The Indian Panorama

Tag: Kamal Haasan

  • Emmy-Nominated Filmmaker Tirlok Malik’s On Golden Years to be shown at Prestigious Teaneck Film Festival 2024 on November 10 at 11:30 AM

    Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik says, “The immigrant experience is often accompanied by dreams, struggles, and sacrifices, but the journey to the American Dream doesn’t end after reaching success. Retirement brings its own set of challenges, especially for immigrants trying to find where they belong.”

    TEANECK, NJ (TIP): Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik’s celebrated film ‘On Golden Years,’ will be screened at the prestigious Teaneck International Film Festival 2024 on Sunday, November 10, at 11:30 AM at Teaneck Cinemas (503 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666).

    ‘On Golden Years’ is a major highlight in Malik’s career, known for exploring the immigrant experience in America through films such as ‘Lonely in America,’ ‘Khushiyaan,’ and ‘Love Lust and Marriage.’ During his illustrious career, Tirlok Malik has worked with industry stalwarts like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Sunny Deol, and Kangana Ranaut, among others. Malik, along with the cast of ‘On Golden Years,’ will be present for a special Q&A session following the screening at the Teaneck Film Festival 2024.

    On Golden Years poster

    ‘On Golden Years’ is an 85-minute romantic comedy-drama that delves into the complex emotions immigrants face when they reach the retirement phase of the American Dream. The film is set in Shantiniketan, the only Indian retirement community in the United States, located in Florida. Through its relatable characters and emotional storylines, the film explores themes of aging, identity, and reconciliation between regrets and contentment. It asks the poignant question: Where do we truly belong at the end of life’s journey?

    The film stars Ranjit Chowdhry, the iconic actor known for his performances in ‘Lonely in America’ and ‘The Office,’ Jyoti Singh, Reeves Lehmann, Shetal Shah, Noor Naghmi, Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, and Tirlok Malik himself. The film also features several new talents making their debut, adding to the fresh yet familiar energy of the story.

    The film is co-produced by Iggy Ignatius who is also the co-director of the film. The film has been shot at the Indian retirement community Shantiniketan in Florida founded by Iggy Other credits of the film are Director of Photography Christo Bakalov B.A.C., Music by Peter Lobo, Art Direction by Sunita Babber, Editing by Tom Knight and others.

    ‘On Golden Years’ also boasts the film debut of the Grammy Award-winning Indian-American singer Falu, who performs the item number song ‘Raba Raba.’ Falu had previously performed at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and The White House in the presence of President Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey, alongside music legend A.R. Rahman. Falu’s ‘Abundance in Millets’ song featuring the Indian PM Narendra Modi was also recently nominated for Grammy.

    The screening of ‘On Golden Years’ at the Teaneck International Film Festival is proudly sponsored by David Nachman, Esq., Managing Attorney at Nachman, Phulwani, Zimovcak (NPZ) Law Group, P.C., New Jersey, a law firm specializing in immigration services and law.

    Written and directed by Tirlok Malik, ‘On Golden Years’ reflects his signature focus on the Indian-American immigrant experience. Malik, who is an Indian-American and a proud New Yorker, has made films that resonate with global audiences by addressing the challenges and rewards of living abroad. His films often highlight the conflict between holding onto one’s roots and embracing the new life and challenges that come with migration.

    Malik says, “The immigrant experience is often accompanied by dreams, struggles, and sacrifices, but the journey to the American Dream doesn’t end after reaching success. Retirement brings its own set of challenges, especially for immigrants trying to find where they belong.”

    The Teaneck International Film Festival, founded over 20 years ago with support from the nonprofit organization Puffin Foundation, Ltd., is renowned for its commitment to showcasing socially conscious films that inspire conversations on critical global and local issues.

    Tickets for the Teaneck Film Festival screening of ‘On Golden Years’ are now on sale for $10 and can be purchased at TeaneckFilmFestival.org.

    Don’t miss the chance to see this heartfelt, humorous, and thought-provoking film and engage in a discussion with Tirlok Malik and the star-studded cast after the screening.

  • Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Dhanush, Vijay Sethupathi vote in Chennai

    Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Dhanush, Vijay Sethupathi vote in Chennai

    Chennai, (TIP)- Superstar Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan cast their votes at their respective polling booths in Chennai on April 19. Actor Dhanush exercised his duty at the St Francis Xavier School, TTK Road. Vijay Sethupathi cast his vote at the Chennai High School in Kilpauk. Voting for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 began on April 19. Tamil Nadu goes to vote in the first phase of the elections. Rajinikanth was accompanied by his publicist and his team at the polling both. He greeted everyone and flashed his inked finger for the photographers and videographers.
    A video of Superstar Rajinikanth arriving at his booth and casting his vote was shared widely on social media. He was mobbed by fans while exiting the polling booth.

