With the Progressive Writers Group (PWG) making a clean sweep in elections for the executive committee seats of the Film Writers Association (FWA) here, the organisation has acquired a sharper profile.

The PWG, which bagged 22 out of the 23 seats in the recently concluded election to the executive committee, has been helming the larger body since 2008.

The PWG, led by established filmmakers such as Kamlesh Pandey, Anjum Rajbali, Jalees Sherwani, Robin Bhatt, Rajesh Dubey, Vinod Ranganath, is working pro-actively to effect a sea change in screenwriters' status.

As the country's largest body of screenwriters, the FWA has been actively pursuing the welfare of its more than 17,000 strong pan-Indian membership, active in Hindi, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Konkani, Rajasthani and Punjabi streams of cinema.

Barring a few "A-listers", all screenwriters find themselves at the mercy of producers during negotiations, forced to accept unfair terms and conditions, an official from FWA told IANS from Mumbai.

The entry of corporate houses and foreign studios raised hopes that talent would be at a premium, but the contracts continue to remain just as unfair and one sided, drafted with more legalese.

Two years of hectic lobbying and campaigning by the FWA, including noted writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar, finally resulted in the amendment of the Copyright Act in 2012, protecting the rights of screenwriters.

The clause on which the fight between the FWA and producers peaked was the one that guarantees payment of royalty to all screenwriters from the exploitation of their work outside of a cinema hall.

Expectedly, this success had studios, broadcasters and music companies up in arms. Petitions were filed in court challenging the amendment.

Taking a more proactive approach, the FWA intervened in these cases to support the government and defend the amendments.

The FWA has also sought the implementation of a standard contract (the Minimum Basic Contract), which will safeguard writers’ rights, while also protecting the producers’ interests and regulating writer-producer ties.

The clauses include production budget-wise minimum fees, credit protection, no arbitrary sacking and agreement to pay royalties. This is currently being negotiated with producers’ bodies.

Screenwriting comprises story, screenplay and dialogues, which follows an extremely calibrated process, unlike writing novels, short stories, columns or reports for the media.

For instance a page of a movie script corresponds roughly to a single minute on the screen. So a script running into 120 pages would make for 120 minutes of running time.

Since 2011, FWA has been active on global platforms like the World Conference of Screenwriters where it regularly presents papers, ensuring that Indian screenwriting is taken seriously. Likewise, FWA is now a full-fledged member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds.

"While India has enormous storytelling talent, the craft of professionally competent screenplay writing still remains largely elusive for many newcomers," said Kamlesh Pandey, the FWA general secretary.

Pandey has delivered a string of hits through powerful scripts for "Tezaab", "Dil", "Beta", "Chaalbaaz", "Saudagar", "Khalnayak", "Rang De Basanti" and serials like "Kuch Toh Log Kehenge".

To help out such raw talent, FWA has been regularly organizing workshops, national seminars and writers’ conferences, and collaborating with fellowships and script labs.

Earlier, Indian screenwriting would be dismissed as just a song-and-dance routine internationally.

On the domestic front, FWA has initiated and formed the National Solidarity Front for Screenwriters, an all-India alliance of writers’ unions, which aims to fight for writers’ rights at the national level.

"The screenwriting community meets every two years to debate issues important to us," said Pandey.

At the third Indian Screenwriters Conference last year, the Nirbhaya gang-rape and its impact on society came up for deliberation.

Designer Ritu Kumar has come up with her autumn winter line that draws its inspiration from traditional prints of Rajasthan and Kutch. The target audience is contemporary women.

Ranging from kurtis, skirts, suits and short jackets, the collection comprises of varied styles for both day and evening wear, said a statement.

The collection is available in colours such as emeralds, ecru, oranges, deep reds and peppy yellows on fabrics that vary from jersey, crepe, cotton georgette, and cotton voiles.

One of the high-points of the collection is subtle detailing on impeccably designed traditional wear.

The price starts from Rs.5,000 onwards.

Actor Kunal Kemmu, who got inked with a Shiva tattoo on his leg, has received flak for the inking. But he defends himself saying that this is his way to express devotion and not to "disrespect god".

