, being born & brought up in Amchi Mumbai. And most importantly, the kinds of meritorious subjects being made and doing well was very heart warming & encouraging. That’s when I decided that I just had to be part of such a meaningful industry. We were lucky that we kicked off our very 1st production ‘Sanngto Aika’ working with stalwarts like Sachinji (Pilgaonkar) & Satishji (Rajwade). The experience of working with such esteemed artistes & technicians, spurred me on to take up further Marathi projects and as a result we have an interesting line up of 3 more to look forward to in the coming year.

Your production house landmarc films is into documentary films as well. Tell us about them…….!’

The transition from Director to Producer was not an easy one. I spent the 1st year just meeting with people, trying to get them to trust in my creative vision & ability. During that time I kept getting approached by some known individuals to make documentaries. My schooling & experience was hardcore fiction & feature films, so I was sceptical of this alien genre – if I’d be diverting my energies, if I’d be any good at it. It was my father who convinced me to not turn away work that was coming my way. And I’m thankful to him, because had it not been for his advice, I may not have explored & learned this fascinating genre of filmmaking. Documentaries are quite a different discipline all together. They are research heavy and can be quite unpredictable. We made 2 documentaries in the span of 1 year (in 2013). ‘Block by block’, depicting the lives of Construction Labourers in India, was showcased on several Satellite channels and was officially selected for many Film Festivals and we won a few awards as well. This gave us quite a boost. We went on to make a short film on the Engineering marvel of the Tallest Residential building in India, which was quite an enlightening journey as well. The greatest reward about making documentaries is the in depth learning on such varied topics and putting to use innovative filming techniques & equipment. Since then we have been researching & shooting for 3 documentary films that should hopefully be released over the latter part of this year & the next.

Are Hindi films in the pipeline or would you 1st like to explore Marathi cinema?

Hindi films are most definitely on the horizon, but they take longer to put together. We have been working on developing compelling scripts for the past 4 years and are aiming to take at least 1 on floor by early next year.

Being a non – Maharashtrian, how difficult or easy is it?

I thought being a non – Maharashtrian would have been a road block, but quite to the contrary, the Marathi film industry welcomed me with open arms. It says a lot about a fraternity when they accept members from different origins & ethnicities, all working for a common cause to take the Marathi language & cinema forward.

Tell us about the genre of your films and the kind of movies that you like making as a producer?

My guru & mentor – Soorajji (Barjatya) always taught me that when we direct we should draw from a place of reality & familiarity, this adds to the authenticity of the characters, script & the film. So I’m trying to produce different genres, which I may not be able to necessarily direct. This way I get to be part of diverse kinds of films and get a chance to widen my creativity. Our upcoming films range in genre from Slice of life to Thriller, from Action comedy to Coming of age. It’s a lot of fun working on all these different genres.

What about direction. We are looking forward to Vidhi Kasliwal the director as much…….!

Directing is my 1st love. In fact, I’ve more often than not been “accused” of thinking 1st as a director and then as a producer! Some people may think of it as a weakness, but I think it’s a strength. It helps me understand, take care of & protect my director and his / her vision and needs better. After my 1st film, I couldn’t wait to start my next, but I decided to take some time to find my voice and what exactly I wanted to say with my next film. My script is now ready and I’m very happy & excited to start approaching actors with it very soon.

Are you looking at small budget films or mega budget ones?

I’m taking it one step at a time and working more on Small & Medium budget films in Hindi. Once I strengthen my foot hold, I would like to take on the Mega budget ones. Our strategy in Marathi is slightly different – where we are looking at making one tent pole film (big budget) along with a couple of small budget films a year.

*You began your career with Rajshri. Is your film a musical as well? *Rajshri films pay a lot of attention to music, and I’d like to think of myself as quite a musical person as well. I’ve been playing the Santoor for the past 18 years and I train in Indian & Western vocals too, consequently I can’t imagine anything, let alone my films without music. There is music & rhythm in everything we do and I’d like to use music imaginatively in all the films I direct whether it is in the making or otherwise. I remember while shooting 2 sequences in ‘Isi Life Mein’, I’d had songs play on loop for days on end to evoke & retain the correct mood in the actors. Such is the power of music.

Are you open to directing for other banners?

Yes, why not. It is the age of collaboration and I’d be open to working with other banners, producers, co – producers who believe in my vision and can help me realize it.

Whom would you like to work with in terms of actors & directors in mainstream Bollywood? And why?

Oh, so many names come to my mind…….I look forward to working with all kinds of actors & technicians – old or new, stalwart or debutante.

But if I have to name a few: Directors I’d love to work with:

Anand Rai: I love the way he carries his films on all characters grey; especially the complexity of his women characters.Sameer Sharma: I think he has a very interesting & quirky take on life, and I’d like to see a lot more films from him.
Shimit Amin: The way he gets the top actors to underplay their stardom and actually live & portray the characters is enviable. I’d love to be part of his process. And so the list goes on…….Actors I’d like to work with:
Tabu: She is the most natural actor I can think of. And I’m happy to see that we, as an industry, are able to offer her roles worthy enough for her.
Nawazuddin Siddique: He has been a revelation and can carry a film on his shoulder. Would be interesting to see him in some urban roles as well.
Ranvir Singh: Love the madness & mayhem he brings behind the scenes, yet carrying off the intensity & innocence on screen.
Parineeti Chopra: She is a bundle of talent & adrenaline and I’d love to see her explore herself more.
Saif Ali Khan: The timing of his comedy & romance is unparalleled and it would be a great honour for me to get to work with him.
Irfan Khan: I don’t think there is any role that he can’t portray with ease & naturalness. It takes calibre to not show the hard work he puts into bringing a character to life. It would be such an enriching experience to work with him. These are just to name a few…….!

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