By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, September 5 – In 2005, a Tibetan partnered with his Indian wife in making “Dreaming Lhasa,” a Tibetan film that won acclaims and accolades at various International film festivals. Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin, both former students of film school, made a mark by producing this first Tibetan film shot on film (16mm), made by a Tibetan, with entirely Tibetan crew and actors.
Four years later, another couple of a similar composition, a Tibetan Lama and a former Indian actress, is all set to make a new Tibetan film that promises to bring Tibet back in the world of cinema as memory of Martin Scorsese’s “Kundun “ and Jean-Jacques Annaud’s “Seven Years in Tibet” slowly fades out of world’s memory. The film will be the biggest budgeted Tibetan film by a Tibetan in history.
The new film titled “The Lost Country” is in its pre-production stage and will start shooting in November. Dr. Kargyur Rinpoche and his Indian wife, the erstwhile blue – eyed queen of Bollywood, Mandakini, who became an instant hit after her very first film under Raj Kapoor’s RK banners “Ram Teri Ganga Meli”, will produce the film. Rinpoche, who has himself written the story, will also be directing the film.
A whopping 15 crore rupees (3 Million US Dollars approx.) will be spent on the film that will feature actors from America, India and Nepal including popular Bollywood actor Danny Dengzongpa. The film will become the most expensive Tibetan film to be produced by a Tibetan.
Kargyur Rinpoche told Phayul that he has hired services of a fully professional crew from Mumbai, the Indian entertainment capital. Rinpoche’s vision will be captured through his lens by the noted bollywood cinematographer Ishwar Bidri of JP Dutta’s ‘Border’ fame. “It took me more than twelve years to realize this film, and I am hopeful that the film will be a true window to the beautiful Tibet of the world’s imaginations,” says Rinpoche.
Rinpoche and his wife, accompanied by some members of the crew, are in town to screen test artistes of the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. 20 artistes from the institute will be cast in the film that will be shot mostly in Spiti, and partly in Dharamsala and the United States.