He took to Twitter to defend his decision of getting the religious tattoo. Kunal, who shared a photograph of the inking on his official page on the micro-blogging platform Monday, has even removed the snapshot.

"For some of you who have taken offence to my tattoo, I endured 7 hours of pain to make it a part of my body. Only after a lot of thought and artistic and personal consideration, I chose to do it where I have," Kunal tweeted.

"I would never disrespect the god that I love so much so as to make him a part of me for the rest of my life. My heart and conscience are clean," he added.

The actor, who recently got engaged to his long-time lady love Soha Ali Khan, wrote that "the only reason I'm even writing this is because I won't let anyone take that away from me by saying hurtful things and misconstruing my silence".

"I treat my gods with love and respect like I do (with) my body, and how I choose to express my devotion, does not need anybody's approval. If my sharing it with you has offended you then, I apologise and I have taken it off from the social platform," he said.

Young and vivacious Alia Bhatt prefers to consult Karan Johar, the director of her debut film "Student Of The Year", rather than her father and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, when she needs advice.

On a recent appearance on Zee Cafe's "Look Who’s Talking with Niranjan" with Niranjan Iyengar, the 21-year-old confessed that she shares her concerns about career, life and love with KJo, said a source.

"I prefer calling Karan (Johar) over my father for advice on my films. I even go to him for concerns related to relationships as my father thinks no man will ever be good enough for me," Alia said on the show.

She also spoke about her fear of plants, as well as about her reported link-ups with Arjun Kapoor and Varun Dhawan.

To that, she said: “Two good looking people are bound to get attracted to each other, who knows I may or may not have taken it forward.”

The episode of "Look Who's Talking with Niranjan" featuring the "Highway" actress will air Aug 31.

British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who gave the mahurat shot of Onir's Hamlet adaptation "Veda" here, announced that Indian company Vistaar will invest 13 million pounds in his home country over the next one year, including a new post-production facility in Manchester.

The new facility will be used as a hub for the editing of Indian films shot in Britain, creating jobs and attracting further investment from Bollywood.

Vistaar’s 13 million pound investment also includes approximately 3.9 million pounds for the British filming of "Veda" and 7.2 million pounds in the new production "Guru Dutt", which will be partly made in Britain.

"I wish Vistaar every success in their UK venture," Clegg, who launched the filming of "Veda" here Tuesday, said in a statement.

Vistaar’s managing director Sheetal Talwar said that they feel that the "current government has provided an ecosystem that has made investing and filming in the UK highly efficient and investor friendly".

“We are working with entertainment specialist chartered accountants Nyman Libson Paul and Goldfinch to explore and invest in further projects in the UK.

"We feel that our British investments shall give us an opportunity to grow in the business and help us achieve market leadership in our sector of socially responsible cinema,” added Talwar.

Vistaar has produced films like "Mausam", Rann" and "Rakht Charitra".

Away from the hustle bustle of Mumbai, Arjun Rampal is soaking in the joy of peace and tranquility in Langkawi, where he will be shooting for his new film "Roy".

"In beautiful Langkavi, Malaysia. Paradise found. Time to energise, absorb nature.#tranquilty #Roy #nature #love #peace," Arjun posted on his Twitter page Wednesday.

"Roy" is being directed by debutant Vikramjit Singh.

Following the critical and commercial success of "OMG: Oh My God!", there have been talks about a sequel to the movie. But actor Paresh Rawal wishes to be guarded about any details as of now.

"We have been working on it (the sequel), but I can't reveal much," Paresh said here.

The 2012 movie "OMG - Oh My God" was loved by Bollywood audiences for its satirical take on people's blind belief in god.

"It was a very relatable film. The best part is that many people - from eight years old to 30 years old - have loved the film, and that's a big victory for us," he said of the movie, which even won a National award.

Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh is happy making music. After giving a shot to acting with Himesh Reshammiya-starrer "The Xpose", he is not ready to face the camera for a film ever again.

At the launch of his new album "Desi Kalakaar" here, Honey was asked if he had any plans to act in films.

