Screwvala lives with his second wife, Zarina, and his lookalike labrador, Sprite, in an upscale apartment block in Mumbai. They are currently having another apartment renovated that will look out over the Arabian Sea. It has mogul written all over it. Zarina is easily a match for Screwvala. She is a successful television executive and helped co-found UTV. They met at work but she winces when I suggest it was an “office romance”. “I guess,” she says. Nor is she happy to have her picture taken with Ronnie. “We’d never do a Hello!” she says. She will talk about Sprite. “I had him trained but it didn’t seem to work: it seemed like I was wasting all this money. But suddenly he seems to listen,” says Zarina. I assume we are still talking about the dog.
Archive for the ‘Film’ Category
Jennifer Kotwal: Actress
Looking trendy-as-ever, Jennifer Kotwal of Just Mohabbat fame gets chatty while on a visit to the city
From several Hindi television serials like Just Mohabbat, acting in a brief role in Subhash Ghai’s Yadeein to working as a model for the past six years, Jennifer Kotwal retains her appeal and her piquant style.
She was spotted in the city on Thursday for the launch of a beauty cream. Kotwal, a Parsi actress from Mumbai, has even worked extensively in the Kannada film industry. A perfect blend of splendor with intellect, on asking about Jennifer’s experience as an actor and a model and the distinction between the two diverse professions she is into, she says, “For me, both the careers are of same importance. I try my best to perform well in both the fields. Whatever I do, I do it with confidence. But there is surely a considerable difference in the two patterns - acting and modelling.” Both of these are her hobbies and she works at upholding them.
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This update was sent out by ZAGNY: The Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York
Please join us for a screening of Tenaz Dubash’s documentary film,
“Crisis in Faith: Zoroastrians Today”
followed by a brief question and answer session.
Sunday, April 27th, 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Anthology Film Archives
32, 2nd Avenue (at the intersection of second avenue and second street) in lower Manhattan
New York, NY 10003 USA
Telephone: (212) 505-5181
Tell Shernaz Patel that everybody thought that she had given up acting and she laughs.
“That’s a huge misconception. It’s just that I haven’t been offered too much work. I try to take up whatever suits me,” she said.
Right now, her centre of focus is a new show Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain (on NDTV Imagine) where Shernaz plays a teacher teaching a classroom of varied students the essentials of the English language.
“I just don’t fit into the saas-bahu shows that the television scenario is full of. So I just kept myself away from it. But when Siddharth Basu came up with this concept, I simply couldn’t say no,” Shernaz said.
Hello Zeus!
Tanaaz and Bakhtiyar Irani were recently blessed with a baby boy. Bakhtiyar was so excited that he has recorded the entire sequence of the operation.
The actors had planned the birth of the baby on Navroz, the Parsi New Year. The couple has christened the baby, Zeus B Irani.
photocms.jpgBarely able to hold his excitement, Bakhtiyar says, “I have fallen in love with my wife all over again after seeing all the pain she has gone through while delivering the baby. Everyone sees this glamorous, bubbly actress on screen, but I saw her going through immense pain.”
Adds Bakhtiyar, “My mother and mother-in-law are taking care of Tanaaz. The baby looks all pink and white and I am sure will turn out to be a true Irani boy.”
So what’s going on right now in his mind? Says Bakhtiyar, “It’s a great feeling to be a father. Tanaaz and I have yet to cuddle up and have our special moments with the baby. We haven’t laughed or cried yet, three of us are simply chilling in the hospital. The pleasure of having a baby is for the initial 24 hours and then begins the sweet pain of taking care of the baby and the sleepless nights - but nothing to beat the feeling of being a father to Zeus B Irani.”
The new parents are visibly elated and are getting used to the idea of changing nappies and spending sleepless nights.
Bollywood’s Best Bawas
Perhaps one of the most tolerant and accommodating communities in India, Parsis have often been at the receiving end of humour. And if there’s someone who has cashed in maximum moolah by adding a Parsi flavour to their products, it’s undoubtedly Bollywood. Over the years, we have seen innumerable bawas making us laugh from behind their vintage wheels. On the eve of Navroze, we go back in time to remember some of the most memorable Parsi characters in Hindi cinema.
Check out the small graphic presentation of Bollywood’s Best Bawas
FORGET about GI Jane, Xena: Warrior Princess and Wonder Woman. Cinema’s first ass-kicking chick was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Australian who spoke Hindi as she tussled with lions and performed live fight scenes on top of moving trains.
