CineVue: This film struck a stark contrast with your previous works. Would you talk about this particular project that you partner with all the professional actors and actresses? What made you decide to shift to a style that is more geared towards the industry standard?
Khyentse Norbu: I guess I was driven by my desire for challenges. I’ve always wanted to go a little bit further everytime I make films. There are things I wanted to do in my previous works, but I couldn’t do. Because my colleague told me that it was too risky. But this time as you put it, it is different in many levels. The crew, the cast, and also the content of the film are not from Bhutan. It is a film about India and the Indian classical dance. That is the culture I am not that familiar with, especially the classical dance which is a very ancient form of art and a complex subject to deal with. As for the technical domain, I decided to do some more experiments this time, especially with the cinematography.
CV: You have mentioned in an interview that there is a kind of divinity in dance which is the subject you’ve always wanted to explore. And Vara: A Blessing is actually inspired from a short story. What is the attraction of that story that motivates you to make this film? What did you add on to the original story in the film?
KN: The original story is very profound and powerful. It has a very timeless narrative, especially if you have ever visited India. However, it is not limited to India, either. The story has a universality that trespasses the borders and continents. There is a clash between the old and new values, between tradition and modernity. It is also about passion and devotion of individuals like the characters in the film. I prefer to think that it is a film about women who made sacrifice for a bigger world. When doing that, you have to close one eye and give up on things you value dearly.
CV: The clash of values is embodied in the relationship between mother and daughter in the film. It is also related to the repression and outlet for desire. The expression is strikingly explicit. As a Buddhist, how did you treat those subjects in your film? How did you tie them with your background?
KN: Even though I’m not exactly a Buddhist, I have to say that being a Buddhist doesn’t mean that you’re solely limited to religious disciplines. Actually a famous Zen Buddhist once said that, “To be a Buddhist means to study life.” To study life basically means to study yourself. What you see, what you feel and how you respond to the world gradually becomes your path. But I understand that many people tend to refer to Buddhist as morality, things you cannot do for instance. I guess a lot of them do not understand that beyond all that, the more important thing is priority.
CV: Can you share with us your experience of working with such an international crew, including William Chang and Tu Du-Chih ?
KN: I have learned a lot from this international crew. I must single out two people, William Chang and Tu Du-Chih. I’m so lucky that they agree to join the team. I met with them right after I finished shooting the film. I was looking for editor and sound engineer. I’ve know that William is one of the best men in the industry, so I just reached out to him. Luckily, he accepted my invitation. I guess he thought that this is something he hasn’t worked on before.
CV: How about the working process with Tu Du-Chih? Did he come on broad afterwards?
KN: Actually, I’d met with Tu even before we start shooting. We needed to plan ahead before the actual filming and luckily we had him on broad. Most of the audience may not notice the details, but there is a lot of Tu’s contribution in the finished work that literally saves the film. I have ever thought of such thing will ever happen. Even without any footage, Tu is able to envisage the image and create the exact corresponding sound to it. In addition, I must say that he is the embodiment of good human being. He has the warmest heart.
CV: The film premiered in Pusan International Film Festival. Do you think it reshape the “film map” or current Asian film culture per se?
KN: I think it very much depends on the audience. We tend to blame the filmmaker, but it is important for the audience to develop a good eye for films. I think the audience in Asia is changing. And film festivals are very important. I hope they continue what they have been doing. Some of the film festivals become more commercial in the recent years. I hope it won’t happen in Asian film circuit.
CV: Can you talk a bit more about the dance and choreography in the film which is very different from those in the Bollywood films? What is your input to distinguish your work form the Bollywood films, especially for international audiences who have never seen anything like it before?
KN: There is a sequence of Bollywood dance in the film which was meant to be juxtaposed with the classical music and dance. The classical Indian dance requires many disciplines and motivations. As you master them, you can dance with rich and infinite moves and compositions. The sequence of Lila dancing to the Bollywood music was there only to enhance sacredness and subtilty of the classical music and dance.
CV: How did the audience respond to the film when it premiered in Bhutan?
KN: I was surprised that the film was actually very well-received in Bhutan. Bhutanese films are tremendously influenced by Bollywood films, but they also have great interest in all different kinds of films. It is delight to find that they enjoy my film.
CV: What does the title, “A BLESSING” mean? Why did you change it from THE BOON to A BLESSING?
KN: I chose to title the film, “A Blessing”, because it can be interpreted in all different ways, just like the film itself.
