Panaji, Nov 28: Thanks to the International Film
Festival of India, writer Ruskin Bond came out of hibernation
to watch his first film in a movie theatre after 25 years.
Incidentally, his choice - 'The Blue Umbrella' -
which premiered here yesterday was Director Vishal Bharadwaj's
screen adaptation of a short story written by Bond himself.
"It's after 25 years that I found myself inside a movie
theatre. Although an avid film buff, I live in Mussoorie where
there are unfortunately no theatres now," the 71-year-old
author said today.
'The Blue Umbrella,' slated for a May 2006 release, is set
in Himachal Pradesh and revolves around an eleven-year-old
girl's quest for a lost umbrella believed to have magical
powers.
"The film is based on a story I wrote 20 years ago. I knew
some children there and wove this fable around them," he said.
"The umbrella is symbolic of what people want in life.
It's about how human generosity ultimately overcomes greed,"
Bond added.
However, this is not his first tryst with Bollywood. Back
in 1980, his novel 'A Flight of Pigeons' became the basis for
Shyam Benegal's acclaimed film 'Junoon.'
Bureau Report