In 1935 Mary Evans made her cinematic debut as Fearless Nadia in Hunterwali (the lady with the whip), going on to appear in more than 50 Bollywood films.
“She did all her own stunts without harnesses or crash mats. The name Fearless Nadia was very apt,” said Chris Murphy, who plays Evans in Fearless N, a play about the stuntwoman’s extraordinary life.
Director Carlos Gomes says Evans became a symbol for India’s independence and a feminist icon.
Evans was born in Perth in 1908 but spent her childhood in colonial India after her British Army father moved the family to Bombay. After he died in World War I, Evans went to live with relatives in the mountains near the Khyber Pass, where she learnt to hunt and shoot.
Little is known of Evans’s early life but she is rumoured to have given birth to an illegitimate son, who Noelle Janaczewska, the writer of Fearless N, believes might be living in Sydney.
Evans was performing in Indian vaudeville and circus when she was spotted by filmmakers J.B.H. and Homi Wadia, who turned her into a sword-fighting, whip-cracking heroine pursuing a progressive social agenda.
Evans and Homi fell in love but, after his mother forbid him from marrying outside their Parsee community, the couple conducted a secret affair for 20 years.
They eventually married in their early-50s after the death of Homi’s mother and became racehorse breeders in Mumbai. She died in 1996 aged 88.
John Abraham has added another feather to his hat with his presence in the directorial debut of the internationally acclaimed photographer and screenplay writer, Sooni Taraporevala. The film titled Little Zizou is in the post-production stage and is being produced by Indian Films.
The director of film, Sooni, who also happens to be a close friend of Mira Nair, claimed that John’s role of a Parsi boy would take everyone by surprise. She further added that, although the film revolves around the game of football, John’s character had nothing to do with the game.
A spokesperson from Indian films informed that the only actor who fitted in the bill as soon as they heard the script was John. The film also stars Boman Irani, Immaduddin Shah, Cyrus Broacha and Kurush Deboo.
Interview by Mahafreed Irani for DNA India.
Jeroo Mulla is the head of department of Social Communications Media at Sophia Polytechnic. She has taught film appreciation for the last 24 years.
She also served on the Film Censor Board of India as an Advisory Panel Member from 1987-90. DNA spoke to her on the eve of Sophia Polytechnic’s SCM Film Festival
Was it easy for women to be media professionals earlier?
I remember persuading young women about the importance of a good education and being independent, but that was 27 years ago. Women didn’t want to be part of the media because it wasn’t easy. I was a film editor earlier and remember how non-woman-friendly the environment was. There were no bathrooms for women so I used the men’s loo.
Now the social ethos has changed radically. My students are photographers, editors and cinematographers. They aren’t scared of technology.
Do your students really care about the environment and social causes?
I hope they do. My students are socially-inclined. Through the SCM course, they are exposed to the underbelly of India which remains ignored.
Why should people come to view the films at the festival?
The films are inspiring. They tell you stories about people who have made a difference. One film tells the story of three muslim women and their fight, against all odds, to get an education. Another film showcases the story of the Child Toy Foundation, which is a toy library for poor and deprived children.
These films will inspire people to make positive changes in their own fields. You don’t have to work with an NGO to make a difference. My students, for example are bringing about change in the media by giving a voice to the voiceless.
Interview by Mahafreed Irani for DNA India.
Jeroo Mulla is the head of department of Social Communications Media at Sophia Polytechnic. She has taught film appreciation for the last 24 years.
She also served on the Film Censor Board of India as an Advisory Panel Member from 1987-90. DNA spoke to her on the eve of Sophia Polytechnic’s SCM Film Festival
Was it easy for women to be media professionals earlier?
I remember persuading young women about the importance of a good education and being independent, but that was 27 years ago. Women didn’t want to be part of the media because it wasn’t easy. I was a film editor earlier and remember how non-woman-friendly the environment was. There were no bathrooms for women so I used the men’s loo.
Now the social ethos has changed radically. My students are photographers, editors and cinematographers. They aren’t scared of technology.
Do your students really care about the environment and social causes?
I hope they do. My students are socially-inclined. Through the SCM course, they are exposed to the underbelly of India which remains ignored.
Why should people come to view the films at the festival?
The films are inspiring. They tell you stories about people who have made a difference. One film tells the story of three muslim women and their fight, against all odds, to get an education. Another film showcases the story of the Child Toy Foundation, which is a toy library for poor and deprived children.
