Tom Brook, presenter of Talking Movies on BBC World News, who has interviewed top actors and directors like Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Aamir Khan, Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese tells SHAlINI SAKSENA that he is a big fan of 12 Years A Slave and that one Bollywood movie which had the potential to win the Oscars this year was The lunchbox
What kind of research goes into making one episodeIJ How much time is spent on its makingIJ
Putting together the show involves a lot of research. Finding stories, researching background on the interviewees and then we always do our own fact checking. It must take at least a day to do all of this. Other pre-production takes four or five days and the final edit around three days. So it’s about eight days of work per show.
The one celebrity (Hollywood) who was good to interviewIJ One Bollywood celebrityIJ WhyIJ
For Hollywood I would pick George Clooney as a good interviewee. He’s very intelligent and very thoughtful. He knows what journalists want and he always delivers the goods. When it comes to Bollywood, I would pick Aamir Khan. I interviewed him recently and he gave very candid and sharp responses and he came across as quite affable.
How has the relationship between Hollywood and Bollywood changedIJ
I think Hollywood has long wanted to get a share of India’s box office revenue. They’ve tried with their blockbusters but they can only get a small percentage of the market. So I think they’ve shifted tactics and they’ve gone to India to make films in Hindi and other regional languages. This seems to be a more fruitful course of action.
There are a few Bollywood actors working in Hollywood and vice-versa. How will this change the kind of movies we will see in the near futureIJ
I think Hollywood is quite resistant to employing Bollywood actors but I do think that will change. Increasingly, international box office is becoming far more important to Hollywood than it used to be. As this trend continues the studios will have to scramble to find stars that appeal to an international audience and this could possibly lead to more Chinese and South Asian actors getting cast.
The one Bollywood movie that you think could have won the OscarsIJ
The lunchbox. This film had definite Oscars potential but it didn’t end up being India’s official submission for it.
Are some of the movies that Bollywood is making worth making it to the OscarsIJ (like Barfi, Taare Zameen Par)
I haven’t seen all the films you’ve mentioned except I was on the set in Film City when Barfi was being shot. I think some Indian films have their own aesthetic and form of distinct storytelling which wouldn’t necessarily appeal to Oscars voters. That’s why The lunchbox stood out. It was the kind of film they’d have been able to appreciate.
Why not have a Talking Movies for Indian audienceIJ
That’s a great idea — Talking Movies in Hindi — and a dozen or so other languages. I’ll ask my boss.
What is your favourite picks for this yearIJ
I’m a big fan of 12 Years A Slave so I’m pleased that won for Best Picture. I also liked Philomena although that didn’t win any Oscars.
Some of the changes that have taken place in storytelling and new genres in BollywoodIJ
I’m not too familiar with all the new genres. But I have been impressed with certain films I’ve seen particularly in their attempts to focus on real stories. Case in point would be Shahid from director Hansal Mehta. It’s an extremely well made film with a strong screenplay dealing with an important issue. I don’t think it’s the kind of picture that would have been made a few years ago.
One has noticed the growth of independent cinema focusing on political and social issues. The reasonIJ
Cinema always likes high drama so politics and social issues often provide that. I also think that there are armies of young filmmakers out there who feel passionate about social issues and because of the relative cheapness of digital cameras they can now go out and capture stories in a way that would have been unthinkable a few years ago .
How did the transition from a news producer and reporter to movie journalism happenIJ
The transition happened because I needed to find work. I left BBC to stay in New York. I needed to freelance to make a living — one area where there was an opportunity was arts/entertainment reporting. So I took the plunge.
Your all time favourite movieIJ And whyIJ
Citizen Kane because you can watch it time and time again and find something new to appreciate. It’s a real masterpiece and remarkable that Orson Welles made it when he was only 25.