‘We Are Not Just Slums Or Small Lanes’
Rajesh Suvarna is looking forward to kick-starting his upcoming project ‘Bollywood Rebound’, a blend of Hollywood and Indian cinema. The movie promises to be a vibrant, genre-blending musical rom-com with a suspenseful twist—where East meets West, and drama seamlessly intertwines with dance. Suvarna will serve as the creative director in this ambitious film, whose details have been kept under wraps. In an exclusive interview with News24, Rajesh talks about ‘Bollywood Rebound’, the perception of Indian cinema in Hollywood, and much more.
Even though not much has been disclosed about ‘Bollywood Rebound’, Rajesh shares some details about what the audience can expect. He says, “We are not allowed to give any information on the casting, but amazing talent has been attached to the project. To give you an idea, it’s more or less like Hollywood going to Bollywood. If you have seen English Vnglish, where a character came to the US from India and experienced a different culture. The whole narrative is splendid.”
He adds, “But we are planning to come down to India somewhere at the end of this year or the first week of January. We’ll be able to share more details and more information about the project.”
He reveals that ‘Bollywood Rebound’ will have Indian roots and shares how he has been connected to Indian movies his entire life. He says, “I think Bollywood. I’m a Bollywood person. Because we grew up with movies. We are fed with those movies from our childhood. We are looking to cast some of the big names, and my team, my producers, are in touch with some of the big names, which I can’t reveal right now. This movie is more of a Bollywood project than a Hollywood one. It comes out of a Hollywood production, but it’s a movie where Bollywood is at the centre stage.”
As Rajesh has been associated with global cinema for quite some time, he is aware of the stereotypes India faces in Hollywood. Sharing his views on the same, he says, “Sometimes in global cinema, Indians or India is always portrayed as poor or in a bad light. Or, I would say the reference point is Slumdog. That is what I am concerned about because India is not just the slums and small lanes. The country is beautiful, and there are so many other things which can be shown in the movie, rather than just the slums or poverty, which have always been exploited by Western cinema.”
Rajesh also shared his opinions on the low phase of Bollywood and how the audience is not seeing creativity in many projects. “There’s always a phase, and Bollywood is going through that. You’ll find that there are not many creative films coming out. I think we will come out of that phase, as you can see how Sitaare Zameen Par worked very well. I feel Bollywood will again rebound,” he adds.
Before ‘Bollywood Rebound’, Rajesh has worked in interesting projects like Muhazir, Atma, Fall in Kabul, Madrasa, and Panaah Baroye Zinda Mondan.