"Acting in films? Not at all. I cannot do it, that is very tough. I tried, but that's not my cup of tea. I will stick to making music only," he said.

Honey Singh was seen in a negative role in "The Xpose", which bombed at the box office.

Actress Bipasha Basu, who is gearing up for the release for her film "Creature 3D", hopes the film paves the way for more such creature-based thrillers in Bollywood.

She feels new themes such as the one in "Creature 3D", add freshness to the Hindi film industry.

"I enjoyed working in this film. It was an exciting experience for me. I hope that this film turns path-breaking because then lot more creature based films can be made and those will be entertaining for the audiences," Bipasha said here in an interview.

"We keep on making similar masala films, slapsticks...but I want that audiences get some newer way of getting entertained," added the actress, who recently decided to step away from promoting her own film "Humshakals".

"Creature 3D", directed by Vikram Bhatt, has drawn its share of curiosity because of the scary look of the creature in it. The creature is said to be inspired from Indian mythology.

Also featuring Pakistani actor Imran Abbas, the movie will hit the theatres Sep 12.

Life insurance company Max Life Insurance, in association with Universal Music Group, Wednesday announced the launch of i-genius Young Singing Stars that aims to recognise, reward and nurture young singing talent in India.

The i-genius programme was launched in 2010, and the i-genius Young Authors Hunt was added last year. It culminated in a book of stories of top 50 young authors. And now, i-genius Young Singing Stars has been launched.

Popular musicians Salim Merchant and Shraddha Sharma have been roped in as the brand ambassadors and jury for the programme.

“Our dearest artist friends Salim and Shraddha are working with us at nurturing and mentoring some of the finest future talent that will be the eventual yield of the i-Genius Young Singing Stars programme,” Devraj Sanyal, managing director, Universal Music Group, said in a statement.

The participation for the talent hunt is open to all children from 8 to 15 years of age in two categories: i-genius Junior - 8 - 11 years and i-genius Senior - 12-15 years.

After digital auditions, 20 selected kids will receive mentoring from the brand ambassadors.

Then the children will perform at a grand finale event where one winner will be selected from each group and will win an album recording contract with Universal Music Group. As many as four finalists from each group will win a contract for a single song.

The i-genius Scholarship also culminated Wednesday with the 1,000 winners being rewarded at the i-genius Scholarship grand finale at an event here. It aims to recognise and reward children who excel in academics and extracurricular activities.

Scholarships around Rs.50 Lakh were announced. A total of 100 Scholarships and 900 merit certificates were given away in two categories - i-genius Juniors (Classes 3 to 5) and i-genius Seniors (Classes 6 to 8).

In times when crass lyrics and innuendos are ruling the roost in Bollywood's music scene, Salim Merchant, who has composed numerous songs for films like "Fashion" and "Dor" with his brother Sulaiman, says he never wants to compose a number which he won't be able to explain to his little girl.

The father of a nine-year-old girl doesn’t want to compose a song that involves usage of words meant for adults only.

“I don’t make songs like ‘Shake your bootiya’. I have a little daughter and if she asks me what is the meaning of the word...I am very careful of what I make,” Salim told IANS.

He is keen on working on a kids film.

“We are not working on a kids film at the moment. But if it comes along, why not? We had done ‘Iqbal’, which was about a kid who joins the Indian cricket team,” he said.

The brand ambassador of i-genius Young Singing Stars, Salim likes to see young talent grow.

“It’s always enduring to see young talent. It brings a smile on face. They are the future of our country. You need to encourage younger talent. That’s the only way to make society a better place,” said Salim.

He will be soon going on a US tour with his brother and will provide an opportunity to budding singers too.

“We have lot of fans in Canada and US. The concerts are are happening in November. We will be opening out stage to young talent. We will look out for new talent and give opportunity to people if they have talent. We will give them a chance to sing a song with us,” he said.

Kay Kay Menon's work in films like "Life...In A Metro" and "Black Friday" has been widely lauded, but the actor doesn't believe in awards. He says award events are now merely TV programmes, which are about business.

