Posts Tagged ‘Love Wrinkle Free’

Sandeep Mohan’s Love, Wrinkle-free : Left brain VS Right brain

Posted: May 25, 2012 by moifightclub in cast & crew, cinema, film, Indie, News
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Sandeep Mohan‘s directoral debut, an indie feature titled Love, Wrinkle-free is releasing this friday.  It stars Ash Chandler, Shernaz Patel, Seema Rahmani, Sohrab Ardeshir, Ashwin Mushran, Marianne Borgo, Arika Silaichia, Giju John and Theron Carmine.

Making an independent film is a difficult task for sure. But releasing it is almost impossible. Thanks to PVR Directors Rare section, the film is getting a limited release. But what is the director thinking? Will he survive? Over to a casual conversation between his Right Brain (RB) and Left Brain (LB).

LEFT RIGHT LOVE WRINKLE FREE…

Right Brain Sandeep (RB):

Hey bugger, heard that your movie Love, Wrinkle-free is releasing today or something?

Left Brain Sandeep(LB):

Yeah man, labour of love of 2 years…

RB:

…even I have a story….you wanna listen…see it is about racism, discrimination between white dogs and black dogs…

LB:

Not today ya…you know, I worked bloody hard on Love, Wrinkle-free for 2 years..do you even know what that means…two fucking years of my youth…

RB:

ok, now you are telling me that you are in your youth?!!

LB:

See, precisely why i wanted to make Love, Wrinkle-free…how can one stay young forever…why this obsession to photoshop every damn wrinkle out of your butt..i mean why…

RB:

but why blame Adobe Photoshop bugger…they are not like some Taliban…

LB:

love, wrinkle-free is for people like you…Seriously man, Love, Wrinkle-free is the Hyderabad Blues of this generation…

RB:

it is good to be an optimist, but don’t be stupid bugger…

LB:

What stupid…If a middle class guy like me could make a movie, things are changing in india and Indian films…

RB:

Yeah but the roads to the Love, Wrinkle-free theatres are full of craters…

LB:

Fuck roads ya…roads will soon be obsolete…helicopters will be the norm…people will go to watch movies in helicopters soon…

RB thinks about it…

RB:

Are you planning to make a Love, Wrinkle-free part 2

LB gives him a cold stare…

LB:

i hate sequels…the only sequel i liked was Waisa Bhi hota hai part 2! in any case, does life have a sequel?

RB:

deepak chopra thinks so…

LB (ignoring him):

…the reviews have just started coming in yaar…

RB:

Does it matter if they say good or bad…you still have to take care of your 2 year old daughter when your wife goes to work tomorrow no?

LB (ignoring it again):

The initial reviews have been pretty good…

RB:

Come bugger, don’t stress yourself, let’s go and have a fruit salad now

LB:

Here I am talking of my dreams, and you are thinking of Fruit Salad?!!!

RB:

…why can’t you dream of Angelica Jolie’s bee stung lips instead?!

LB:

Movies are my passion idiot…passion…you know what that word means?!!! Bee stung lips it seems?!

RB:

Eating fruit salad is my passion…what is wrong?!

LB:

…my movie, I am setting her free today to be judged by the world….i feel naked…

RB:

Put on some edible lingerie….

LB smacks RB on his head.

LB: i hope…Word of mouth is going to take Love, Wrinkle-free to a lot of people. It is a fun film man…and there have been so few fun films in the indie space…

RB(Moaning):

Who do you think you are…some kinda indie-saint to spread happiness all around…anyways, don’t worry, not many know about your movie? There is not even a bloody hoarding…even underwear companies have hoardings these days

LB:

Love, Wrinkle-free is not an underwear…it is my movie…my dream can’t be hung up there in some bloody hoarding for all and sundry to stare at…

RB:

You are losing it bugger, big time you are losing it…

LB:

I can feel it…lakhs of people are waiting for the Box Office to open tomorrow, and just like when the new version of the iPhone hits the stores, there will be a stampede to buy tickets…I can feel it…there is like a love, wrinkle-free wave out there…

RB(looks around):

Where?!

LB feels the air around him. Closes his eyes

LB:

Feel it…and you can feel it only when you stop talking…

RB closes his eyes and tries hard to feel it

RB:

..ok ok…now let’s go…even your bloody uncle Woody Allen never said that you can’t have feni or fruit salad on the day of the release..

LB:

Watch your words!!! And don’t get Woody Allen into this mess man…

RB:

…Everyone should pick their own nose….or Everyone should wear their own underwear

LB:

What is that?!

RB:

i have quotes too…like Allen

LB:

Allen is classy man…you are cheap…

RB:

Hey how are you guys related?!

LB gives him that look….and walks away hurt

RB:

Bugger, I was just kidding of course,…chill ..where are you going?

LB:

I am going home…I think I have some edible lingerie at home…i am starving…

RB:

Got some feny?

LB nods. RB runs after him and joins him…

RB:

…you did your best bugger…put your heart, soul, brain and groin into the film, now let’s have some feni and edible…whatever that thingy is…, dig into your next script, and soon you will be into your second film mode….c’mon man…this is the 21st century, you gotta be cool..

