We got coverage in the Star

http://www.thestar.com/article/240236

Prithi Yelaja
Staff Reporter

Having a retrospective of his films in Toronto is both exhilarating and worrisome, according to Rahul Bose.

"Obviously, they're waiting for me to retire now. At 40, I think they're giving me five years to possibly win some minor lifetime achievement award and then they want me to die," he says.

Bose will be in attendance as Masala! Mehndi! Masti! screens half a dozen of his films today and tomorrow, including English August, his first film.

The movie was also the first of Bose's to be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1995.

"I had not yet seen it, so I had gone to Toronto blind so to speak. I had butterflies in my stomach," he says. "I'll never forget this moment as long as I live. Every time I feel a little bit irritated with the whole art of moviemaking, I always think of that moment when the film got over and the director introduced me to the audience.

"It was at one of those Famous Players theatres, a good 500-seater. The whole audience just stood up and started clapping. And I thought, `Okay, this is why you do cinema.' You don't get appreciation immediately, but when you do get it, man is it hypnotic."

A critically acclaimed actor in India, Time Asia dubbed Bose the "new face of Bollywood, the front man for everything experimental, new and different in Indian cinema" for his choice of serious roles and string of alternative hits.

Born in Kolkata, West Bengal, Bose grew up in Mumbai where he now lives. At age 26, he gave up a job as creative director at an advertising firm to launch an acting career.

Of all his films, Kaalpurush, which screened at TIFF in 2005 and is also part of the retrospective, is his favourite.

"It's got that wonderful surreal quality. It's poetic, deeply rooted in the Indian context and has a certain lyricism that can only be Bengali," Bose says.

This is his seventh time coming to Toronto, which he calls a Grand Slam on the global film circuit.

"It's like tennis has four grand slams and films have four grand slams: Venice, Toronto, Berlin and Cannes. So everybody turns up for the Grand Slams."

Toronto has an extraordinary film-going culture, says Bose.

He points to his directorial debut, Everybody Says I'm Fine, screened at TIFF on Sept. 13, 2001.

"It was so soon after 9/11, I expected hardly anyone to turn up. It was at the (Isabel) Bader Theatre, which is a 550-seater, and it was full. There were people who were turned away. So it's an extraordinary city for cinema."

A rugby player since his college days, Bose is a member of India's national team. He is also a social activist fighting for women's rights and religious tolerance, among other issues.

"My social awareness grew into social consciousness after the Hindu-Muslim riots in 1992, which were aided and abetted by right-wing Hindu political parties in Bombay. The consciousness evolved into activism after the Gujarat riots of 2002.

"Then I said, `Okay, I certainly can't stand by and let these things happen without doing my infinitesimal bit.' The Hindu-Muslim question bothers me a lot. I believe people should be judged by the quality of their souls and their minds and not religion."

Last night Indian Ocean was way out!

You should have seen the tabla guy get down on his knees and hammer the strings on the bass guitar held and picked by Rahul Ram (incidentally a graduate of Cornell University-Ivy League-in Toxicology) making world class music and the drums joining in by Amit. Fantastic jugalbandi!

Man talk about music- this was dynamite! Ain't seen nothing like it before. Superlative performance!

http://www.masalamehndimasti.com/2007/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=24

The above link is the programme for today should any of you wish to hit the CNE.

Flamenkathak is meant to be good!

If you are an artsy movie buff- Rahul Bose is for you

Should you guys wish to see fotos here is a link:

http://www.filmicafe.com/photo_event_images.php?pageNum=10&totalRows=275&cat_id=2&subcat_id=3&event_id=296

We TOI coverage as well

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune_Times/Rahul_Bose_is_on_cloud_nine_/articleshow/2225142.cms

Yeah like M!M!M! was something else all together man!

Indian Ocean was superb! What music!Seasoned musicians and one of them Rahul Ram is a graduate from Cornell University!

Nandita Dias was also good blending Spanish, English and Hindi.

Falak- yeah man Desi Metallica.

Zzen- outasite!

Rahul Bose movies- just plain where it's at for socially relevant stuff!

SW Storm- solid energy!

The Desi lit cafe for Mumbai style college canteen intellectual rap sessions- real eye openers!

Brown Sketch comedy- arey has has ke tight!

Alia Khan Fashion show- too bad all hooks linings and snickers in place- no wardrobe malfunctions- but whatta show with Alia Khan on Tushar's breasts (oops chest)

Chilin' in your brown skin- some more good intellectual gupshup

Devika Mathur- kudos to her for performing in her pregnant state- and still the public loved her

Flamenkathak- blend of Gitano flamenco and Indian kathak- tableros and khotis. That was cool!

Shiamak- the best of the best!

Goa Amigos- arey Bandra aur Goa yaad aayaa. Chiripiripi pa rom pom pom- vamos a la playa...too much. And the Malaikas!

Deesha- kya cheese bari hai mast mast! Hope she opens for Nelly Furtado or Shakira one day and from there gets to the highest high!

And the maha of the maha- Bilz and Kashif and as bonus Drega!- Like man we reached heaven!

the food -all them great taste-bud tantalizing, mouth watering, culinary delights!The jalebees and puffed puris reminded me of Apache Indian's Arranged Marriage song:
"Me wan gal sweet like jalebee
Me wan gal to make me roti..."

And the Dandia! That was rockin' yaar!

And did you hear the mango shake dude?

"It is hot, hot, hot,

Take a cool break

Have a mango shake!"

Did ya see the crowds on Saturday? Somebody commented- 'there was Woodstock and there was M!M!M!'

'Nuff said!

Can't wait till next year!