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Updated October 26th, 2021 at 19:44 IST

Imtiaz Ali on his childhood connection with Russia: I'm fascinated by its culture, people

Imtiaz Ali, 50, said he is attracted to places that have "various currents of time" as it is "very cinematic and dramatic".

IMTIAZ
IMAGE: IMTIAZALIOFFICIAL/INSTAGRAM | Image:self
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From growing up on a steady diet of Russian folktales to convincing his daughter that Cinderella and Snow White lived in Russia, director Imtiaz Ali says he has had a longstanding connection with the country.

Describing the Russian people as a "vivacious and hearty" bunch, the writer-filmmaker said he has several fond memories of his travels across the transcontinental country.

"With Russia, it has been a longstanding connection. Actually, in the houses that I was raised in, there were always Russian folk tales and publications as some people around me were communists and had a connection with the erstwhile USSR. I was fascinated with the culture. In fact, Russia was the first country I travelled to when I had a chance to go abroad," Ali told PTI in an interview.

It's this connection that led the director, known for films like "Jab We Met", "Rockstar" and "Tamasha", to come on board as the brand ambassador of the Russian Film Festival in India.

As part of the movie gala, 10 notable Russian films of various genres will be screened for Indian audiences on the streamer Disney+ Hotstar from October 16 to November 27.

The festival, backed by Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation and festival director Sarfaraz Alam, features popular romances and comedies such as Ice, On the Edge, Tell Her, Doctor Liza, The Relatives, Another Woman! and "Jetlag".

Ali, 50, said he is attracted to places that have "various currents of time" as it is "very cinematic and dramatic". From Delhi, Punjab and Kashmir in India to the Mediterranean island of Corsica and Netherlands, the director has been a globetrotter of sorts even in his filmography.  

"Places that contain various eras in the same space... Delhi has that and Russia has that. Moscow and many other cities in Russia have this fairytale kind of look," the director said, recalling how he once convinced his daughter Ida, who was very young at the time, that popular Disney heroines Cinderella and Snow White lived in Russia.

Ali shared that he first met people from Russia while staying at his family's house in Gopalpur, a beach town in Odisha, which was frequented by Russian tourists. 

"I'm also friendly with a group of people who are trying to build better film connections between India and Russia. This is why when I was offered to be the brand ambassador, I immediately accepted," he added.

Asked whether he has ever thought about exploring the country through his cinema, the director said, "I have thought about setting my films in Russia several times, haven't been able to but I will end up doing that one day.

"There are many places that I love and one that I particularly like is a place called Suzdal, which is not far from (the country's capital) Moscow. It is an old town with various monuments and a countryside feel to it. Russia has different geographies. I like the spaces they have created because it is an extremely cold place."

Somehow the architecture and people there lend themselves beautifully to the cinema, Ali observed.

"Russians are cinema and poetry-loving people. I feel Russian women are the most beautiful women in the world... The country has one of the oldest cinema cultures in the world..." 

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)

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Published October 26th, 2021 at 19:34 IST

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