So who will have the last laugh – Sandeep Mohan’s Right Brain or Left Brain? It all depends entirely on you.

To know more about the film, you can click here for its FB page or click here for its website.

And here’s the list of theatres and the show timings for Love,Wrinkle-free:

City Theatre Show-Timings
Mumbai PVR Juhu 8:20 PM
Mumbai PVR Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel 8:30 PM
Mumbai PVR Goregaon 8:40 PM
Mumbai PVR Mulund 8:40 PM
Mumbai Cinemax Versova 5.00 PM
Mumbai Metro Big Cinemas 2.15 PM
Mumbai Fame Malad 4.05 PM
Delhi PVR Director’s Cut, Vasat Kunj 8.30 PM
Delhi PVR Select Citywalk 8.30 PM
Goa Inox  Old GMC, DB Road 9.30 AM
4.30 PM
Pune City Pride Kothrud 10.45 PM
City Pride Abhiruch 2.00 PM

MFF2011 : This is one way to do it – Sandeep Mohan’s ‘Love, wrinkle-free’

Posted: October 19, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, first look
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There’s at least one film in each one of us. For those of us who make it our vocation (not profession) there are many. Debutante director Sandeep Mohan’s done with his first. Indie, short, sweet and with a home-grown, quirky sense of humour, ‘Love, Wrinkle-free’ played at MAMI yesterday. And plays again tomorrow, 20th Oct at 12.45 pm, Cinemax, Sion.

The film is about a middle-aged couple struggling with middle-age issues. The passing of youth, the wilting of relationships under the dryness of everyday living. The excitement of finding new love and all that it affirms about oneself. Well, it’s not half as serious as all this sounds, but lightly touches all these ‘deeper’ strains with a certain idiosyncrasy. Then there are crooks and fools in love making the capering continuously ticklish.

Watch the trailer to get a glimpse of what I am saying.

“Love, Wrinkle-free” trailer from Sandeep Mohan on Vimeo.

We rant enough about how difficult it is to make any movie, leave alone the one you want to make. Sandeep found that out first hand too and then simply decided to drop everything and make his films one way or the other. No he didn’t rob a bank. He simply, “Spent close to a year trying to raise funds – made couple of wrong moves. Learned and moved on.”

To finally find funding. “Giju John and Kamal Shah came along to help. Giju is a childhood friend. Totally trusted me. We managed to rope in close to 30 more friends (in a crowd funding of sorts!) to put in whatever they could.” It not only sounds difficult but we all know how much passion and conviction is required to convince someone to part with pennies for a film. Film! A form which has been reduced to little more than nautanki these days. Why would anyone bother with it unless the ones making it had ‘it’ in them to want to go beyond?

The film took two years to evolve from idea to image. The script was fleshed out over a period of 3-4 months. And the film completed within 22 days, within schedule, fully shot in Goa. Extended reading sessions happened with each one of them. And from there on the experienced folks took off well. As said here, “The film boasts of some good performances from the ensemble!”

Sandeep’s pre-prod office and editing studio was his own house. “So in essence this is a Vikhroli West movie as opposed to an Andheri west movie” he jests.

Cutting costs was of course, primary. No AD for entire post-production. But ensured actors were well-taken care of. “We gave the actors whatever we could. But once they realised what we were attempting, they became part of this journey, and it was smooth going.”

Indie, from start-to-finish and not just for the sake of it. That’s refreshing. Independent not only in thought but action. Not only what it creates but how. A healthy mix of both is probably the whopping leap our cinema needs to take.

This route was and wasn’t a choice for Sandeep. If you want to do something you got to get out there and find ways to do it. He had no choice but that and hence willingly made that choice.

“It all evolved after my father passed away 3 years back. His death taught me that we are not here for ever. I could just conk off one day complaining that I never made a movie. So went ahead, worked hard, didn’t complain, respected actors and crew members, restrained myself even when I got angry at times, and grew as a human being and as a filmmaker through this last 2 years.”

Every such film is a labour of love, some maybe more than the others. What matters in the end is the intention and effort. The applause then, becomes so much more sweeter.

In Sandeep’s words – “The film truly represents the indie spirit – and I hope more such films get made – the idea being not to wait for anyone to come and help me, but to go ahead and do it.”

MAMI is the World Fest Premiere of Love, Wrinkle-free. After that, it is SAIFF in New York where the film is scheduled to be screened on the 11th of November. Meanwhile, for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, catch it on 20th Oct at 12.45 pm Cinemax Sion.

Let’s show some love to the spirit of indie cinema.

– Fatema Kagalwala

Mumbai Film Festival 2011 – Day 3, 4 and 5 (recco & reviews)

Posted: October 19, 2011 by moifightclub in cinema, Film Festival, film review, Indie, Movie Recco, movie reviews
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Here’s continuing from our Mumbai Film Festival. The recco list is here, click here for Day 1 & 2 report and here is the post on Dimensions Mumbai.

