Immortals: When an atheist made an epic movie on gods
Last updated on: November 10, 2011 16:05 IST
Arthur J Pais in New York
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Filmmaker Tarsem Singh's most extravagant film till date, Immortals opens in theatres worldwide tomorrow.
From his early days at the Bishop Cotton School in India, Singh's passion was to make films but his father, an aircraft engineer, was not impressed with his career plans. He was sent to America to study business at Harvard but ended up going to Los Angeles to make a film that won him a scholarship to the Art Center College of Design. "My father thought I was headed for Harvard," Tarsem recalled. "I called him and said, 'I want to study film,' and he said, 'You don't exist anymore'."
As he dabbled in directing music videos and commercials before making films, Tarsem knew Hollywood was different than the film industry in Europe or India.
The Cell director talks to Arthur J Pais about Immortals:
What excited you the most about this project?
The idea that super humans or super heroes or gods could see the plight of man but could not help him. That's a very interesting concept. I have not been a believer in God since I was 9 years old but my mother (Harbans Kaur) is a religious person. So taking on a project like that can make you think that there are gods but they can't really do anything because their hands are tied. It was a very interesting project when it started three years ago and now it is ready for the audiences worldwide. It is set in ancient Greece but it is a universal story.
Something my mother said three years ago made me think a lot about this project. She was saying her early morning prayers when I said something blasphemous to her. She turned around and said, 'The only reason you have been successful is not because you're hard working but because of your mother's praying.' I began to think...What would happen if a person like me had a wrong take on the universe? What could make a non-believer start believing in gods? But the gods in the film are very different. They do not land suddenly on the lawns of the White House and start changing the world.
Have you changed your belief in religion or spirituality since this interaction with your mother or as a result of making this film?
Absolutely not. I have been like this since age 9 (chuckles). I believe there is no culture that is completely theistic and there are instances of a nonbeliever becoming an ardent believer. That is what happens in Immortals. But then this is a fantasy action film and I don't want it to be taken too seriously (on the subject of faith)...It is not advocating a return to gods.
Image: Tarsem Singh
Arthur J Pais in New York
================================================
Filmmaker Tarsem Singh's most extravagant film till date, Immortals opens in theatres worldwide tomorrow.
From his early days at the Bishop Cotton School in India, Singh's passion was to make films but his father, an aircraft engineer, was not impressed with his career plans. He was sent to America to study business at Harvard but ended up going to Los Angeles to make a film that won him a scholarship to the Art Center College of Design. "My father thought I was headed for Harvard," Tarsem recalled. "I called him and said, 'I want to study film,' and he said, 'You don't exist anymore'."
As he dabbled in directing music videos and commercials before making films, Tarsem knew Hollywood was different than the film industry in Europe or India.
The Cell director talks to Arthur J Pais about Immortals:
What excited you the most about this project?
The idea that super humans or super heroes or gods could see the plight of man but could not help him. That's a very interesting concept. I have not been a believer in God since I was 9 years old but my mother (Harbans Kaur) is a religious person. So taking on a project like that can make you think that there are gods but they can't really do anything because their hands are tied. It was a very interesting project when it started three years ago and now it is ready for the audiences worldwide. It is set in ancient Greece but it is a universal story.
Something my mother said three years ago made me think a lot about this project. She was saying her early morning prayers when I said something blasphemous to her. She turned around and said, 'The only reason you have been successful is not because you're hard working but because of your mother's praying.' I began to think...What would happen if a person like me had a wrong take on the universe? What could make a non-believer start believing in gods? But the gods in the film are very different. They do not land suddenly on the lawns of the White House and start changing the world.
Have you changed your belief in religion or spirituality since this interaction with your mother or as a result of making this film?
Absolutely not. I have been like this since age 9 (chuckles). I believe there is no culture that is completely theistic and there are instances of a nonbeliever becoming an ardent believer. That is what happens in Immortals. But then this is a fantasy action film and I don't want it to be taken too seriously (on the subject of faith)...It is not advocating a return to gods.
Image: Tarsem Singh
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rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-interview-with-tarsem-singh/20111110.htm
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