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Our movie mogul
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Ashok Amritraj is making a movie on Mandrake, the Magician
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Mr incredible Ashok Amritraj
Ashok Amritraj made it in Hollywood in Eighties in an “extremely white world, where there were no Asians, forget Indians,” he says candidly over the phone. “It was almost laughable to try to make films. The first five years were incredibly tough. I did the rounds and had umpteen doors slammed in my face. I would not want to call it racism. The doors were slammed for a variety of reasons, not particularly for the colour of my skin. Then I started to make small films to learn the craft. It was in ’90 that a young man sent me his picture. He had sent his picture to many other producers but I was the only one who called back. The young man was Jean Claude Van Damme and the movie was ‘Double Impact’. We made the film for $ 11 million and it went on to make more than a $100 million. And people started to take my calls.”
Twenty-seven years and over 95 films later, Ashok says: “When I look back I really don’t know how it all came about. How an eight-year-old boy watching ‘Sound of Music’ in Chennai could be sitting with Robert Wise who produced that film on the Academy of Motion Pictures Art and Sciences. I told Bob, he is the reason I was in Hollywood!”
Ashok says: “it has been an extraordinary run of luck,” and the suave producer of films like the hot house thriller, “Original Sin” starring the jolly Ms Angelina Jolie and crazy, kookie “Bandits” with Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett and Bruce Willis, feels it is time to give back.
Pay back
“I was having dinner with Sunder Aaron, the Business Head of Sony Pix, and was thinking of showcasing India to the West. I was looking at casting an Indian actor in a Hollywood production and also giving a platform for Indian talent in the west,” Ashok elaborates.
And that is how “Gateway,” (aired on Sony Pix on Sundays at 10 p.m.) a reality show on filmmaking was born. “I was very pleased with the response. We got thousands of applicants from all over the country; from Sikkim to Chennai and we narrowed it down to 18. The winner will do an internship at my company, Hyde Park Entertainment, and we will develop a script, which the winner will direct. We will also get the kid an agent and then it is up to their talent. We are looking for people who can tell good contemporary stories and are passionate about movies.” The tennis ace admits things are “a bit easier today. The internet has levelled the playing ground. People have started to accept different kinds of movies. When I started off and was doing the rounds, I would promise myself that when I walked out the office, my name would be remembered, even if they would not get the pronunciation right!”
While admitting that Bollywood is quite the flavour of the season, Ashok says: “There is still a lot to be done. Bollywood is popular among Indians and NRIs but is not watched by a western audience. I don’t think any mainstream Hindi film has made more than five million dollars. If any of my films made five million dollars in the opening weekend I would be very upset. But then you must also remember that while Hollywood dominates the world, Bollywood rules in India.”
About the obsession to make it in Hollywood Ashok says: “Making a film for Hollywood, does not make sense. All you have to worry about is making a good movie, which will naturally find its audience. But on the other hand, it is a fact that Hollywood is one of the biggest stages in the world and making it there is a different high.”
Ashok’s future projects include the romantic comedy “Other End of the Line” with Shreya as the female lead and there is Mandrake the magician.
“Yeah, I read those Indrajal comics as a kid and now we are making a movie based on the character. We are still looking for our Mandrake. I can assure you it will be cutting edge, no top hat and cape but the movie will be true to the spirit of the series.”
Then there is also an animation film, “The Life and Adventures of Santa Clause” and the action adventure “Street Fighter” based on a popular video game.
MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER
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