Across Cultures (Gandhi Park)

MM , Ohio: Dec 4 2006

Online edition of India’s National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 03, 2006

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Magazine

Across cultures

PREMA MANMADHAN

A crossover film in which culture is villain? Tom George Kolath on the making of “Gandhi Park”.

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I would call it a cross-cultural movie in which Indians settled in alien climes still long for tradition ...
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Across Cultures (Gandhi Park)

True story: “Gandhi Park” is about cultural shifts.

THE “Gandhigiri” in “Lage Raho Munnabhai” clicked and how! Now “Gandhi Park” in downtown New York seeks its place in the sun. “Gandhi Park”, directed by Tom George Kolath, is Amerasia Production’s crossover movie. Upcoming Hollywood actor Brandon Sommers, Bollywood star Anupam Kher and Sneha Ullal play leading roles in the film. The movie’s Indian portion was in Goa and Delhi. “Now we have to shoot the rest in the snow in New York,” says Kolath, who plans to complete it in April.

Kolath’s maiden directorial venture in feature films is a true story, he says. Kolath earlier directed a children’s movie “Lessons” and also did a remix video - a desi version of “Dance With My Father”, Luther Vandross’s Grammy award winning song. He also produced the award-winning “Akale”, directed by Shyamaprasad, which was based on Tennessee Williams’ “Glass Menagerie”. The film won the best Feature National Award and the Indian Panorama Award in 2004.

“Gandhi Park” is about cultural shifts. “I hate it when people ask me if it’s a crossover movie. I would call it a cross-cultural movie in which Indians settled in alien climes still long for tradition, while the new generation longs to go after their hearts. Actually the villain in the movie is culture,” he says.

Kolath’s leap to Hollywood is not incidental. He is a chartered accountant settled in the U.S., but spends 10 months in his native Palakkad. “I do business through videophone. I have about 400 clients. But this is what my parents wanted me to do; filmmaking is what I want to do,” Kolath explains.

The storyline

“Gandhi Park’s” screenplay writer is David Linter who did “Iguana” and “Dancing at the Blue”. The cinematographer is Alagappan. Aishwarya Rai was the first choice for “Gandhi Park” but Ash look-alike Sneha Ullal was later cast in the role of Priyanka, an Indian girl in New York. She is set to marry the man her parents have chosen but her heart lies with Brandon Sommers. The Goa leg of the shooting was in St Mary’s Church at Madgaon. Getting permission to shoot in a church caused a lot of problems; he could not get permission anywhere in Kerala.

Leaving nothing to chance, Kolath is working on the pre-release blitz too. He plans to bring out a book on the “Making of Gandhi Park”, which will have details of its filming and “maybe a promotional letter” by Manoj Night Shyamalan.

The shooting for the film was Brandon Sommers’ first visit to India. ” I thought India was good only for ayurvedic treatment, and a great place for a vacation with very little money. But I never knew how big the Indian film industry was. I bet it’s not going to be my last visit. I carry home a lot of good memories,” he says.