  • Yatra lends purpose to Rahul’s political journey

    Yatra lends purpose to Rahul’s political journey

     In Indian electoral politics, alliances are formed on the basis of strengths rather than weaknesses of the participants. The aura of success surrounding Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is set to provide him with moral authority to play a pivotal role. In addition, in Sonia Gandhi, Rahul has a reserve bench of sorts; the former party chief can act as a line of communication with many non-NDA allies, including the Left, to keep the mahagathbandhan going. 

    This year, the Congress faces a litmus test in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. If it can win these states, the grand old party would emerge as a serious challenger for the 2024 General Election.

    By Rashid Kidwai

    There are many quotes that have been attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. In the Congress party office at 24, Akbar Road, one of them reads, “Kabhi kabhi hum apne virodhiyon ke karan aage badhte hain.” (At times, we move ahead due to our opponents). Then there is another one saying, “Pehle woh aap par dhyan nahin denge, phir who aap par hasenge, phir aapse ladengen, aur tab aap jeet jayenge.”(First they would not pay any attention to you, then they would mock you and then they would fight with you. You would win once these stages are completed).

    In the context of Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing abstract, yet arduous, Bharat Jodo Yatra, these quotes ring a bell, bringing some relevance and hope for the Congress leader.

    There is a broader and growing consensus of sorts among Rahul’s detractors and well-wishers that finally, the Gandhi scion is showing signs of purpose, perseverance and hope in his political journey that began in 2004.

    Politically, the yatra may or may not be a game-changer, but it has succeeded in establishing Rahul as a credible politician who can walk the talk, intermingle with the masses and get support from a range of politicians and celebrities — from MK Stalin, Aaditya Thackeray, Supriya Sule and Farooq Abdullah to Raghuram Rajan, AS Dulat, Swara Bhaskar and Kamal Haasan.

    More importantly, the BJP’s stringent criticism, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s ‘appeal’ to suspend the yatra over Covid concerns, and the outrage over Rahul’s comments on China allegedly entering Indian territory have helped him become a singular dissenting voice.

    When the yatra began from Kanyakumari, Rahul’s popularity ratings were at an all-time low. The Congress organization was in a shambles and the leadership issue was far from settled. While the yatra was on the Kerala-Karnataka border, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, at that time tipped to be the next AICC president, stunned friends and foes alike by showing defiance, a throwback to the bygone era of Devaraj Urs, Arjun Singh and other party chief ministers.

    But throughout the Congress organizational election process, Rahul stayed away and focused on the yatra. The Assembly polls of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat offered a mixed bag as the Congress went on to win HP. It was a surprise for those predicting the Congress’ death. The ‘corpse’ is, in fact, very much alive and kicking.

    This year, the Congress faces a litmus test in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. If it can win these states, the grand old party would emerge as a serious challenger for the 2024 General Election.

    We need to remember that the fortunes of the Congress and other non-BJP parties are closely linked to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls where the non-BJP, non-NDA Opposition and the Congress-UPA partners will have to target the ‘half of half’, i.e. half of the 272 Lok Sabha seats on their own — a challenging but not unmanageable number in the 2024 battle.

    There are four crucial states of West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka where the BJP-NDA had done exceedingly well in 2019 but the subsequent political developments have unfolded a new scenario. In West Bengal, for example, the BJP had won 18 Lok Sabha seats out of 42, while in Bihar, the alliance with the JD(U) had resulted in its netting 39 out of 40 parliamentary seats. In Karnataka, the BJP had won 25 out of 28 seats, while in Maharashtra, the alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena  had resulted in the NDA allies winning 42 out of 48 seats. Imagine a situation if the BJP’s strength from these four states gets reduced to half. A simple majority of 272 would become a distant dream and prospects of a khichdi government a reality.

    The Congress, in order to be a contender, has to win 100 or more Lok Sabha seats from states such as Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and a few others where the grand old party has been in direct contest with the BJP or traditionally has a strong presence.

    Next year’s parliamentary polls are set to be contested in contrasting styles. If Team Modi is set to make full use of the Prime Minister’s personal ratings, big-ticket projects, Covid-19 handling in the context of the massive vaccination programme, achievements on the diplomatic front and reliance on emotive issues like the Ram Temple, the Congress and its potential allies are prepared to take the battle to the states where regional players are expected to hold sway.

