Actress Nitu Chandra made her Hollywood debut with Never Back Down: Revolt and is known for her roles in Bollywood movies like Garam Masala, Traffic Signal, One Two Three, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Apartment, 13B and many others. Now, the actor-turned-producer has launched her production house, Champaran Talkies Studios FZ LLC in Abu Dhabi, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. The initiative is a tribute to Gandhi’s Satyagraha movement of non-violent resistance in Champaran. At the same time, it pays an ode to Nitu’s native Indian roots that she thinks have played a pivotal role in establishing her career as an actor and now a producer.
Embarking on her plan, the producer aims to set up an all-women team of talented technicians who can play an instrumental role in producing quality content. She says about the same, “Empowering women and recognising their value is the best thing we can do to uplift society. With this all-women team at Champaran Talkies Studios, I aim to provide better access for women in the field of movie making and production. I believe that I can find the right talent from different ethnicities for my projects owing to UAE’s international integration and presence of 200 plus nationalities in one space.”
She adds how her production house is a way of giving back to the creative community in cinema: “Having come from a middle-class family with no film background, I fought my way through different Indian film industries to make my mark as an actor. Champaran Talkies was my way of giving back to the film industry and the people of India whom I have won over with my acting. I launched Champaran Talkies in Mumbai, India, in 2010 along with my brother Nitin Chandra, a National Awarded Writer and Director, with a vision to bring quality cinema to Indian audiences. Together, we wanted to change the negative image about movies that came from Bihar, our hometown.”
Previously, Champaran Talkies had made significant strides in the realm of filmmaking. It was one of the first production houses to receive the National Award for producing films in the Maithili language in India. The production house has also produced several documentaries and fictional movies. Now, the latest extended arm of the production house in Abu Dhabi aims to produce international movies and projects that have a global appeal.
Speaking of this association, Hans Fraikin, Abu Dhabi Film & TV Commissioner says, “We are delighted to welcome Hollywood Actor and award-winning producer Nitu Chandra Srivastava to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Champaran talkies Studios is a one-of-a-kind all-women production house that plans to create ground-breaking and inspiring international productions, and we are extremely happy to support Nitu in this unique venture. It is also befitting that we are announcing this association on the momentous occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. We believe that this partnership will create international opportunities for women globally in Abu Dhabi.” Currently, Champaran Talkies is in talks with scriptwriters from all across the world who can be involved to make future projects.
E-mail: priyamvada@newindianexpress.com
Twitter: @ranapriyamvada