Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 455

A Day in the life of Mumbai

7/10/2014

A month ago, a charming young boy Anil Sadrangani met me and convinced me to be a part of a film to be screened for the Manhattan Short Film Festival, an annual event organized by Vivanta Taj.

A day in the life of Mumbai shot through an experimental camera proved a delightful experience because I met four enterprising young boys, all experts in their fields.

First, Raconteur Dheeraj, who helped me, rediscovers the heritage of South Mumbai. Then Anil Sadrangani, journalist and marketing expert who is now the co-ordinator for Vivanta Group. Third, my director Stalin Massey, who began his career as a clapper boy in Sohail Khan Production’s De Taali became chief assistant director for Vivek Oberoi’s Prince, then chief assistant director in Anuragh Kashyap produced Shaitan and finally associate director with Pritish Nandy Communications’ Shaadi ke Side Effects.

Cinematographer Syed Tanveer Riyaz joined the film industry in 1999 as an apprentice cameraman with Vikas Shivraman in Sarfarosh. Tanveer worked on commercials such as Pepsi, Nakshatra diamond jewellery and numerous car brands. He has worked with best of ad world directors like Prahlad Kakkar, Subhir Chatterjee, Robert J, Ram Madhvani, Kailash Surendranath and others and also with mainstream movies like Bhoothnath, Ashiqui 2 and super hit Ek Villain.

Tanveer wrote and directed his first film Hum sab Ek Hain in 2001.

Thank you Dheeraj, Anil, Stalin, Tanveer for the terrific experience and wish you all the best for future.

Bhawana Somaaya/ Tweets @bhawanasomaaya