These films will inspire people to make positive changes in their own fields. You don’t have to work with an NGO to make a difference. My students, for example are bringing about change in the media by giving a voice to the voiceless.
Nauheed Cyrusi Actor
My taste buds are truly blessed for having inherited both, Iranian and Parsi blood. I get to eat the usual Parsi fare every day, and also get the opportunity to devour the not-so-common Iranian delicacies at home.
Dhansak and Prawn kebabs are my favourite. Chelo Kebab (a combination of kebabs and rice) and Berry Pulao are the Iranian exports that I relish. Since my mother is a fabulous cook, I don’t feel the need to venture out.
I too try my hand in the kitchen sometimes, but, I can’t pull off an entire meal without her help. Britania at Fort, is a great place to sample the best of these two cuisines.
Original article here
This is the title of a film by Tenaz Dubash. Tenaz is a film maker based in New York City. The premiere of this movie is scheduled for Saturday, February 2, 2008 at the Y. B. Chavan Center Auditorium at 6.30 p.m.
This is a small clip by the film maker explaining how she came about making this movie.
Tanaaz and hubby Bakhtyaar Irani love to have fun.
In fact, “we are both mad” is how they describe themselves. Now the two are set to do something even more crazy. Tanaaz will play Bakhtyaar’s mother in her next play Daddy Kool, which incidentally also marks her debut as director.
Of course, this was not a well-planned move. It’s just that Anand Suryavanshi, the actor who was supposed to play her son, opted out due to date issues and Bakhtyaar had to step in last minute. “Bakhtyaar wasn’t willing initially, but I talked him into it. And he now regrets his decision saying arre main kahan fas gaya,” laughs Tanaaz.
The play, a comedy produced by Tanaaz and her partner D S Pahwa, focuses on the generation gap. Says Tanaaz, “There’s a hot-headed old fashioned Sindhi father (played by Sandeep Sikcand) whose name, by the way is Lachumal Kishenchand Advani L K Advani. I play his Parsi wife Pilloo and Bakhtyaar is one of our sons, who’s a casanova. The other son is Karan Mehra.”
Tanaaz in her typical Parsi accent keeps saying dikro dikro to Bakhtyaar in the play. She also says this son of hers has gone on her. “That’s because Bakhtyaar and I are both fair, so I say this son is more like me, while the other son has gone on his father,” she explains.
A young Indian has made a dazzling debut in the international music market, whizzing to the top ten of Britain’s popular TV Airplay Music Chart even before his album is officially launched.
Hyderabad-born Shayan Italia’s Reflection is fourth on the list, next only to Foo Fighters (The Pretender) , Mark Ronson Feat.Amy Winehouse (Valerie) and Kanye West (Stronger) , according to the latest Music Week . The 28-year-old musician held an exclusive live performance for a select gathering at the famous Mint Leaf Restaurant here last night where Lord Karan Bilimoria described him as a budding music superstar.
“He will be the third greatest Zoroastrian musician after Zuben Mehta and Freddie Mercury,” Lord Bilimoria said. A superb vocalist, Shayan also writes his own songs. Many music experts interpret his album as mixture of light rock, funk, soft jazz, disco, pop and anything in between.
Shayan told reporters his music “incorporates the three best elements of Indian music into his work - poetic lyrics, simple yet powerful music arrangements and crystal clear vocals.” Asked whether he planned to perform in India, Shayan said he would do so after holding performances in the UK, Europe and Japan in the next two years.
Born and brought up in Hyderabad, the baby-faced musician came to London in 1999 after tragically losing both his parents at a young age.
Actor Boman Irani, who played a disgruntled dean in the medical satire “Munnabhai M.B.B.S.” to perfection, says he is the “luckiest guy” on the planet as Bollywood is offering him specific and interesting roles.
“I want to play roles that aren’t tailor-made. I’m working on a number of projects that are making me sweat it out,” the middle-aged actor told IANS here in an interview.
But Boman is glad to have escaped from the comic trap that sprang on him after “Munnabhai”.
“With `Lakshya’ and `Veer-Zaara’, audiences realised I wasn’t around just for laughs. I didn’t want people to expect me to crack a joke and make funny faces each time I come on (screen).”
Excerpts from the interview:
Q: From being a dedicated stage actor to a busy film actor…
A: Long journey! Apun to bahut filmy ho gaya (I have become very “filmi”). I’m not very sure about my success. I’d like to be a little more successful. I have come to a stage where Bollywood comes to me with interesting roles. When they tell me they want only me for a specific role, it feels good.
