The alternative is here!
ANUJ KUMAR
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As "Penguins — A Love Story" hits the theatres this week, the future of the documentary genre looks bright.
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The narration is devoid of any `heavy duty' words. ANURAG KASHYAP
MAY THE AFFAIR LAST! A still from "Penguins - A Love Story".
Anurag Kashyap is talking geography and zoology these days. No, the `jinxed director' has not changed vocations, it is just that he has scripted the Hindi narration of Luc Jacquet's "March of the Penguins," releasing this Friday. The Academy Award-winning documentary feature film is the first of its kind to have an all-India release.
In the past, documentaries like Sukhdev's take on the Bangladesh war, Anand Patwardhan's "War and Peace" and Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit - 9/11" have made it to theatres but in a very limited form.
To be released in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu, the film has been renamed as "Penguins - A Love Story" and replacing Morgan Freeman is Amitabh Bachchan as the narrator in both Hindi and English. For the uninitiated, the film was originally made in French and French actors dubbed for the penguins, but in the Hollywood version, the producers opted for a straight narration by Freeman.
"This is the first time a concerted effort has been made to release a documentary in the country. No doubt, the Oscar and Amitabh Bachchan's voice are valuable add-ons, but the film in itself is a big screen experience. We are releasing 27 prints and have got both the multiplexes and single-screen theatres," says Sunil Doshi who has bought the rights for India and is releasing it with Adlabs.
The plot
The film follows one particular flock of emperor penguins as they perform a remarkable journey alone in ice deserts of Antarctica - a journey that has taken place for millennia. Emperor penguins in their thousands abandon the security of their ocean home and clamber onto the frozen ice to begin their long journey over terrain so extreme, it supports no other wildlife at this time of year. They are driven by the overpowering urge to reproduce, to assure the survival of the species.
After a ritual courtship, they pair off into monogamous couples and mate. Then follow countless trips back and forth as the mother and father continually share responsibilities of taking care of the young and nourishing themselves, until the weather grows warmer and the chicks are ready to take their first faltering dive into the deep blue waters of the Antarctic. "This is indeed a love story, a lesson to human kind," says Anurag, who feels the experience has been both easy and difficult. "Easy, because the film is so remarkably shot. Difficult because I had to start from scratch, for we wanted to give it an Indian touch. I went through encyclopaedia to understand the geographical link between India and Antarctica. The narration is devoid of any `heavy duty' words our documentaries are known for. We have tried to make the film a little bit fast-paced, because Indian audiences don't like the languid pace of documentaries they love in France. And Amitabh Bachchan has provided the requisite warmth through his voice." Talks are going on to retain Bachchan's voice in the international edition of the film.
Anurag feels opportunities are opening up for documentary filmmakers in India as well. "Be it Anand Patwardhan or Mike Pandey, we have also produced world-class documentary filmmakers. It is just the misconception of distributors that such films don't have walking legs. Small feature films have suffered likewise. How else can you justify that a film like `Khosla Ka Ghosla' had to rot in the cans for two years."
Mike, who has three Green Oscars to his credit, echoes the sentiment. "Post Michael Moore's success, documentary genre has got a new life. I just got an offer from PVR cinemas and Green Nest to convert one of my movies on sharks from video to film. But the cost turned out to be prohibitive. Big animals look good only on celluloid because it provides the requisite depth. Now I am making `Return of Tiger' on film and hope it will have a theatrical release."
Business model
Rajiv Mehrotra, Managing Trustee, Public Service Broadcasting Trust, says one or two flowers don't make for a garden. "We don't have a business model where an independent filmmaker can survive independently. Most of the documentaries are made for television, which provides just enough money to remain in business. The DVD model hasn't worked either in a big way. Web streaming could be the future where the discerning could download the film for a few bucks."
Anand Patwardhan is a little cynical. "I welcome the new development, but I hope distributors will show same confidence in human beings. It is also an endangered species. Documentaries could also be interesting and engaging. `War and Peace' did not suffer losses during the two weeks it got in one theatre. We show four documentaries a month in Mumbai in four locations, and they attract houseful shows. It is just the mentality of those who control the cinema business that refuses to change."
Doshi, whose "Bheja Fry", another example of alternative cinema, is also lined up for this week is game to back the likes of Anand. "It has just to be motivating enough."
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