"I had realized soon in my career that rewards are more important than awards, so you don't need awards. Whether you get an award or not doesn't matter," Kay Kay said here.

"I have no attachment towards award functions and I don't go there. Award events are now just TV programmes. I respect civilian awards a lot - like Padma Shri, which doesn't have any sponsorship. At least that is good. Rest everything is a business," he added.

The media shy actor, who will be seen in "Raja Natwarlal" releasing Friday, likes to have a life away from the glitz and glamour of Bollywood. And so, he says he's not clued in to the new breed of actors in tinsel town.

"I live a different life. My life doesn't begin and end with film industry. The film industry is a small part of my life. I do other things as well. I am not interested in what's happening there (in the industry).

"I concentrate on my work and if I'm not working, then I am into sports. I only try to do good work. If you ask me about the analysis of new actors, I won't even know who is coming and who is going," he added.

He will also be seen in "Bombay Velvet" and "Haider".

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) should be revamped as the institution doesn't have the freedom to take "independent decisions" and the film industry too doesn't have faith in it, says its chairperson Leela Samson.

The CBFC is a statutory body under the ministry of information and broadcasting to regulate public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

"They created the CBFC to take independent decisions and then they don't allow you to do your job. And the film industry doesn't want you anyway," she said in an interview following the arrest of CBFC CEO Rakesh Kumar on bribery charges.

Excerpts:

Q. Matters pertaining to the CBFC have snowballed into a state of furious indignation?

A. Indignation...from which quarters?

Q. To begin with, the producers who are coming forward to accuse Rakesh Kumar of accepting bribes?

A. They were very happy with him until now. I'm sorry to say these producers are hypocrites. They seem to have opened up their repertoire of grievances when things are in an actual mess. In the last three months, when matters had gotten so messy, no one raised even a 'choo'. Not one producer called to complain before this (allegations of bribery against Rakesh Kumar). Now Mukesh Bhatt and all the other producers are calling every single day.

Q. How do you explain that?

A. Until now, the film industry seemed very happy with the system. They were able to deal with the system quite well. They were happy with it before Pankaja Thakur's tenure as the CBFC's CEO and they were happy with it until now. The truth is, the producers don't want to go through a proper procedure of censorship.

Q. I feel somewhat sorry for Rakesh Kumar?

A. Yes, in some ways he is just a pawn. He was appointed by supposedly sensible people. I think the Information and Broadcasting (I & B) Ministry and film industry should take some responsibility for what has happened. They zeroed in on a man who was totally inappropriate for the job. This man was set up for the game that film producers wanted him to play.

The producers on their part recognised in him just the guy they needed to get their job done by breaking rules. This was just before the Lok Sabha elections when my tenure and the censor board's tenure were over. We were just hanging in there unsure of our positions. So, Rakesh Kumar never reported to me about anything.

Q. What are you saying?

A. I am serious. He was perhaps asked not to report to me. He was perhaps told that I was redundant in some ways. I complained about this several times to the I & B Ministry. But they seemed comfortable with his attitude. Since the ministry seemed happy with the situation and since the censor board and I had been treated very shoddily, we were keen to just get out. You must understand we were not political people.

We are people who really care about sorting out the mess. And we had no axe to grind. And we aren't in the censor board for the payment. We often pay for our own work-related air travel. It's so unfortunate that no one had the courtesy to even acknowledge what we were trying to do, let alone say 'thank you'.

Q. What a thankless job!

A. It is! I think the censor board was created just so it could be this punching bag so that the heat could be taken off the I & B Ministry. They should close down CBFC and revamp it. They created the CBFC to take independent decisions and then they don't allow you to do your job. And the film industry doesn't want you anyway. Producers hate you. They submit their films on a Tuesday and want it certified by Thursday. That's absurd. We are all understaffed.

We are all working 18 hours a day across the country. I've to say in favour of the new I & B minister Prakash Javadekar that he immediately re-appointed the advisory panels. But the backlog is tremendous. Some panel members had been supporting him. Now that he has been caught, we are an organisation with no point of authority. That's when the I & B Ministry decided to acknowledge my presence again.

