Hi Folks,

Administering SAAFA for a few years now, have always had a fair share of folks wanting to collaborate or seek out assistance to make a film. In all this time, the honest truth be told, NOT ONE, project caught the attention of our trying to make a TRUE , "let's go to the mainstream, as opposed to ghettoise" ourself film. The last one made in that genre was American Desi, but that was before we were organized. Bend it and Monsoon of course did not need our assitance, since they had solid backing and rightly so.
All that changes with a movie releasing two days from now- Friday, May 4, 2007.
We were involved with Americanizing Shelley, from day one and the concept because of the following reasons:

(a) Namrata Singh Gujral - Other than being a lead producer and actor in the film, she along with Nagesh Kukunoor have the best attitude one can have this side of the Atlantic. In that both are not cry babies. I am sick of defensive and self pitying filmmakers saying sob stories ("I had no cash, the big boys are bad, etc, etc). My response- Dude you have gotten in this line and want to make a film, not because someone put a gun on your head, it is because, YOU WANT TO DO IT and ARE PASSIONATE, so get on with it...make the means. 99.99% of all reastaurant staff and 7/11 staff in Los Angeles are film aspirants... they don't cry...they get on with it!!!

(b) Aim Big- Americanizing Shelley(AS), is as much for Middle Mainstream America, as it for the South Asians. It does not just say so, it does so. Hence Country Western and Steve Azar goes hand in hand with Munnabhai MBBS, south asian Shaheeh Khan shares screen space with caucasian Will Wheaton (of Star Trek) and of course my favorite performance in the film by african american, Ronreaco Lee. Oh and least I forget, the director, Lorraine, of Sopranos, Dynasty, etc. Also the actors from 24.

(c) It comes from a studio system: (albeit a new one), but then Miramax, New Line, etc all started off as new...The studio being American Pride Films Group....again, "don't think small, think big....."

(d) It aims to please: By now you must have realized that I am all for entertaining films...does not mean funny films, Crash entertained, Traffic entertained, Black Friday entertained. ....but for heavens, a boring film is a boring film is a.....Call me flaky, call me a party monger, but I am apologetic about the need for ALL films to entertain. We are not in the business of home video, this is mass communications. The script, the songs, the setting of AS attempt all of that.

Now for the purists in this group (and I am not one)- It is going to Cannes in May 2007 (aka this month), it did phenominally well at the San Diego and Nashville film festival (again the key is it neither submitted, nor aspired for the Desi film festivals of the US ....and why should it?) It's a mainstream player with mainstream aspirations and a South Asian soul.....and who as a proud South Asian and a proud American, I see no folly in that...in fact more power to it for that.
Will it be a hit or a flop I don't know and I don't care.
What I do know is that it has taken a bold move forward and I am all for that. I call it the Deepak Chopra, the Shekhar Kapur, the Mohini Bhardwaj, the Bobby Jindal, the Sunita Williams of films, it is not running away, but towards the mainstream
Oh and just by the way - watch for the credits, you might just see the familiar name of YOUR's TRULY in it (more for operational help)






OPENS Friday, 04 MAY:

WASHINGTON DC METRO
AMC Dupont 5 1350 19th Street N.W, Washington D.C. 20036(202) 872 9556 Map It

AMC Shirlington 7 2772 South Randolph St, Arlington , VA 22206(703) 671 0978 Map It


LA/ OC METRO
AMC Block 30 20 City Boulevard West, Orange , CA 92868(714) 922 0075 Map It


SF/SAN JOSE METRO
Cinemark Century Berryessa 1171 North Capitol Avenue, San Jose , CA 95132(408) 926 7091 Map It


SAN DIEGO METRO
AMC Palm Promenade 24 770 Dennery Rd., San Diego CA 92154(619) 662 2698 Map It


NASHVILLE METRO
Carmike Thoroughbred 20 633 Frazier Drive, Franklin , TN 37067(615) 778 0775 Map It

(Theaters may be added or replaced in the coming weeks. Please refer to www.AmericanizingSh elleyTheMovie. com for up-to-date theatre info)

In the vein of “Bend It like Beckham,” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Americanizing Shelley” is a contemporary “Pygmalion”-like comedy, set in LA, featuring an American country boy and a Himalayan village belle, thrown together in this “Middle America” meets “ Middle East ” charmer. Responding to a challenge thrown by the CEO of a Hollywood management company (Bridges), “Americanizing Shelley” tells the story of a wanna-be Hollywood player from the South who sets out to Americanize an Indian girl straight from the Himalayas . As he creatively teaches her all about the American way of life and what it takes be a Hollywood celebrity, he ends up learning a thing or two about his own life. Their clash in cultures soon gives way to understanding, unity and love as they begin to see the world through each other’s eyes. Rated: PG; Runtime: 90 mins.


Sweet, soulful and full of heart… IRRESISTIBLE!
The Washington Times

Sunny, likable romantic comedy…
…Star-making performance by Namrata Singh Gujral
Michael Medved, Film Critic


Sweet-natured, often charming twist on the assimilation comedy
VARIETY



Bollywood comes to Hollywood via Americanizing Shelley
Entertainment Today


Official Website/Trailer | Showtimes and Tickets | You Tube | My Space

Don’t be sold out. Get your tickets to AMERICANIZING SHELLEY in advance!

NOTE: Tickets on Fandango may not be available until Wednesday afternoon.




Sincerely,

Vivek "I'm not about Cannes/Oscars/ Festivals/ give me Jackie and Akshay and Tom and Namrata any day, Burbank and Versova is my Cannes" Kumar