Loveleen Tandon
Slumdog Millionaire not only brought the international fame to Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto or to the kids in the film but also to Loveleen Tandon, who co-directed the film. Previously it was supposed that she only did the right casting for the film, but she also co-directed the film. �That wasn�t the only thing I was doing. Casting is a part of the bigger scene, part of the larger vision,� she clears.
After Slumdog� she kept low profile till now, which is because she was busy with a new script. �Yes, I have literally been hibernating in New Delhi.� But now she is emerging as an individual director. �I have been busy with my film script. That�s a full-time job,� said Loveleen.
She got break from her work only when she was invited by the Queen at the Buckingham Palace. She also made a trip to Mumbai for a play �I am an Emotional Creature� by Eve Ensler and Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwa. At the play she read the epilogue. And where in the director connects her film with the play. �It�s a great co-incidence that Eve�s play is quite similar to my script, the story of a young girl, her desires, emotions and the pressures on her,� said she.
Meanwhile, shooting for her film will start next year. And Loveleen is the one who believes that getting good actors for a film is not difficult as far as your script is good. She adds, �People are always on the lookout for a good script. Whether its actors or producers, nobody says no to a good script.� She received a great applaud for the right casting of Slumdog Millionaire.
With her new film, whether there is pressure on her mind to match the heights of Slumdog�, because comparisons are bound to happen. Well, she doesn�t bother about it as she says, �I�m someone who thrives on pressure. I thrive on tension, crisis, less time and deadlines. It brings out the best in me.�
However one questions that she often have to answer and which makes her uncomfortable is- Whether her film is an international venture? And she answers, �You just make a film. Whether it becomes a hit in a city or a country, two countries or five is beyond you. Crossover, international, mainstream, commercial, art� are just tags.�
Loveleen also has assisted Mira Nair for film Monsoon Wedding and on that note she says, �She lives abroad. She comes from a different space. I live in India. This is my specialty. I can�t relate to the NRI experience. Maybe some day in the future, but at the moment, mine is the Indian experience. It�s unique; there�s a strong element of traditional and modern ethos, perfect material for movie making.�
Well, what�s her count on the controversy rose with Slumdog� that it has depicted only the poverty of India. �Films are stories, they are not documentaries meant to highlight any aspect of society. You can only tell a story and tell it well. If it�s a boy from the slums, you have to tell it from that perspective. You can�t glamourise or glorify it,� adds the talented director.