Aamir's sell-ective amnesia

Producer Aamir Khan’sinsistence to completely take charge of the promotion campaign of Peepli Livehasn’t gone down well with director Anusha Rizvi. The debutante directorof the much talked-about Aamir Khan Production has been asked to stay out of themarketing of her film while the actor works his magic to create the rightbuzz.While earlier Delhi-based Anusha, who submitted her screenplayfor Peepli Live to Aamir Khan on email, was seen accompanying Aamir to theSundance Film Festival, she was nowhere to be seen at the Edinburgh FilmFestival.“As you can see I’m in Delhi and not inEdinburgh,” Anusha said while the Edinburgh festival was on. Shevolunteers no reason for her absence from the festival. In fact she seemspetrified about even being interviewed. “I’m really not supposed tosay anything about the film,” she added.On being assured thatit’s not about the film but her, the reluctant director reveals,“I’ve absolutely no connection with Bollywood. I stay in Delhi. WhenI decided to show around the script to prospective producers for my first filmMr Aamir Khan’s name naturally came up.”ToAnusha’s surprise Aamir responded positively to her email.“That’s how the journey began for Peepli Live. But I am surprised athow many misapprehensions there are about the film. Peepli Live is not aboutfarmers’ suicides. It’sabout,” shesuddenly bites her tongue.Concealing her disillusionment with thefilmmaking machinery in Mumbai the first-time director says, “I’mcomfortable in Delhi and I see no reason why I can’t direct films fromhere. In any case I don’t intend to make big masala films. I don’tknow what I’ll be making next. That’s IF I’ll be makinganything else.”Anusha is clueless about the film’sdistributor UTV’s release plans for Peepli Live. “I do knowit’s releasing in August. But beyond that I’ve no idea. You’llhave to ask them.”When we ask Anusha for a still she agreesreluctantly. But then neither does she send her picture nor does she answer thephone again. Interestingly, when a source close to the project is told about ourconversation with Anusha, he quickly asks, “Did she speak againstAamir?”All attempts to get those close to the project tocomment on the director’s distance from the project fails to evoke aresponse. However, one member of the crew agrees to speak on condition ofanonymity. “I don’t know what the problem is. Aamir has had 2-3private screenings of the film.Last week he had one in his office where he invited members of the cast including Raghuvir Yadav. I don’t know if Anusha was there. The fact is Aamir’s personal interest in the project as producer has given Peepli Live a visibility and an edge. Otherwise it would’ve just come and gone.”Contrary to Anusha’sstatement, Peepli Live is partly about farmers’ suicide. One of the actorssays, “It’s actually about the electronic media’s penchant forsensationalism. An ambitious provincial journalist informs an urban channel thata farmer is supposed to commit suicide in his village. This information triggersoff a chain of bizarre and tragic reactions in thevillage.”Responding to why Anusha Rizvi was missing from theEdinburgh Film Festival, UTV’s Siddharth Roy Kapoor says, “Festivalsare essentially market places where buying and selling of films takes place.Anusha attended both the Sundance and Berlin festivals along with UTVrepresentatives.Amrita Pandey, who heads the overseas marketing ofUTV films, has taken a decision not to spend any more of the marketing budget onfestivals but to use that money for actual promotion when the film releases.Since Peepli Live is a very small film and has no stars it will need all themarketing budget it can afford to spend on actual promotions. Usually filmfestivals offer to pay for the travel and stay of the director. This was not thecase with the Edinburgh Film Festival.” Check out Aamir Khan’s homepage Follow us on Twitter for more stories