Ang Lee on Life Of Pi
By kamla bhatt • Nov 20th, 2012Category: Entertainment, Featured, Hollywood, India, People, South Asian Actors
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Academy award winner Ang Lee talks about his new film Life of Pi that is based on a novel by best selling author Yann Martel. This is Lee’s first major foray into 3D filmmaking. The film traces a the story of Piscine Militor Patel (Pi) and a tiger called Richard Parker. Trapped in a small white boat after their ship sinks, Pi and Richard Parker go through an epic journey across the ocean. Both survive the harrowing journey and how they did it is the crux of the film.
Life of Pi is a film about courage, hope and spirituality and Lee somehow captures these elusive and hard to grasp feelings in some fairly powerful visual moments. Suraj Sharma plays the role of Pi.What is interesting is that this is Sharma’s first film and he beat 3,000 other people to bag this film. Others in the film include Irffan Khan, Tabu and Adil Hussain.
The film opens in Lee’s signature style – that unhurried 4-5 minutes of opening scene that establishes the visual narrative and offers a glimpse of what is in store for you. In the case of Life of Pi the opening scene features a lovely lullaby like song in Tamil by Bombay Jayshree that is accompanied by some stunning visuals of the rich flora and fauna, birds and animals of Pondicherry.
In this interview Lee talks about how he cast Suraj Sharma, a newbie as Pi, the making of his first 3D film, filming in India and food. Yes, food since he is a foodie at heart.
Lee is the director of Academy winner Brokeback Mountain; Lust, Caution; Taking Woodstock; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Eat Drink Man Woman and Wedding Banquet among others.
Photo credit of Ang Lee: 20th Century Fox Film Corp.
Kamla Bhatt is the host and producer of an Internet Radio show where listeners can find stories about the new and emerging India and the global Indian community. As a pioneer of 'internet radio' format in India Kamla started her first show News about India, followed by TalkNewsIndia in 2005. In 2006 she premiered her new show: The Kamla Bhatt Show: Life, People and Ideas. 
A wonderful podcast interview Kamla. I always enjoy the way you interview all your guests. Keep up the good work….
Anu
What you have published is fine—-if anything more in details with you about the film publish it–want to read.
Thanks.
Bimal Majumder
21st November, 2012.