Q. How do you plan to clear the mess?

A. I am at the moment clueless. What can I do? I'd like to do something good. If I can't do, I'm ready to go.

Q. The entire film industry is suddenly shouting about transparency in the censoring process?

A. Unfortunately, they say they want it, but don't mean it. The big producers bulldoze their way into getting priority for certification breaking the queue at the cost of the smaller producers.

Q. Producers complain that their films get stuck?

A. We're only asking them to submit their movies two weeks in advance, and not two days before (release). Nowadays, we have an added problem of certifying one film in multiple languages. We're barely done certifying a film in English when the Tamil and Telugu versions also show up for certification.

Q. You said the CBFC should be scrapped?

A. This man has been questioned. But what if he had not? The situation would have gone on. How sad that would have been for the CBFC! How defunct an organisation would we have seemed.

Q. How much do you blame film producers for what happened?

A. I blame them completely. Why do they come for censoring through agents? Get into a queue to get your films censored. This is a democratic nation. There are democratic rules to be followed. Please have your films ready at least two weeks before release. Please don't book your theatres under the presumption that your film would be certified in a day or two.

Actor Adil Hussain, popular for his role in "Ishqiya" and "English Vinglish", will make his Tamil debut with upcoming actioner "Yatchan". He describes his role as an "interesting challenge".

Vishnuvardhan is directing “Yatchan”.

"I got a call from a casting director that someone was looking for me in Chennai. Few days later I got a call from the director. He told me the story and I loved the role. It's versatile, layered and has a lot of grey shades," Adil told IANS.

"I can't talk much about the role. But what I really liked about the role is the amazing variety of shades in my character, something that I don't get to play in a lot of films in Bollywood. The story is amazingly complex yet gripping," he said.

Adil is familiar with the Tamil language, but now he feels "motivated" to learn it.

"I have spoken a few Tamil words in my films so far. I'm closely associated with Pondicherry since 1996 and I have a lot of friends there. I'm very used to the language and now I have found the motivation to learn it because I'm working in the industry.

"I've never worked so hard for any of my films. But I'm enjoying this interesting challenge of picking up a language," he added.

The film also features Arya, Kreshna, Deep Sannidhi, Swati Reddy and Kishore.

Aamir Khan has praised Rani Mukerji's latest release "Mardaani", but says that the film has violence and children shouldn't be exposed to such things.

The censor board awarded a A-certificate to "Mardaani", which focuses on child trafficking. But Rani is trying to re-certify the film so that children above 12 years of age can view it.

When asked about the same, Aamir said: "There are some words in the film that I would not want my children to see. I also feel that very small children should not see this kind of violence. I don't want an eight-year-old child to see that. That's what I think."

"I know Rani may have a different opinion. She is a close friend of mine and I respect her, but I feel the film does have a certain amount of violence," he said.

Aamir feels that "we have become insensitive towards our children that we show them almost anything."

"Sometimes absurd things are shown in U and U/A (certified) films... I think we have to be much more careful with the kind of violence we are exposing our children to. I have a certain responsibility towards what I am showing to my children. I have to fulfil my responsibility," said the father of three.

The censor board has also restrained the makers from using the word "virginity" in the film, and Aamir said that he cannot comment on the issue without checking the guidelines.

"There are certain words that I don't like my children to hear, which is why I would be sensitive to other people's children as well. In case I want to use such words, I will make sure that it's properly advertised as an adult film," said Aamir who made "Delhi Belly" and promoted it as an adult comedy.

"There should be freedom of speech, and we are old enough to decide whether we want to see or not... we don't need to censor it from them (adults)."

Film: "Identity Card"; Cast: Tia Bajpai, Prashaant Kumar, Furqan Merchant, Vipin Sharma, Brijendra Kala, Saurabh Shukla, Shoib Kazmi and Raghuvir Yadav; Director: Rahat Kazmi; Rating: ****

Kashmir, without the William Shakespeare 'tadka' that Vishal Bhardwaj is about to unleash on on the unsuspecting audience - that's the world inhabited by debutant director Rahat Kazmi's small-big film about three innocent civilians who get picked up by the Special Task Force in Srinagar.