Strangely, “Munnabhai” wasn’t written with me in mind. I got that role because producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra had seen me in “Let’s Talk”. He told me he’d like to block my dates since soon I won’t have any time. I just thought it was his sweet way of telling me how much he liked my performance. Call it my Parsi mindset, I wasn’t very sure whether I could pull off Hindi films because of the way I spoke.
Parsi Wada, Tarapore — Present Day, a film that talks about the present and future of the Parsi community in Mumbai, has won cameraman Paramvir Singh the award for Best Cinematography (Rajat Kamal and a cash prize of Rs 10,000). The movie, which presents a lyrical depiction of the decadent Parsi community, has been shot with imagination with good use of lighting and compositions.
Read entire article here
Stereotyping Parsis
It’s often the quirks of a community that become its identity and set it apart from the rest. But with India becoming so globalised, are we still that ethno-centric? Yes, says Homi Adjania, the director of Being Cyrus.
The quirks of a community are often a tool for incorporating humour in a film. But sometimes people get touchy about things.
In Being Cyrus, I didn’t make the characters speak Parsi English. But most films with Parsi characters will always show them wearing the dagla with the black topi, and that’s a stereotype.
I’m a Parsi, and would wear a dagla only on my wedding. Parsis are also very passionate about life, which not too many films show, he says.
But ask other Parsis if the portrayal of the community was authentic in Adjania’s film, and the response is mixed. Banking professional Nazrin Tayamat says, Parsis are fiercely possessive about their belongings, especially their cars.
And the film too shows Boman Irani snapping at anyone who messes with his car. But in most films, Parsis are shown as crazy, and that’s generalising, she says.
Read entire article here.
When ABN-Amro recently flew down the versatile Boman Irani for a chat with VJ Cyrus Sahuhar, the talent behind “Piddhu The Great” and “Simi Girebaal”, the duo broke into the most entertaining conversation Sudhish Kamath eavesdropped into.
Cyrus Before we start, first, I would like to give you this (hands over a potato)?
Boman: Is it because I look like one?
Cyrus: No way. After Superman, there’s Bo-Man. But seriously, not many people know that the great Boman Irani started off with a wafer chips shop called Golden Wafers. Your family shop.
Boman: Yes, for 14 years of my life, I sat behind a wafer shop. I spent my time observing people.
Cyrus: Most people sort of map their lives? you go to school, then to college, get a postgraduate degree, then get a job, get married and have kids.
Boman: That’s what you did. (laughs)
• My guest today is one of Mumbai’s Parsi Colony’s most famous residents, Boman Irani. And it’s really unfair to cast you as a Parsi, because you’re a Sikh one day, Delhi Punjabi the other, a Rajput king, a Catholic, all equally convincingly.
Sometimes, it’s most difficult to play the role most close to you. When you are around, you don’t notice most of things you should be noticing. Sometimes a foreign photographer comes to India and shoots it better than you. But the Parsi I played in Being Cyrus was thankfully not a lot like me. Not like that, I’m not a horrible guy . . . but he was a murderer.
• A philanderer, a wife-beater . . .
(Laughs) So you know. But I think it works very well when the character is not like you. You need that much more research to find out what you could be. Any human being is capable of being anything.
• But you have that special gift of slipping into the skin, into that ethnicity, that personality, but going beyond the stereotype.
Well, you know, the stereotype does bother me. I think after a while you stop worrying about just the ethnicity and the accent and the body language and breaking the stereotype. Maybe it’s the fact the character is of a particular profession. Once you have got all that worked out, you start concentrating on human nature. At the end of the day, you could be a Sardar builder and I could be a Sardar builder, and we could be completely two different human beings.
Boman Irani is known for his remarkable roles. This talented actor will be seen in a lead role in writer-turned-director Sooni Taraporevala’s film Little Zizou. This film also stars Shernaaz Patel and Naseeruddin Shah’s son Imaad in a prominent role.
He informs that Little Zizou is an English film which revolves around the Parsi community. He plays lead role named Little Zizou, which is Parsi character. Though he played Parsi character earlier, he claims this character will be different from rest of the characters that he has played before.
Boman’s forthcoming films include Heyy Babyy and Love Story 2050.
New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) Parliamentarians and members from the media would soon get to view Rahul Dholakia’s controversial film ‘Parzania’ depicting the plight of a Parsi family during the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat.