    So, if the parties led by Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, MK Stalin, Naveen Patnaik, HD Kumaraswamy, Chandrababu Naidu and Akhilesh Yadav together manage to hold on to a chunk of the parliamentary seats, the Congress has the task of doing well in most of the Hindi-belt states and the Northeast.

    In Indian electoral politics, alliances are formed on the basis of strengths rather than weaknesses of the participants. The aura of success surrounding Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is set to provide him with moral authority to play a pivotal role. In addition, in Sonia Gandhi, Rahul has a reserve bench of sorts; the former party chief can act as a line of communication with many non-NDA allies, including the Left, to keep the mahagathbandhan going.

    (Rashid Kidwai is a Senior Journalist and Author)

  • Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik is a leading voice for Indian American cinema

    Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tirlok Malik is a leading voice for Indian American cinema

    By Murtaza Ali Khan

    New York-based Emmy-nominated Indian-American actor and filmmaker Tirlok Malik, who has been a leading voice for Indian American cinema, has made many important films about the Indian diaspora right from Lonely In America to Love lust and Marriage to Khushiyaan to On Golden years. He has been a part of many big stars films as a line producer such as with actors Rajnikanth, Surya, Kamal Hassan, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol, and Anupam Kher, Kangana Ranaut, Manisha Koirala, Deepti Naval, among others. He attended the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa last month.

    In an interview with the Indian public broadcaster Doordarshan at the festival, Malik spoke about his films as well as about the experience of attending the film festival. “Coming to IFFI is always very special as one gets to meet fellow filmmakers and so it’s always very stimulating for the mind. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of visiting the biggest film festivals in the US, Europe, Asia and elsewhere. And I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I tell you that visiting IFFI this year has been one of my best festival experiences ever,” rejoices Malik.

    The Indian-American film industry has undergone a lot of changes since Malik made Lonely in America. “When I made Lonely in America there were hardly any films about Indian immigrants. But the film’s success opened up new horizons for young filmmakers who wanted to touch upon similar issues,” recollects Malik who feels that the Indian-American film industry needs greater support from the Indian-American audience. “I have always felt that filmmaking is one area that Indians living in the USA need to make a bigger mark. There is a lot of talent and hopefully they will get a chance to shine. In times to come I see it growing into a much bigger film industry,” opines Malik.

    Malik offers a very interesting assessment of films and filmmaking in India “The filmmaking is great in India.It caters to more than a billion viewers worldwide.Films are still a major source of entertainment for Indian audience,” Malik explains. He further adds, “Hollywood can make a lot more films with Indian themes as well as films shot in India more often. There is a lot of scope for this. Also, Indian filmmakers can also make films In India for International market as well. However, many Indian film makers, especially the big ones seem to be happy just doing Indian films for the Indians and have a safe market. But, some do take the risk of making independent films with artistic approach.”

    Malik strongly believes that a lot more can be done. “India has talent, lots of talent in all aspects of filmmaking. I have seen the talent while working as a line producer In New York on films with Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth, Surya, Sunny Deol, Kangna Ranaut, Mamoothy, Sanjay Dutt, Anupam Kher and many more. The tech crews from India are really great. Filmmaking trends are improving and changing, new talent is experimenting with content and style,” rejoices Malik.

    Tirlok Malik is interviewed by Doordarshan in Goa.

    Piracy is one of the major challenges faced by the film industry. Despite all the efforts to keep it under check, it has continued to plague the filmmaking world. Malik feels that piracy is a byproduct of technology. “Piracy will not go away no matter what, for it comes with advantages and disadvantages of technology. That’s why we need to work more on the accessibility of the content. If good content is made available to the audiences at affordable rates and in a timely manner the viewers would themselves be encouraged to abstain from engaging in piracy,” opines Malik. Malik, whose last outing was a short film titled ‘To New India with Love,’ is currently developing two projects. “One is Hollywood film like Lonely in America having a mix of Indian and international cast. The film will be made in the English language and it will be for the worldwide market. It will have actors from India and from USA. The film will have some Bollywood musical songs and American music as well. It’s a romantic musical love drama with a unique story. The other project is to be done In India. It’s a children’s film in English for worldwide market promoting Indian spiritual values,” reveals Malik who is looking forward to welcoming 2023 and wishing everyone health, happiness and prosperity.

    A Still from Malik’s On Golden Years. The film celebrated old age.

    (Murtaza Ali Khan is an Indian Film & TV Critic / Journalist who has been covering the world of entertainment for over 10 years. He tweets at @MurtazaCritic and can be mailed at: murtaza.jmi@gmail.com).