Santosh Sivan's 'Before the Rains' makes waves in Hollywood

'Before the Rains', an India-US production, by India's ace cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan is making waves in Hollywood. The winner of several awards, including Best Feature Film at 41st WorldFest-Houston, the 3rd longest-running International Film Festival in North America, 'Before the Rains' is set for release by Roadside Attractions, a movie distribution company, and Merchant Ivory Production on May 9 (LA & New York), followed by a national release May 16, 2008. An exclusive report for India EU Film Initiative by Kathy Robinson

'Before the Rains' explores the turmoil of a man who is torn between two worlds and the choices he makes to gain his own freedom and embrace his true identity.

The synopsis

Linus Roache and Nandita Das in 'Before the Rains'Set in 1930s southern India against the backdrop of a growing nationalist movement, 'Before the Rains' is the English language debut of acclaimed Indian director Santosh Sivan (The Terrorist, Asoka). An idealistic young Indian man (Rahul Bose) finds himself torn between his ambitions for the future and his loyalty to the past when people in his village learn of an affair between his British boss (Linus Roache) and a village woman (Nandita Das).

The director says...

"When our producer Doug Mankoff showed me the Israeli short film “Red Roofs,” I was struck by how timeless and universal the story was. My fascination with the story was that it could happen to anyone, anywhere at anytime. I liked the collision of cultures and the shifting points of view in the film, along with the fact that the characters were so complex, since I am always interested in exploring grey shades of people, not just black or white," says Santosh Sivan.

Nandita Das and Jennifer Ehle in 'Before the Rains'Sivan adds: "I wanted to reset the story in the jungles of Kerala, a place rich with culture, history, and awe-inspiring beauty. We decided to adapt the story to take place in the late 1930s, and to focus on the tragic consequences of an illicit affair between an English spice farmer and his Indian housemaid. The relationship between the characters is a metaphor for the promise - and the tragic flaw - of British Colonialism. At first, both worlds connect beautifully. Moores, the British farmer, says the road he and his workers are building should be named after T.K, his Indian right hand man. Sajani, Moores’ mistress, learns English songs. And T.K prefers Churchill rifles and Western medicine to the long bladed knives and homeopathy of his Nayar community."

The critique

'Before the Rains' has received rave reviews in America but at the same time the film has generated incredibly harsh criticism. Take, for example, Frank Scheck of Hollywood Reporter who "The sort of steamy tropical melodrama that Hollywood used to produce with regularity in its golden age, "Before the Rains" depicts the tragic repercussions of an adulterous affair between an upscale British colonialist and his beautiful housemaid in 1930s India."

Scheck lambastes the film "Lacking the emotional power necessary to fuel its contrived plot elements, the film is a distinctly minor entry in the Merchant Ivory canon."

On the other hand Cameron Bailey, writing for the Toronto International Film Festival, says "A sweeping film full of striking vistas, 'Before the Rains' has the look of a fine period epic, but as it binds its characters tighter and tighter within their dilemmas, it reveals the gears of a good film noir. Having made his reputation in Priest, Roache once again excels as a respectable man capable of catastrophic acts. Bose, however, as the local subaltern, is the heart of the film: here is the Indian man navigating all the harsh choices that came with colonization."

Renowned filmmaker Mira Nair is thrilled: "Unforgettable! A hothouse of sensuality, empire, class and guilt."

The Cast

Rahul Bose in 'Before the Rains'The film features Indian actors Rahul Bose and Nandita Das, along with Linus Roache who first gained worldwide recognition as the title character in Antonia Bird’s critically acclaimed film, PRIEST. Roache’s film credits include Robert Celestino’s YONKERS JOE (with Chazz Palminteri and premiering at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival), Mira Nair’s THE NAMESAKE, Sidney Lumet’s FIND ME GUILTY, Michael Cuesta’s 12 AND HOLDING, Chris Nolan’s BATMAN BEGINS, Joseph Ruben’s THE FORGOTTEN, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK and John Furse’s BLIND FLIGHT, opposite Ian Hart, for which he received a nomination by Scottish BAFTA, in the Best Actor category.

Roche's wife is played by Jennifer Ehle who became a house-hold name in Britain as Elizabeth Bennet in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, winning a BAFTA for Best Actress award. She had her first major film role in PARADISE ROAD directed by Bruce Beresford and went on to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Award for her part in WILDE. In 2OOO she appeared opposite Ralph Fiennes in Istvan Zsabo’s critically acclaimed film SUNSHINE for which she was nominated for a Canadian Genie Award. She won a Tony Award for her 2000 Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's THE REAL THING.

Direction notes

Santosh Sivan in his direction notes says: "Though the characters in the film fight to straddle the great cultural divide, they ultimately suffer for their attempts. Sajani realizes that she and Moores cannot build a life together. Moores and T.K. each realize that their dreams are not grounded in reality, and their vision of an India/British partnership is doomed by the divergent views of their respective cultures. But in addition to the tragic elements to this story, I also wanted to convey a sense of hope – hope for T.K.’s independence and the independence of his people. Just as the darker themes of the story continue to resonate today, I feel that the theme of hope will resonate most strongly for the audience.

"The film is layered with metaphors, the road being one of them as it depicts the act of violence on nature as the story unfolds. I illustrated this by shooting the film in a style reminiscent of pre-Raphaelite paintings in which the earth itself carries sentiment and is full of symbolism and meaning. The characters are thus miniaturized in the emotional landscape and imagery of the Garden of Eden, lost again to guilt and sin.

"It was a wonderful feeling to work with talented actors from England, the United States and India. Each brought something unique to the production. It is always fascinating and pleasurable when numerous languages are spoken and numerous people have to adjust to different approaches and points of view. Though in the film characters from different backgrounds struggle to achieve a great partnership, the making of this film felt like a true collaboration between East and West."