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Producer refuses to give up Water

J M Shenoy

Ajay Virmani is comparatively new to the politics of cinema, but when he pledged $ 3 million (Canadian) for Deepa Mehta's Water, knowing fully well the controversies surrounding her earlier films, he had no idea the new film would begin attracting detractors even before the shooting began.

He had noted that while Fire incurred the wrath of fundamentalists, Mehta's subsequent film, Earth, was not criticized though it too dealt with the sensitive issue of Partition.

Earth did not do too well, but he put that down to the subject's lack of general appeal.

But the Toronto-based businessman also knew the movie had grossed about $ 700,000 abroad and has been nominated by India for consideration for an Oscar.

In the long run, the film, which cost about $ 3 million, is expected to recoup the investment.

Virmani, who professes an admiration for offbeat movies, thought if the new project ignited any controversies, they would be of a cerebral nature.

Now that he has stopped the shooting of Water in India, following threats against Deepa Mehta and her crew and a law and order problem in Varanasi, where they were shooting, Virmani says he has no intention of abandoning the project. He has reportedly lost $ 1 million because of the delay and the subsequent cancellation of shooting.

He told reporters that some crew members were still in India, exploring the possibility of shooting the film elsewhere in the country. But he hastened to add: "We will think 18 times over before we consider shooting again in India."

He is mapping a strategy to shoot the film in another country. As a businessman, he will seek to compensate for his losses by completing the film and have it released at the earliest. While he still may lose some money, he said, the real loser is India -- and its image.

Virmani, who has a transport/freight business in Toronto, told the Toronto Star that it was not correct to say he decided to quit because of a suicide effort.

He described the victim, who is reportedly in a critical condition, as a "professional suicide activist'' with at least four previous charges against him for similar attempts.

He blamed the local government for the shooting fiasco.

'It is because the state government and district magistrate canceled our permits without notice, after the federal government had given us the green light not once, but twice,' he told the Toronto Sun.

ALSO SEE:
The Water controversy

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