‘The modalities of screening the film in the Parliament House are being worked out and the date would be finalised soon,’ Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters here Friday.
The film, based on a real life incident, depicts the travails of a Parsi couple - played by Naseeruddin Shah and Sarika - after their son went missing during the violence in the state.
When the film was released across the country Jan 26, several Hindu rightwing activists in Gujarat opposed it, saying it was prejudiced against the majority Hindu community. The theatre owners in the state refused to screen the film, allegedly under pressure.
The movie, directed by US-based Dholakia, had a worldwide release Jan 26.
Being Boman Irani
From playing the eccentric Dr Asthana in Munnabhai MBBS to the boisterous Lucky Singh in Lago Raho Munnabhai, Boman Irani has played characters everyone can relate to. In a chat with CNN-IBN’s Anuradha SenGupta, the actor says he feels it’s important to pick roles that are not meant to be successful but become successful because of a certain belief in a project.
Anuradha SenGupta: My sense of who you are as an actor is that you are every man, that you tend to bring in people who we may ourselves be.
Boman Irani: You have met that guy somewhere.
Anuradha SenGupta: Where are these people in your head coming from?
Boman Irani: The manager, Ramesh the tailor, I used to chew his brains up, telling him, ‘I want my bellbottoms only this long.’ If you’ve seen Khosla Ka Ghosla, everybody said, ‘I know this guy.’ It’s very important to know these people because then you have a reference point to deal with. Then half the battle is won.
Anuradha SenGupta: You are one of the old Bombay Parsis, maybe the second or third generation Bombayiite now. There have been several distinguished notables from this community. Would I be right in saying that you are the most well-known/ popular mainstream Parsi?
Boman Irani: Yes, probably a janta well-known. In his time, Sohrab Modi was a great man. Not that I’m comparing. So illustrious, I’m probably not, popular, maybe. There is such a long list of great Parsis. They make up for a great proportion of the community. When you are talking about 70, 000 Parsis world-wide, in each field, we have a luminary.
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Film on Gujarat riots gets green signal; to be released this Friday
Almost five years after Gujarat riots of February 2002, a gutsy English-language feature film that looks at the communal carnage through the eyes of a real-life Parsi couple whose only son went missing during the conflagration, is ready for release after a protracted battle with the censors and apathetic distributors.
Parzania, produced and directed by Rahul Dholakia, has done the rounds of film festivals over the past two years, but could not find takers until the director and the film’s co-producer, KB Sareen, floated their own distribution company to release the film in Mumbai, Kerala and Gujarat. PVR Pictures is distributing Parzania in Delhi, Nizam and the Central Provinces. The film is due to hit the screen on January 26.
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Tears well up in her eyes as she remembers the ill-fated day in 2002 when her 13-year-old son went missing during the Gujarat riots. Even after five years, Rupa Dara Mody carries his photograph in her bag hoping that someone somewhere will help her trace him. Not many know that her poignant story inspired Non-Resident Indian director Rahul Dholakia to make the much talked about film “Parzania”.
The critically acclaimed film starring Naseeruddin Shah and Sarika — to be released next year — is based on Ms. Mody’s tragic experience of losing her son, Azhar, in the riot-ravaged Gujarat and the family’s numerous unsuccessful attempts to find him.
“We have written letters to all non-government organisations, all orphanages, even mental hospitals across the country. My husband and I have run from pillar to post but to no avail. If we go to the police, they say the investigations are on. I do not know how long I have to wait to see my son,” she says.
Ms. Mody was one of the many survivor victims of the Gujarat genocide who had gathered here on Wednesday to share their horrific experiences with the media.
A Parsi woman, Ms. Mody lived in the middle-class Muslim-dominated Gulbarg Society in Ahmedabad that was attacked by the rioters who set the complex afire in the aftermath of the Godhra train tragedy.
Hollywood beauty Angelina Jolie held him close to her bosom, looked into his eyes lovingly and kissed him gently. And partner Brad Pitt was nowhere around when this happened behind closed doors on a sultry Thursday evening in south Mumbai.
Young Harvesp must be the luckiest guy around. He was born last Sunday and four days later became, perhaps, the youngest male to attract Angelina’s affection.
The opportunity to nestle in the arms of one of the world’s most desired women came to the tot quite by chance. When the crew of A Mighty Heart–the movie based on American journalist Daniel Pearl’s murder by Pakistan-based jihadis–arrived at Breach Candy Hospital on Thursday to shoot the final scene, it was a moment more guarded than a state secret.