What follows is a nightmare of Shakespearean proportions...oops, there we go! There's no getting away from Shakespeare in the Valley of the Dal, is there?

Rahat Kazmi creates almost unbearable tension within the confines of the space where the three victims - a wannabe TV journalist (Tia Bajpai), her Kashmiri Hindu friend Ajay (Furqan Merchant) and a hapless local tourist Guide Raju (Shoib Kazmi, don't miss the tribute to Vijay Anand) are huddled in a hectic ritual of farcical interrogation.

The narrative is enormously stagy. Words qualify the drama. The written line is never crossed. What keeps our interest level from flagging is the cornucopia of credible characters created by actors who know what they are doing and saying. The Special Task Force is well, forceful enough to make them look human and almost vulnerable in their desperation to get confessions out of suspects who may or may not have anything to suspect.

These cops are on a mind-blowing rampage - savage in their ambitions to film up their senior's complaint books but reluctant to carry the victimization too far. Saurabh Shukla (with his impeccable Kashmiri accent) and Brijendra Kala as squabbling cops are uniformly excellent. Actors such as these two bring to the table a bracing urgency to what could easily become a wordy duel of rhetorics and sermons.

There's a sequence outside a mosque where Kala and Shukla explain to one another and to themselves why they find it hard to keep their spirit alive as the Valley burns. There is sheer genius at work between these two actors. Such moments allow us to forget to film's glaring weaknesses such an abysmal background score, uneven camera work and abrupt editing which sometimes leaves the narrative gasping for breath.

But then, there is so much warmth and genuine concern for the loss of humanism in Kashmir that this film leaves us with.

Vipin Sharma as the senior-most police officer gets into his character with the ease of a pro. His character is the most problematic, as its graph goes from disgustingly authoritarian to something bordering on the empathetic. But the surprise is Prashanth Guptha.

As the junior-most and therefore deliberately the biggest bully among the khaki interrogators, Guptha's restless body language, his loud whispers on the phone with his newly-wed wife who wants to go on a honeymoon, are unnervingly satirical in a film that slaps us with the grim reality of Kashmir's declining faith in governance.

"Think funerals, not honeymoon," Prashanth Guptha's senior reminds him.

In a film swathed in the aura of a doom there are flashes of tremendous humour and warmth. A brave bold thought provoking sensitive thriller. Strongly recommended.

After globe-trotting at various film festivals, independent filmmaker Anup Singh's acclaimed Punjabi film "Qissa" is set for a theatrical release in the country Sep 26 courtesy PVR Director's Rare.

"#PVRDirectorsRare & @NFDCIndia to release @QissaTheFilm in India on Sep 26. @Irrfan_k @TillotamaShome @Tiscatime @_PVRCinemas @PicturesPVR," Shiladitya Bora, head of PVR Director’s Rare, posted on Twitter.

The movie stars Irrfan Khan, Tillotama Shome, Rasika Duggal and Tisca Chopra in pivotal roles. It is a complicated tale of a girl raised as a boy.

"Qissa", backed by the National Film Development Corporation, has been screened at various movie galas including Toronto International Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival, Abu Dhabi International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam and Curacao International Film Festival.

In July itself, Irrfan and Tillotama, who play father and daughter in the movie, were named the best actors at the International Film Festival of Queensland (IFFQ) in Australia. Geneva-based Singh also won the best director award for the movie.

Set in post-partition era, the film focusses on the life of a Sikh named Umber Singh and his family. It talks of the family's displacement from the Pakistan region to the Indian side of the border, and Umber's obsessive desire for a male heir.

After having three daughters, Umber decides to raise the fourth child as a boy irrespective of the fact that they had another baby girl.

"Badlapur", a 'twisted entertainer' starring Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Huma Qureshi, is slated to hit the screens Feb 22, 2015.

Eros International is co-producing the movie with Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films after associating with the banner on films like "Love Aaj Kal", "Agent Vinod", "Cocktail" and "Go Goa Gone".

