'One is not allowed to smoke on the sets of a Hollywood film even during a break.' 'When I asked an assistant to suggest some place where I could light a cigarette, he recommended the bad boys' corner -- where Jack Nicholson smoked.' 'However, I hesitated.' 'But when I was heading back to my chair after the shot, Jack Nicholson asked me if I wanted to join him for a smoke. We had a long conversation over cups of cappuccino.'
The festival's People's Choice Award, voted by the audience, is a strong indication of films that can eventually be nominated and even win Oscars. Twelve of the last 15 People's Choice winners have received Best Picture Oscar nominations.
The Telluride festival -- held a week before the much larger event in Toronto, heralds the beginning of the fall film season in North America, showing a small selection of films -- Hollywood and international -- a number of which end up creating the buzz for the Oscar season.
Aseem Chhabra celebrates 40 years of the prestigious Telluride Film Festival.
This year's festival was full of surprises.
Aseem Chhabra picks his favourite films from the recently concluded Telluride Film Festival.
India scored at the recently-concluded Telluride Film Festival, reports Aseem Chhabra.
All We Imagine as Light has been on several critics' best of the year lists, including Sight and Sound (Payal Kapadia appeared on the magazine's cover, perhaps a first for an Indian filmmaker), to The New York Times, Time and it is the number one film recommended by Barack Obama. The future certainly belongs to Payal Kapadia, asserts Aseem Chhabra.
His cinema of compassion inspired me, gave me tools to develop empathy for others. But it also made me understand that serious, socially committed cinema with deeply engaging narratives and great performances is an art form to admire, appreciate and explore. Aseem Chhabra remembers Shyam Benegal, who passed into the ages on Monday evening.
Their only surviving immediate family member, son Adiryan (14), was not in the vehicle with them.
How wonderful it would be for all of us to watch the Oscar ceremony on March 2, 2025 and watch AWIAL win an Oscar, notes Aseem Chhabra.
Aseem Chhabra's Top 10 Films/ Series from TIFF 2024 includes films that he watched for the first time in Toronto. The films were impressive due to their rigor, passion, unique storytelling style and sometimes exploring the vulnerable sides of big name stars.
Martin Scorsese, 'the reigning king of cinema', gets an honorary Golden Bear at the 74th Berlinale.
'When democracy first came to Bhutan people had no idea and they were like 'What is that?' Oh it's that thing they have in India where the leaders are always fighting and arguing.' When I screened the film to Bhutan's film committee, they thought my film was good but they were concerned about that line. They wanted me to change that line. They said, 'We don't want to offend India.' I tried to tell them that Indians have a great ability to laugh at themselves but they insisted I change it.'
Twice-fried plantains make a great base for any kind of topping, especially something with avocado in it.
Aseem Chhabra rates the movies he's watched in 2023, and tells you where you can watch them!
In Danny Boyle's biopic, reports Aseem Chhabra from the Telluride Film Festival, 'we are left with Jobs -- the man, a genius as well as (what Steve Wozniak calls him in the film), an asshole!'
There is a strong possibility that Danny Boyle and some of his other off-screen collaborators on 127 Hours may find themselves nominated again.
Families torn apart by love dominate Aseem Chhabra's ten favourite films from the Toronto film festival.
"No producer or director wants to cast me in love stories," says Irrfan Khan
Fans might want to revisit the book Midnight's Children instead of the film.
Aseem Chhabra recounts his encounter with the heartthrob at a Telluride Film Festival afterparty.
Aseem Chhabra picks his favourite movies from the Telluride Film Festival.
Slumdog is a hopeful look at today's India. It is a powerful reflection of a country that was tied up in shackles with flawed socialist visions. Everybody -- from the slum dwellers to the middle class young adults who work in call centers to the rich elite and even the gangsters -- wants a piece of the booming India, And nothing seems to be able to stop them.
Aseem Chhabra feels every Indian-American should support The Namesake.
Aseem Chhabra watched some great films and some huge disappointments in 2021.
Aseem Chhabra is heartbroken that India overlooked the acclaimed film, The Lunchbox, as its Oscar nominee.
Most critics have picked this film as a favourite that should be sent to the Oscar awards
Aseem Chhabra imagines a time, 20 years from now, when movie-watching in theatres will be long gone, thanks to the coronavirus, and pens a letter to his grandchild, explaining the magic of the cinema hall.
'He was a magnificent looking man -- perhaps the best looking international actor of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, even in the current century. And quite definitely the first actor from Asia to make it big in the West,' says Aseem Chhabra.
Intrapreneurs are more diverse in their skill sets and backgrounds, more digitally native, more networked and connected, and more ambitious to do bigger things. A fascinating excerpt from Simone Ahuja's Jugaad 3.0: Hacking The Corporation To Make It Fast, Fluid And Frugal.
'The city was never the same after the attack. It was scarred,' says Nicolas Saada whose movie Taj Mahal offers a unique view of the Mumbai attacks.
'In 2015 I watched films in so many places. I attended several film festivals around the world -- Berlin, Tribeca (New York), Telluride, Toronto, Zurich, Mumbai, Dharamsala and Goa,' says Aseem Chhabra, author of a forthcoming book on Shashi Kapoor.
Aseem Chhabra lists the top 10 films at the recent Toronto International Film Festival.
Director Ritesh Batra discusses his film, The Lunchbox, which releases this week.
Earnest words from Leonardo DiCaprio, and the big winners of Oscar night.
The tenth annual iPhone Photography Awards received thousands of entries -- all submitted by amateur photographers from more than 140 countries around the world.
'John Lasseter gave me such good advice. He said the reason why he wanted me to tell the story was because it was about my dad and me. He said if it is a father and son story, it will relate universally.' Star Pixar animator Sanjay Patel tells Aseem Chhabra/Rediff.com the back story behind his new film, Sanjay's Super Team, which features Hanuman, Vishnu and Durga as superheroes.
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