Entertainment | Celebrity
Chasing a dream
Dubai-based scriptwriter Tagore Almeida exults on finally realising his mission. For him, his date with IIFA on June 16 at the Grand Cineplex at Grand Hyatt, Dubai was the culmination of years of patiently chasing his dream.
- By Mira Katyal
- Published: 00:00 July 11, 2006
Dubai-based scriptwriter Tagore Almeida exults on finally realising his mission.
For Dubai resident Tagore Almeida, his date with IIFA on June 16 at the Grand Cineplex at Grand Hyatt, Dubai was the culmination of years of patiently chasing his dream.
Almeida always dreamt of making films and wanted to specialise in it. But his parents wouldn' t hear of it, and off he went to do a professional IT course. But his heart never let him rest in peace. "In 1999 I quit my job in Dubai and took a year off to write and sell a movie in Mumbai.
"I wrote a story called Sangeet, which is not about music, neither is it a musical film, but about a group of friends. The theme of the story is about the rhythm of life, hence the name Sangeet (Hindi for music).
"I took it to Mumbai and read it to Pravesh Sippy (son of producer N.N. Sippy) who loved it and the next day asked me to narrate it to his close friend Ashu Trika. Ashu took the script and ripped it apart and said it was too offbeat for Bollywood. That's when I hated him (laughs)."
Hatred soon turned into friendship. "In 2005 Ashu called me and said: 'Let's do your kind of film.' And that's how Alag happened," Tagore says.
Almeida has been experimenting with films for a while now. He scripted Idhi Maa Ashok Ghadi Love Story, which was released in February 2003 in Hyderabad, India. The film was produced by Nimbus Communications, Mumbai, and was directed by Suresh Krishna, one of South India's leading directors. A World At The Park, a non-commercial short film directed by Almeida on an amateur level is available on the internet for
free. This was his first attempt with the medium of cinema. Alag is a first for Almeida as it brings him into mainstream Bollywood cinema.
Almeida is passionate about some causes.
He wishes we could live in peace and tap the inner goodness that we are bestowed with when born, but tragically lose as we grow up.
Spirituality takes up a lot of space in his scheme of things. Much of his free time is consumed in writing for his free digital magazine called www.unculturedcompany.com and in searching for ways to bind mankind, on poetry, in counselling and in running a prayer website www.worshipsoul.com that taps into the power of prayer to help heal people.
So how did this story of human goodness and virtue that is Alag, come about? "During my counselling sessions I came across a person who hurt almost everybody she knew. Family didn't matter to her, and money and fame were her constant gripes," he reminiscences.
"I thought, 'Why is this person like this?' as I believe all people are created beautiful, but growing pressures cause most people to lose about 50 per cent of their goodness. And here was a person who had lost it 100 per cent. I wondered, 'what if the opposite happened and the situation is turned around 360 degrees and a person completely retains his goodness and innocence?'"
While pondering this question, it hit upon him to study the probable outcome of an adult who has grown up with all his (or her) goodness intact. The result was Alag.
Questions on peace and humanity continually bother him, and he will probably continue to explore it through his writings and cinema.
Almeida hopes to be able to make people smile as they see themselves being a part of one creation, in love and in respect, in tolerance and in peace.
Maybe a bit too optimistic, but then, that is the stuff dreams are made of.
How different is Alag?
Alag (which means different in Hindi), produced by celebrated photographer Subi Samuel and directed by Ashu Trika premiered in Dubai under the IIFA umbrella on June 16. Its cast includes Vinod Khanna, Dia Mirza, Akshay Kapoor and Jayant Kriplani among others. The music is by Aadesh Shrivastav.
Alag is about a man who steps out of an extended period of isolation - a quarter of his lifetime - to discover that he has special powers. The film traces the protagonist's journey in the real world and his challenge of figuring out how to use those powers in the most constructive manner.
The story starts with the death of Hemant Rastogi. This forces the revelation of a son Tejas, hidden away from society. The child has special powers - mental, physical and emotional. But Tejas is unfit to care for himself and is supported by Purva Rana, the daughter of a philanthropist, who runs an institution for orphans and youngsters who have committed petty crimes. However, Tejas, with his unusual gifts, has surprises in store at every juncture.
It is a movie that examines the deep, untapped potential of human goodness we are all endowed with, and the possible results if left unhampered by the growing pressures in today's world.
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