Also starring Yami Gautam and Vinay Pathak, the film is directed by Sriram Raghavan, known for helming thrillers such as "Ek Hasina Thi" and "Johnny Gaddaar".

The plot of the film is intense and intriguing and promises to be high on entertainment in Raghavan’s inimitable style, Sunil Lulla, managing director, Eros International Media Ltd, said in a statement.

"We are confident that the film will connect with audiences with its gritty screenplay and brilliant performances,” Lulla added.

Talking about the film, Vijan said: "'Badlapur' depicts the age-old conflict of good versus evil but Raghavan takes that concept further and twists it beyond recognition."

"He is one of the purest filmmakers I know and also the craziest. 'Badlapur' is unadulterated Raghavan. He has found the perfect accomplice to depict this madness in Varun Dhawan in a never before seen role."

After winning over hearts with his loverboy and comedy routines, Varun will foray into action with "Badlapur", the sound track and background score of which is composed by the talented duo Sachin-Jigar.

Tribal Khasi philanthropist Honsen Lyngdoh, who was closely associated with Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning film 'Gandhi', said the late British director had plans to make a documentary on Meghalaya's matrilineal system.

The filmmaker died in London Sunday at the age of 90.

"Attenborough wanted to make a documentary film on our rich culture . He was very keen to visit our hills to get first-hand knowledge about the Khasi culture," Lyngdoh, 80, told IANS.

"However, he (Attenborough) couldn't fulfill his wish or ever set foot in Shillong. I hope his son Michael Attenborough would visit Shillong and accomplish the dream of my good friend Richard Attenborough," he added.

The Khasi businessman, who is known for constructing roads in remote villages in the eastern part of Meghalaya, said he would also write to Michael about his father's plan to visit Shillong.

Meghalaya, bordering Bangladesh, is a predominantly Christian state of nearly three million people. The Khasis, the largest tribe in the state, account for about one million. The Jaintias and the Khasis put together add up to about one and a half million.

Unlike in other parts of India where the bride traditionally moves into the groom's home, the Khasi tribe operates according to an age-old matrilineal system under which the man shifts to the wife's residence. Under Khasi customs, dating more than 1,000 years, children carry their mother's family name and women have the main say in the running of the household.

Lyngdoh came into contact with Attenborough when the latter used his 1904 Model-T Ford in his 1982 movie "Gandhi". The scene for which the car was used was in a procession by Gandhi in front of a factory in South Africa. The red beauty ventures out only once a year, during Christmas, and alcohol has to be poured into the radiator to get it started.

During the shooting of the movie, Lyngdoh also taught an Australian who was playing the role of a driver how to paddle the vintage car as it did not have a gear shift.

"If I recall correctly, my car was used only for less than a minute and he (Richard) paid me Rs.150,000 for using the vehicle, which I purchased from the first British surveyor Mr. Creed for Rs. 250," he said.

Recalling his month-long association with Attenborough in the national capital during the shooting of the film, the octogenarian said: "He always told me that to be a good human being, one should learn how to be a perfectionist and not to be angry with co-workers about any task.

"In fact, during the shooting of 'Gandhi', there were two persons on the set making critical comments to attain perfection and that is how the movie won the hearts of many people across the world and Attenborough was rewarded with an Oscar." The film garnered eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

After "Mardaani", director Pradeep Sarkar is toying with the idea of making a movie inspired by some of his real life experiences. He says it's half-written as of now.

Asked if he would want to make a film based on his real life experiences, he said: "Yes, there is one which has been in my mind for a while. It is half written. It's very complicated. I would like to make it, but it's too early to talk about it."

Before "Mardaani", Sarkar made films like "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag" and "Lafangey Parindey", which didn't perform at the box office as expected.

"My condition was very bad after that. I didn't know what to do. I used to be so sad and upset with the whole thing, but I am thankful to the media who didn't criticize much about it. I used to feel extremely bad and low.

"But, now I am feeling better with 'Mardaani'. However, now I get too scared to be too happy and just hope this happiness stays for a long time," he said.

"Mardaani" features Rani Mukerji in the role of a police officer on a mission against child trafficking.