“Except for the top management of the hospital, no one knew that they were coming,” a source told TOI.
Parsi businessman Viraf Chiniwala, whose new-born child has been roped in for Angelina Jolie’s movie, is an overwhelmed man.
“Our gynaecologist, Avan Dadina, stopped me and said the hospital’s CEO, Vijay Krishna, wanted to meet me. I thought they wanted a donation from me since I had got a child after 26 years,”he said.
Viraf’s daughter Shazneen, a 25-year-old fashion designer, is from his first marriage. Krishna then introduced him to Anita Overland, a production coordinator, and asked if he would allow his child to play the ‘crucial’ role of baby Adam.
“Initially, I was reluctant. But then I thought this might be a good opportunity to do some charity, and asked her how much she would pay. She asked me how much I expected. I said $2,000. She promptly agreed,”said Chiniwala.
Being the fund-raising chairman of the Lions Club of Babulnath, the proud father told Overland to sign the cheque in favour of Mumbai’s street children. “This was Harvesp’s first charity contribution to underprivileged children,”he laughed.
At 3:30 pm on Thursday, the father signed an agreement on behalf of his son with the production company. “My condition was that our doctor would remain present during the shooting and that there should be no heavy lighting in the room,”he said.
Have a laugh with Irani
FUNNYMAN Boman Irani had to learn a new language of comedy - literally - when shooting his latest film ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla.’
The former talented photographer is a Parsi and his character was a crooked Punjabi.
But says Irani: “I can hardly speak Hindi never mind Punjabi - but the crew helped me out and we got there in the end.”
Here Irani talks more about his latest role.
You must be inundated with offers after successful films including ‘Munnabhai MBBS’, ‘Page 3′, ‘Waqt - A Race Against Time’ and ‘Lagey Raho Munnabhai’? How do you go about selecting your roles?
I’m here to investigate actor Boman Irani’s latest role — as supercop and Deputy Commissioner of Police — in director Farhan Akhtar’s remake of the 1978 Bollywood thriller and superhit, Don.
DCP D’Silva is no ordinary cop. He’s got a tough mission ahead of him — to capture Don — a ruthless criminal and gangster (played by Shah Rukh Khan in the remake, Amitabh Bachchan in the original). The nifty Don, escapes the clutches of the DCP time and again. But the determined cop patiently plots and plans to how to ensnare his prey.
Boman, like the rest of the Don cast, has a tough mission head of him — to give a new spin to a character, originally played by Ifthkar Khan. Will he ape the original DCP’s mannerisms? Will the new DCP also have a funny bone like many of Boman’s other characters?
Fans of Indian cinema and literature will want to catch upcoming presentations by visiting professor Dr. Nilufer Bharucha at the University College of the Fraser Valley.
Bharucha, the head of the English department at the University of Mumbai, will be making two public presentations, one on Images of Women in Indian Cinema on Wednesday, Oct 18, at 7 p.m. in main lecture theatre on the Abbotsford campus, and one on India, Women, and Fiction on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. at University House on the Abbotsford campus. Admission is free and open to the public.
The Images of Women in Indian Cinema event, subtitled Devis (God-desses), Devd-aasis (Prost-itutes), and Daayins (Witches) will explore how the way women are presented in Indian films ties into mythology and women’s traditional roles.
How did you know?”was Perizaad Zorabian’s reaction when we congratulated her on the news of her wedding. December 7 will see the actress tying the knot with beau Boman Irani - not the funnyman from Munna bhai, but a Mumbai-based real estate developer.
But it will take some time before the whole idea sinks in. “I was asking Babes - that’s what I call Boman - ‘how about jeans and a nice tee on the wedding?’ The whole thing hasn’t sunk in,”she gushes.
The wedding is slated to be a small, typical Parsi affair in Mumbai. But the bride is a little apprehensive that it’s going to be tough managing the whole thing. “I still have to buy my conventional white sari and the jewellery,”she says.
Zorastrians Today
This hour-long documentary will focus on the assimilation of the Zoroastrian community into North America. The film will highlight the … all >> challenges faced by members of this ancient Persian religion today. By documenting the personal stories of individual Zoroastrians, we will shed light on this little known but highly successful community, enabling others to appreciate the religion’s rich history and heritage.
The above is one of a series of 55 photographs taken by Gilles Crampes. These are pictures of the Zoroastrians of Yazd.
Check out the entire gallery here
[Hat Tip: Vikram J. Parekh]