Monday, October 3, 2011

DESTINY’S WEB: MAKING MY INTERNATIONAL DEBUT IN THE AUSTRALIAN FILM INDUSTRY AS A SCRIPTWRITER

The seed of cinema was ingrained in me from my early years of childhood, even before I remembered. Cinema was the medium for my Indonesian mother to learn Hindi... as in those days one didn’t had Spoken Hindi classes. She used to watch each Hindi movie more than a dozen times to understand the dialogue and learn the sentences... at times even it used to cross 30 or 35 times!

Initially, all the Indian neighbours (women & children) used to make fun of her very funny Hindi, sentences which never had any grammar elements or spoken upside down... she laughed at herself and tried her best to understand where she was wrong... from being on her lap watching movies day after day, I had never even thought in my wildest dream that I would enter this creative medium... Yes, my mother perfected her Hindi to such an extent after many years that she used to correct her Indian friends, much to my delight and surprise to them.

First of all, I would like to thank my destiny, then Facebook and then the amazing friend from Australia Lan Christine Parks... who I met on FB... we interacted and used to keep in touch. And one fine day, I just asked her if she is looking for scripts... she said ‘yes’ and I mailed her my script... that is how DESTINY’S WEB was weaved and reached Australia from a small town city Wardha in India. After few initial months, Lan informed me that many Australian filmmakers were interested in the script and one day, I received her mail. She said – “Johnny D, we are going to make a film for you!” SPEECHLESS!

Ecstatically I thanked Sai Baba for giving me such wonderful news! The first script that I wrote with Nandita Das and Aamir Khan as lead was liked by the amazing talented actress and she said – “It takes a lot in making a film but if this script is made into a film, I will do it!” I have been developing scripts and writing lyrics since a very long time... as a film journalist, I have interacted with all the bigwigs and I must confess the trust was broken by Ram Gopal Varma and Amitabh Bachchan... Two of the Bachchan starrer movies made by Ram Gopal Varma was based on my scripts, which I had given to Ramu and gifted the same script to Mr. Bachchan on his 61st Birthday. The first movie was SARKAR and the second movie was NISHABDH, whose script was developed along with American actress Sita Thompson, a friend.

I still remember Ramu’s words when I handed him near about 5 to 6 scripts (I was not a member of the Film Writers’ Association then) when I went to interview him before the release of BHOOT... Ramu said, “What if I make movies and don’t give credit to you?” I said, “I will think even Ramu is like others. And I will develop some more.” He smiled and said, “I am just joking.” I told him that I was serious. So when I saw those movies on celluloid, I felt proud that my scripts were good to be made into films with Mr. Bachchan as the lead. I was not at all sad because I know the industry well... many-many scriptwriters have never got the chance to make it because their scripts get stolen and there is no one really to help them or compensate them. However, I have always believed destiny will lead its own course.

I became a member of Film Writers’ Association, Mumbai and since then have been registering my scripts and lyrics...


DESTINY’S WEB is being produced by the beautiful angelic friend Lan Christine Parks and is being directed by talented Jack Webb. Lan is doing all she can to help support my one-man-crusade in Vidarbha. And she said to me, “Johnny I will support in what you are doing in your country.” I really don’t have appropriate words as to how destiny connects all of us... sitting in Wardha and working in remote villages I am making my international debut in Australian Film Industry... all the while when I was in Bombay from 1999 to 2010... I got duped... isn’t destiny a wonderful thing!!! How dramatic can life be! All this happened when I have given up everything to dedicate my life to serve the poor farmers in Vidarbha.

DESTINY’S WEB will start shooting from November 2011 in Australia. It is going to be a short film and Lan Christine Parks is trying to have collaboration with Hollywood Studios to make it into a full length feature film by 2012 or 2013 in Hollywood! We are all keeping our fingers crossed!!! I am truly grateful to the wonderful angel Lan Christine Parks from Australia!!!

One of the reasons I am writing about my international debut here in my blog is because none of my media friends have shown any interest to write about breaking news in mainstream media after I approached them! Anyways, it hardly matters to me now as we all are set for the movie to start shooting. Following are the cast and crew of the film:

DESTINY’S WEB
 
**Starring: Andrew Nathan
                     Sonia Carroll
                     Remi Broadway  
                     Lan Christine Parks
                     Darrell Plumridge
                     Linda Groundwater
                     Jamie Joseph
                     Thierry F.....
                     Gene Banyard
                     Beau Eastman

*Introducing: Chelsea B. and Kayla Fritz

Producer: Lan Christine Parks
Production House: Red Shoe Creations
Director:  Jack Webb
Script:      Johnny D
Screenplay: Angela McKay, Carolyn Wagner and Lan Christine Parks
Audio / Sound / Folley: Craig Rickard 

http://www.bollywoodtrade.com/miscellaneous/destinys-web-indian-writer-making-international-debut-in-australian-film-industry/index.htm

6 comments:

  1. You deserve the kudos my boy! Don’t forget to thank your mother for her lap from where it all started. Keep up the good work my boy. I am really very proud of you!! May Sai Baba bless and keep you always!

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  2. Acchaka Sir... for all your kind support and encouragement... Sai Baba has indeed blessed my destiny as every single day HE unfolds something new and something better... Sai Baba bless you always and forever!!!

    Cuidate :)

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