NRI director wins gold at Houston Film Fest
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/NRI-director-wins-gold-at-Houston-Film-Fest/articleshow/8365341.cms
NRI director Trisha Ray's film 'Sugarbaby', about a trio of street singers in Kolkata, has won a Gold Remi for the 'Best Theatrical Feature Film' at the Houston's Worldfest 2011.
The film with actors from both the US and India, also stars two Satyajit Ray heroes, Soumitra Chatterjee and Barun Chanda.
"I'm delighted that 'Sugarbaby' won gold at such a prestigious festival," Trisha Ray, famed theatre personality Karuna Banerjee's grandniece, said.
'Sugarbaby' is based on a novel by Brian Stewart. The movie is about three girls, Maria (Iheny from Venezuela), Sally (Cristina from the US) and Tara (Jasmine, also from the US), who are street singers. One day they find an abandoned baby and their lives change forever.
"I am showing the girls as Anglo-Indians. I was supposed to shoot the film in New York, but then I thought why not Kolkata. I always wanted to do Bengali films and wrote a couple of scripts but couldn't find producers. When I told my producers that I wanted to shoot in Kolkata, they agreed.
"I wanted to show the city with the flavour of an international city, that's why the three protagonists are neither Indians nor foreigners," Ray said.
When asked if she chose to shoot in India to save money, Ray said, "Cost is not the only factor. Mexico too is a cheap destination. But there are chances of another kind of shooting happening simultaneously if you film there.
"Shooting in India is peaceful and stress-free. Besides, the India crew is at par with that of any international unit is also a crucial factor. With an Indian crew, you can be rest assured that you will get the job done within the stipulated time and budget," she added.
A huge Satyajit Ray fan, the filmmaker said that her greatest reward is to be appreciated by the audience. She wants her audience to watch and enjoy her work.
"For me, the greatest high is to witness the reaction of the audience in the theatres. Awards are good if only for approval but for me, the greatest high is to witness the reaction of the audience in the theatres," she said.