CV: [To Geeta Chandran] What is your background before joining the film? How did you come on broad?
Geeta Chandran: I am a classical dancer and had no acting experience before this film. Two years before we shot the film, Rinpoche came to one of my show in Delhi. He would just come to the studio and did some filming or recording. After a year, he contacted me through a common friend and asked me if I want to do a film with him. Without any hesitation, I just turned down the offer, because I am a stage person and I love the stage. I told our friend that a Buddhist monk doing a film about dance doesn’t sound right at all. Then, after a few months, our common friend sent me the script and asked me to just read through it. So I read it, put it aside and never got back to it again. After a few months, as I just received the revised script, a casting director came from Bombay and told me that there is a film that we want to ask you if you want to do it. I ask, “Which film?” I didn’t know that they were referring to the same film. And I thought to myself that destiny has its own rule and after consulting with my students, I agreed on participating in the film. I had a formal meeting with Rinpoche. He explained to me why he wanted to do this film and how he wanted to bring Indian classical dance to a larger group of audience. That’s how the journey began. We have spent huge amount of time matching the repertoire of classical dance with the film sequences. The film was shot in Sri Lanka. My students actually came along with me and performed for the film. The idea was that we want to be as authentic as possible, including the bond between teacher and student. I think Rinpoche really transported the scenario in my studio to the film, instead of just making a make-believe film.
CV: [To Shahana] Was it the first time you learn this form of dance?
Shahana Goswami: Yes, but I have another form of dance since I was very little. Though they are similar, they are very different at the same time. I have to dance like as if I have learn this form for the whole time which is difficult, because there would be rules and grammars that are exact the opposite in the different forms. The geometries are different, so I have to unlearn many things in my body. Geeta introduced me a teacher near to Bombay, the city I live to help me with the practices. By the time, Geeta had created the basic dance formation for the film, so I started to learn some of it. As one learns the drills, one takes liberty with the movements. What the audience sees in the film are probably the better parts. Because I was shooting for film, I can get by with not being necessarily perfect.
CV: There is a scene in the film you dance to the Bollywood music video. The director said that the sequence was meant to be the juxtaposition of the popular Bollywood and the classical form which is somehow overshadowed by the modern culture, but it seem to me that your character in the film was very drawn to the pop culture. How do you perceive such phenomena?
SG: That actually happens a lot in reality. For Lila, she grew up with classical dance, and Bollywood is something new to her. Many people living in the village and getting access to traditional culture easily are actually those who are most drawn to the pop culture, because it is new to them. It is just like people who live in the rural area always want to move to the city.
CV: How did you handle the emotional transition of your character? The way how she interacted with people around her and how she perceived the world changes throughout the film. How did you prepare yourself for the role? How did the director explain the role to you?
SG: Rinpoche and I had a lot of discussions. Before the shooting, he sent me a long email explaining how he viewed and understood my role, Lila. Actually, each character had received the email respectively. As I arrived at Sri Lanka, I was able to get into the mindset of my character and imagined myself in the role. It also has something to do with how I perceived my character and what I could give in my performance. I can actually relate to some part of my character. I share some of my character’s experience, so I can use my memory and experience to envisage my role. By and large, I will say that it was just my instinct, because I’m not a trained actor. That is why it is important for me to have distinctive relationship with the director. I only do films based on my connection with the directors. It has to be someone who can guide throughout the process. Rinpoche has the talent in guiding his actors in a very subtle way. I never felt any pressure when we were on set.
GC: In dance, nothing is completely stated. It’s always an open-ending statement. You take back what you want to take back. So the meaning of Krishna differs for different people. I think the film should be like that too. We should treat the audience as intelligent people. They should have their own interpretation. If they don’t, well, that’s too bad.
CV: How do you see this film to be released in India?
SG: The film has been shown in couple of cities in India. It always makes you worry more when showing the film in your own country, to people sharing the same culture with you, because there will be people question all the details. All these questions of filming location, costume and accents comes up all the time. But this is time, none of that happened. I was very surprised. I’ve told everybody to prepare for the audience who may disagree with you, challenge and question about the film before the screening. The audience may feel boring and walk out, because they just don’t like the overtly romanticization of things they take for granted. But It was fascinating to see people from all different regions, of age groups and classes come to watch the film. The film is actually quite well-received in festivals. Of course, there are only certain groups of people would come to film festivals, so I’m not sure how it will going to be like, if the film release in India. Vara is an aesthetic experience that is very different from that of the conventional Bollywood cinema. In a way, it is an offering.