Videsh Heaven on Earth

The talented director Deepa Mehta is back with another hard hitting social drama ‘Videsh -Heaven on Earth’ which is produced under the renowned banner ‘BR Films’ and is all set to hit the theatres on 27th March, 2009.

The movie stars the gorgeous Preity Zinta and introduces Vansh Bhardwaj.

Major parts of the movie have been shot in Toronto with a short sequence in Chandigarh.

The cast and crew of ‘Videsh-Heaven on Earth’ addressed the media on Thursday through a press conference at Sahara Star where producer Ravi Chopra, director Deepa Mehta, Preity Zinta and CEO of BR Films Sanjay Bhutiani spoke about the film.

‘Videsh’ has already released in Canada to an overwhelming response; with Preity Zinta winning accolades for her performance internationally – including the ‘Best Actress’ award at the Chicago film festival, and being nominated at the 29th Genie Awards which is the Canadian equivalent to the Oscars.

Well, that’s not all Punjabi film enthusiasts are in for a treat as ‘Videsh’ is going to be released in both Hindi as well as Punjabi.

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta believes that every scene in her forthcoming release "Videsh", a film about a battered Punjabi housewife in Canada, is some woman's story.

The movie deals with domestic violence and Ms. Zinta is confident that women will identify with her character.

"Every scene in this film is some woman's story. It is intense and beautiful. I can't talk enough of the film. I just want every woman, man and family to go and watch this film. It is very important for people to support films like these, which showcase a real slice-of-life," Ms. Zinta told reporters here Friday.

The film, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta, is about a battered Punjabi housewife in Canada. Ms. Zinta, who plays the lead in the film and has already bagged the best actress award at the Chicago Film Festival, says the subject of the film touched her and it was the realistic nature of the script that she found challenging.

"When Deepa offered me this role, it was a dream come true. I knew it would be a huge step towards something different in my career. It was definitely a difficult role. But it has touched me. Normally we see either black or white characters in films. But very few films offer an actor to play grey characters that are closer to reality. But with this film I got an opportunity to play such a true character," she said.

In "Videsh", which released as "Heaven On Earth" abroad, Zinta is sharing screen space with newcomer Vansh Bhardwaj, but she also has another co-star - a giant snake, that "scared the hell" out of her.

"Vansh, my co-star in the film really surprised me. I was nervous to be cast opposite a newcomer, but he was very good. And I had a snake as my co-star who scared the hell out of me.

"When I was told to shoot with the snake, I acted bold and told the unit that I want a real snake for the scenes, but when I saw the snake I got extremely scared. Still working on this film was the most enriching experience as an actor. When I am 80 years old and I'll look back, I'm sure 'Videsh' will be among the top five in the list of my favourite films," Ms. Zinta said.

The film, slated for release March 27, was mainly shot in Toronto with a short sequence filmed in Chandigarh. It was shot in both Hindi and Punjabi.

Since the actress hails from Himachal Pradesh, she faced problems delivering dialogues in Punjabi.

"Language was an issue with me, I had to learn it. I had to struggle with it. People think that I know Punjabi very well, but that's not true. I had to work on that. The only four words I knew were 'sasriyakaal', 'chak de phatte', 'balle balle' and 'aaho'," she said.

Ms. Zinta also underwent a workshop for the film and her efforts have paid off with a nomination in the best actress category of the 24th Genie Awards, to be held in Canada in April.

Videsh, also titled Heaven on Earth, was my first experience watching a Deepa Mehta movie. An Academy Award nominee for her movie Fire, Deepa Mehta is one of most globally recognized directors from Canada. She is well known for her controversial ‘Elements’ trilogy (Fire, Earth, Water) of movies based in India. This movie has been titled Videsh in India. It was released under the title of Heaven on Earth in Canada earlier in 2008. The film is originally in Punjabi. It’ll be released in both Hindi and Punjabi versions in India. Videsh - Heaven on Earth is based on a bunch of Punjabi immigrants in Canada and a newly wed bride who marries a man whom she has never even met in her life and comes to Canada. The film stars Preity Zinta, Vansh Bhardwaj, Balinder Johal, Rajinder Singh Cheema, and Ramanjit Kaur.

