Film festivals around the world often invite stars to talk about cinema and film related issues. The experts then bring out the facts and enlighten audience about various topics regarding cinema an film making.
Cannes Film Festival in association with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) invited Bollywood choreographer Sandip Soparrkar to conduct a session for international directors, producers, filmmakers and world press on “Bollywood Dance and its changing trends”
Dressed in More Mischief and Deepak Shah designed checkered blue suit the dapper looking dance maestro welcomed a jam packed audience at the Indian Pavillion at International village and started his talk by showing a short film on dance in Bollywood films right from 1920’s till date. His film began with Indian Classical dance moving into folk and then bringing in cabaret, disco, break dance, jazz , broadway, waltz , flamenco, Russian dances and finally ending up into hip hop.
Sandip also introduced Ex Miss India and Actress Pooja Batra along with Chevalier Awardee classical dancer Raghunath Mane as his co-panelist. The Virasat actress spoke about her initial days in Bollywood and how folk dances and international forms always attracted her and made her strive to do better. On the other hand the talented Raghunath Mane paid emphases on how Indian classical and folk dances have and always will remain an integral part of Bollywood films.
Sandip Soparrkar said “I am thankful to Mr. Thierry Fremaux, Director of Cannes film festival and Ms. Leena Jaisani of FICCI for inviting me for this interesting session regarding Bollywood dance. I feel truly honoured and humbled to be chosen for this special talk. I hope each person who attended my session went back enriched and more informed about Bollywood dance, it’s new trends and future.”
Sandip ended his talk by saying that dance is like fashion it moves in circle, he predicted that disco, cabaret and rock n roll days will soon be back in Bollywood films. As soon as he bowed down to the world filmmakers with an Indian traditional namaste the international audience requested him to teach them some moves and without a blink the National Achievement award winner dancer asked the crowd to join him on stage and he made them all groove to hit bollywood song “Ladki beautiful Kargayee Chull”.
This talk by the dynamic trio of Sandip Soparrkar, Pooja Batra and Raghunath Mane was indeed one of the most informative, interesting, Interactive and most importantly fun filled session at Cannes so far. Hats off to Sandip Soparrkar for being a perfect dance ambassador of India and making India shine further more at Cannes film festival 2016.