Monday, February 23, 2009

Pune Film Student Makes It to Hollywood









The sweeps of the Oscars in eight categories has not
only India but the rest of the world abuzz as well.
Just like something out of a Bollywood flick, the ingredients
were a wild mashup of British-Indian elements, all
validated by the casting of inexperienced, real-life slumkids
from Mumbai's slums.


Personally, I was taken by the news of my hometown hero.
Pune's
one-time resident-student, Resul Pookutty picked
up an Oscar for his part in the sound mixing success of "Slumdog."
This young Keralite has a real-life rags-to-riches story, having
grown up in a small village without electricity and studying
by the light of a Kerosene lamp.

"This is unbelievable. We can't believe this," said the graduate
of the (Pune) Film and Television Institute of India,
praising the work of his "magician" colleagues Ian Tapp and
Richard Pryke.

"They created the very ordinary sounds of Bombay, the
cacophony of Bombay, into a soul-stirring, artful resonance
called 'Slumdog Millionaire,'" he said. "I come from a country
and a civilization given the universal word. That word is
preceded by silence, followed by more silence. That word is 'Om.'
So I dedicate this award to my country. "Thank you, Academy,
this is not just a sound award, this is history being handed
over to me."

Read about Resul and his Dad's failed wishes for him to become
a Doctor on Sify.com

Some other Oscar news from the 'net:
Sanjay Jha reports from Delhi for NowPublic.com,
commenting on an article from ZeeTV

Kaushik from West Bengal has the Red Carpet news,
also at NowPublic.com

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