First Shot

In 2004,Delhi-based journalist Anusha Rizvi,now 33,who covered the cinema and theatre beat for NDTV,came up with an idea for a film.

Peepli Live,a movie directed by first-timer Anusha Rizvi,has made it to the Sundance Festival

In 2004,Delhi-based journalist Anusha Rizvi,now 33,who covered the cinema and theatre beat for NDTV,came up with an idea for a film. A friend gave her actor Aamir Khans e-mail address and with no expectations,Rizvi mailed him a synopsis of her idea. Much to her disbelief (and everyone around her),Khan responded,expressing interest in producing her film and asked her to write a full script.

Five years later,Peepli LiveRizvis directorial debutabout farmers suicides in India will be screened at the prestigious Sundance Festival in Salt Lake City,USA,a terrific platform for independent filmmakers. On his blog,Khan acknowledged Rizvi: I am so happy and proud of Anusha. If I am not mistaken,Peepli Live is the first Indian film to make it to the competition.

Rizvi says her film is more about the divide between rural and urban India than farmers suicides. She has used dastangos (Urdu storytellers who perform on stage) and actors from village theatre as actors. Many are tribals drawn from Naya Theatre and couldnt even read their dialogues. So Id read it aloud to them and theyd memorise the lines, she says. Rizvi conducted over 900 auditions among theater groups in Lucknow,Rajasthan,Chattisgarh and Bhopal. Shooting was completed in March this year and the movie is currently in post production.

About an India release,Rizvi says its for the producer (Khan) to decide. Aamir visited us just once on the sets. He gave us full freedom, says Rizvi. Peepli Live was shot in Barwai,a village 60 km from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

So far,Rizvi has no plans to shift base from Delhi to Mumbai,to pursue a career in film direction. Ill pick up the camera again only when I have a great story, she smiles.

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