Mira Nair is arguably the most successful Indian American filmmaker in Hollywood and the bar she sets for herself is a high one,
“The thing I didn’t want to do ever was to apologize for my films. I wanted to have a standard of excellence that could beat anything. I didn’t want to be a third world apologist, which is what I saw in the west when I was in college (Harvard).”
Nair’s career took off after her debut award winning film ‘Salaam Bombay.’ which KeralaNext.com reports was re-reeased this weekend. The film which came out 25 years ago won an Academy Award nomination for best foreign film and earned the audience award at the Cannes Film Festival. She says a new digital print of the film has transformed the 25 year old film into a truly modern day movie.
“The film just pops with its energy and beauty as well,” Nair said. “It is completely a modern movie. I could see it few nights ago at the premiere of the film in Mumbai. It made people laugh, sob, weep and laugh again.”
She says that film made it possible for her to make Mississippi Masala’, ‘Vanity Fair’ and ‘Amelia’.
“‘Salaam’ continues to help me. It is the power of good film. It continues to open doors for me. Denzel Washington said yes to me for ‘Mississippi Masala’ because of ‘Salaam Bombay’.
Her next film The Reluctant Fundamentalist will look at the Asian perspective after September 11th.
You can read more about Nair’s award winning career in KeralaNext.com,