When I first checked out the promos for Videsh on Apple, I was really impressed. It did seem something on the lines of Aishwarya Rai’s Provoked. A girl from Punjab marries an unknown guy settled abroad. She realizes he’s not the guy she expected him to be. Something quite relevant back there in Punjab. Wannabe brides are desperate to marry NRIs with green cards for greener pastures. Things don’t go well usually and most of the times the bride ends up in a really bad state. Videsh - Heaven on Earth highlights the pain and suffering these brides undergo in an incredibly magical way.

Preity Zinta plays the role of a young bride, Chand, from Punjab who moves to Canada to marry Rocky, played by Vansh Bhardwaj. I’ll say this has got to be one of most amazing performances ever by Preity Zinta. The way her character is portrayed and the way she has carried herself throughout the movie, she deserves a standing ovation. Vansh Bhardwaj, a first timer, is a young promising actor from Chandigarh. He’s managed to impress throughout the movie. The film has been shot so well that I’ve certainly become a Deepa Mehta fan. The entire wedding scene is one of my favorites in the movie.

Although Videsh - Heaven on Earth is a movie on domestic violence, hatred, love and passion, Deepa Mehta doesn’t miss out on the humor. A few comic touches here and there brings out some smiles during the movie. And then there’s this imaginative magic touch to the movie. A very innovative one I must say. The film isn’t a usual Bollywood/Hollywood masala flick. Don’t expect a fast paced Bollywood-like drama content here. It’s brief yet very effective.

Videsh - Heaven on Earth is an absolute must-see movie for all those who seek some quality cinema. Some really brilliant performances, some really comic characters, some really interesting ones and some magic. If you think all Deepa Mehta could cook was controversy, here’s a flick that’ll change your mind.

Vibrant and irrepressibly alive, Chand (Preity Zinta) is a young bride leaving her home in Ludhiana, India, for the cavernous landscape of Brampton, Ontario, where her husband Rocky (Vansh Bhardwaj) and his very traditional family await her arrival. Everything is new to Chand everything is unfamiliar including the quiet and shy Rocky who she meets for the first time at the Arrivals level of Pearson Airport. Chand approaches her new life and her new land with equanimity and grace, and at times the wide-eyed optimism of hope-her first snowfall is a tiny miracle of beauty, and the rar of Niagara Falls creates the excitement of new beginnings.

But soon optimism turns to isolation as the family she has inherited struggles beneath the weight of unspoken words, their collective frustration becoming palpable. No one feels the pressure more than Rocky, weighed down by familial obligations. A controlling mother, who can't let him go, a sweet but ineffectual father, and a sister whose two children and unemployed husband are also a burden, all live with Rocky and Chand in a two-bedroom house in the suburbs of Toronto. To make matters worse, Rocky is expected to find the money to bring his extended family to Canada. Unable to express his anger, he finds other ways to release it and it's Chand who bears the brunt of his repressed rage.

Trapped in a world she cannot comprehend and unable to please her husband, Chand is desperate. Hope comes in the form of Rosa (Yanna McIntosh), a tough and savvy Jamaican woman who works alongside Chand in a factory where immigrant women from all over the world clean and press dirty hotel laundry. Rosa sees past the make-up that covers Chand's bruised face. Realizing Chand has nowhere to turn, Rosa gives her a magical root advising her "to put it in whatever the bastard drinks." The root is supposed to seduce the one who takes it, making them fall hopelessly in love with the person who gives it to them. Chand's attempts with the magic root lead to surreal incidents and her life gradually begins to mirror an Indian fable involving a King Cobra. As the lines between fantasy and reality converge, Chand and Rocky come face to face with each other and themselves.