Moving on –

Day 3

1. Jesus Henry Christ – A super non filmy yet subversive (you-dont-know-where-it-is-headed) film, my little miss sunshine of this year. Eccentric & weird american family-comedy. Trippy and funny all the way. Recco for everyone and especially for aspiring screenwriters

2. Toast – Stanley ka dabba meets Udaan. At first felt like a food porn film but slowly goes onto becoming a coming of age film set in UK 60s-70s. Very good film based on the life of a famous british chef. Also stars Helen Bonham Carter (and she’s not the only reason to watch the film)! Dont watch it on a hungry stomach !

3. Monster’s Dinner – ok clearly the most bizzare film of the day inviting maximum different opinions. Two couples have dinner in a dystopian turkey urban town. Smoking banned, painting banned, child abuse allowed and become a buisness, social norms are abnormal, satire on everyone under the sun. Clearly set up like a “play” with a single house setting (read low budget and limited resources so maximum innovation). Dark and creepy without showing a single violent act but puke-inducing. Many felt the film doesn’t move after the first 30 min (and may be even after the first 60 min), but personally felt it was very well directed. Very interesting film to watch it for sure – depending on if you decide to hate/love it later

4. First time for everything – Another russian Udaan father-son bonding story. Walked out after 70 min since it was taking way tooo much time to make a point.

5. Ides of March – Big Q for this one. Guess I know the right people. Nevertheless managed to sneak in. Must watch. Shiva the God Of Death goes corrupted. Wow. Watch it. Just felt longing for more by the end of it. Depressing film in a moral-istic way.

6. Aadukalam – national award winning tamil film. Had seen it already. But neverthless do check it out. A super film (yes made in commercial tam film format) And as a friend said – the drama is pretty “shakespearean”

Other mentions – Wrecked starring adrien brody, saamna, king of devil’s island (starring the super stellan skarsgard), armadillo. Didn’t see them since they are available (you-know-where). Will check them out. Comments welcome in case you did watch them

Day 4

1. Chinese takeaway – super stud ricardo darin (secret in their eyes, aura, 9 queens, carancho, signal) is reason enough to watch this quriky comedy film. An irritable common hardware shop owner’s life gets disturbed by a chinese man who comes into his life. Very well written and expertly directed. Recco’d

2. Tabloid – docu by Errol morris – a “simple” case gone awry thanks to the scandal-loving Brit media. Based on a true story. Highly recco’d. Offers multiple insights (pov’s) into the case – what happened, what was witnessed, what was reported.

3. Mountain – another low budget film with two characters and a “setting”. Thelma & Louise meets Kids are all right meets Rabbit Hole. But wow. And for a change great to see the dir not just relying on the lovely visuals of snow capped peaks but also wonderful drama. And someone give the leading lady an oscar for the best performance please. Was also part of an (informal) Q&A. Shot on Red. Must must “mast” watch. Silences, minimal dialogues but superb.

4. 17 girls – Based on a real life incident. 17 rebel-without (or with)-a-cause high school girls decide to get pregnant simultaneously. Liked it a lot despite the fact that pregnant women freak me out (I know I know, I’m sorry. Just have a phobia). Recco’d. And the girls are such good actors. I wondered how does one write the script of one such film.

5. Sleeping beauty – Epic fail super NG film. Everything established in the first 45 min, after that its purely one tharki budhdha after another. As Prof Saab said – “Pure mind fuck but no penetration”. Avoid. Allegedly an indian well versed “indie” director asked the dir of the film “Were you aware of what you were trying to do?”. Didnt get a satisfying response. I cursed myself for going for this and not standing in the 500 odd queue off Pina !

Other mentions – Win win by station agent, visitor dir, 36 chowringhee lane (arguably best film by aparna sen), Pina (still to be seen but have heard great things about it)

Day 5

1. Aparoopa – Finally saw a Jahnu Barua film on the big screen.. His debut film based on a real life incident which happened in assam in the 60s. A gorgeous suhasini muley and breathtaking assam visuals (DOP – Binod Pradhan), lovely music. A story and treatment which might seem a little dated today but for it’s time it was quite “progressive”. A typical HKA-ish/Charulata-ish Love triangle in which there is no bad guy (villain). And the good news is that he is trying to get all of his films released on DVD. Fingers crossed.

2. Love Wrinkle Free– A good first time effort by dir Sandeep mohan. Goa eccentric family comedy of sorts, in english. Couldve been trimmed by 20 min or so. Low budget film but which boasts of some good performances from the ensemble.

3. OR (Mon tresor) – Minimal dialogues, long takes, lovely visuals, self destructive characters, Father-son character from Aaranya Kaandam into a mom-daughter track.This is what Sleeping Beauty should have been. Highly recco’d. Last 5 min couldve been trimmed but still.

4. Almanya – Funny german family comedy. A man travels from turkey to germany to start a life. 50 yrs later family moves back on a vacation to turkey. Film cuts back and forth. Slightly meta-filmy (and hence also) super. Recco’d.

Other mentions – Salt of life, Habesu Papam (heard they were good), JBDY (need one say more?), Yellow Sea (hmmm-need repeat viewing. Some superb action sequences), Even the rain (available you-know-where), Another Earth, Melancholia (ho-hum, except super performances)