Nisha’s Blog - Archived Copy

Just wanted to thank everyone for all the supportive and excited emails I’ve been getting. I can’t wait to show you all the film too — I’ve begun the post production process and am hoping the film will be in theaters early next year…
but for now - back to the dark cave of the edit suite.

In other news - Cosmopolitan continues to play on PBS across the country - try to catch it if you can. Roshan Seth and Carol Kane are incredible. And - if you haven’t seen Madhur Jaffrey in Meera Syal’s brilliantly funny “Bombay Dreams” on broadway - run to the box office to get a ticket before it’s too late!

So i totally missed the premiere of Cosmopolitan because I am still in Toronto shooting “Cake.” There could be no better reason to miss the premiere of your own film than - working on another film that you just love love love!
There is some party in DC on the 22nd hosted by WETA and Sharon Rockefeller - though I’m not sure what exactly it is that I have to say to Ms. Rockefeller - I’m sure it would have been incredibly engaging and impressive — yeah so it’s too bad I won’t be there for that one. If you’re in town - or watching TV or have a TIVO - please watch Cosmopolitan this week and let me know what you think…
Hope you enjoy.
now back to more cake…

I am in Canada - in Toronto. I can prove it - it’s freezing here. The waterbed pod in LA is a mere rumor. The longer I live up here, and the longer Bush is in office, the prouder I am to be canadian - I have to say. So much is just — better.
Prepping the film is going well - the updates will be slow going as the film is the priority right now. But keep the fun song websites coming — for some reason they stay funny. And that’s hard.
p.s. Lorene was spotted in the east village at the crow bar trying to shoot a big commercial all by herself last week.

was none other than the very lovely, incredibly talented, Cara Buono. Cara can be seen playing the Edith Banner in the Hulk (the hulk’s mama) and is also currently on Third Watch as a blonde. She is an insanely good actor - and is in so many films with characters that you just don’t know it were her because she can morph into different people with total believability. (one of my favorites is her ditzy student in “next stop wonderland”)

And I love the idea of a game called “The Chutney Game” maybe it could be turned into an actual board game of some sort and just be out there…

Hello - just a note to let you know that I do respond to people by writing a private email back - instead of posting on the web log.
But– maybe I should just post responses here. To be honest, I’ve been away and on dial up and that is painful and no one should ever have to load a blog page on dial up in a country with slow connections. : )

Now I’m back but — I’m up in Canada prepping to make another film, as soon as it’s announced I can post updates on the lovely surprises of film production.
Stay tuned and thanks for the message - I hear you!
Nisha

Okay - I am still angry but am managing to move beyond the hate. As MC MC often alludes to - it’s time to embrace and spread the love. I still have no love for George Bush - but as I was watching this ‘issue’ of whether all humans in our country deserve equal rights being debated on CNN and MSNBC all day - and how surreal was it that our ‘news’ consisted of alternating stories between ‘gay marriage’ and mel gibson’s ‘the passion’ all day long - I was saddened and then something incredible happened. They footage that was played (over and over and over but not as much as the footage of jesus being raised on the cross in the passion) of the couples getting married in SF took on a new importance. I felt so hopeful to hear the mayor of SF speak so boldly. To take down the rhetoric of the right - particularly the ‘ are you for polygamy?” argument that is just so tired and ignorant. I thought - it’s happening - people are claiming their rights. People are demanding their rights and it’s about time. All this fear of a backlash - it’s just fear. I bet everyone was afraid that if Rosa Parks didn’t sit in the back of the bus - the people in power would get all angry and take it out on ALL the black people. But you know what? The people in power were already angry and taking out on all the black people! If that march didn’t happen - if there was no MLK and no Malcolm X - then what? Where would our country be? Where is the gay MLK? Where is the gay Malcolm X? People are ready to be lead, people are ready to hear that someone has a dream— who is gonna step up? And in the meantime, isn’t it awesome that everyone is taking it upon themselves to step up…. and not fear a backlash anymore. Because really, what more wrong and awful could happen?

And his ridiculous, arrogant agenda.
I tried to keep this BLOG free of hate but I can no longer remain calm. I hate the man. I really do. I will keep working on my issues but let me just say that by hate, I do not mean anger. Because anger is a very necessary tool for motivation to get off your ass and do something. I am not ever going to try and cure anyone, including myself, of anger — but I do think Hate is something not good to have in your system (my friend Karan managed to convince me of that).
So until I can calm myself down enough to actually write something that won’t become a scattered rant. . . I offer you some lighter entertainment.

(thanks to Margaret)

Continuing in the tradition of Little Red Monkey….
If that song was stuck in your head forever (as it is forever in mine)
then definitely do NOT click
here

(thanks to Cara)

Was actually a huge success. I found none of the expected homophobic displays of ignorance. I found standing room only, thundering applause. I found a genuine warmth and appreciation for a different story and I only received encouragement and praise for the film. I have to say that I have a new faith in India and am embarrassed that I bought into all the media hype of the crazy conservatives terrorizing everyone. This is not to say that India is without it’s problems because it was very disheartening to find negotiating my way through Mumbai alone as a woman was much more difficult than when I was in the company of men. But Mumbai is a very large, very diverse, very opinionated fast, dirty, and out of control city. The public knowledge of the film industry blows los angeles out of the game - and most illuminating of all - this industry exists without a care, it seems, for what is going on in LA. Sure there is an appreciation of the top money making films - but I was struck by the disregard for Hollywood celebrity and the complete Indian centric attitudes of the local film scene. It was a deep breath of polluted air and I loved it. And after I can afford my own oxygen tank, I will can’t wait to return to Mumbai.

until then… enjoy this

(thanks to Stephanie)