NewsPatrolling.com :
Intro: Besides
the author’s upcoming book, we talked about his just-released debut feature
film as an actor HoytohManushNoi, his directorial debut PostIt!and golf
Why Dark Luxe?
When we think of
luxury we always think of dazzle, but we never even touch upon the darkness
that hides behind this luxe. It is always about glam and glitz. Behind this
razzle-dazzle, there is another life. A life filled with lust, hatred,
jealousy, anger. Luxury remains a silent witness to that darkness. Luxury is
just a silent witness to the depth of darkness of human hearts.
Dark Luxe is not about dreams, it is
about nightmares. It is about those realities that safely hide behind the veil
of luxe. These 13 short stories are from the darkest, bottomless pits of hell.
These first-hand tales of horror are by stuff luxury is made of, straight from
their heart, leaving a trail of blood.
Mr Ratan Tata has given his blessings
for the book and Dr BibekDebroy has written the foreword.
Is this non-fiction like Decoding
Luxe? Tell us a little more about the thought process behind it?
I realized with dazzle, comes the darkness – Yin and Yang.
It is the world’s way of maintaining the order. After a lot of research and
interviews, I came across shocking tales of death, blood and gore – associated
with luxury. I realized we are only limited by our imagination to fathom the
extent a man can go in his pursuit of darkness.
Luxe or dazzle acts as a cover, a shield to keep this dark
life of us humans at bay.
From the glossy magazine pages with “price on request” tag,
Dark Luxe takes readers to the other end of the spectrum.
These horror stories are pure work of fiction and are
crafted as tales from the proverbial horse’s mouth. They are shared (in the
stories) by the most sought-after and elite products that the crème-de-la-crème
brands showcase to their exclusive patrons.
These are the stories that buried deep into the
Mediterranean or in the sanctum-sanctorum of our hearts.
These stories tell you the tale of how we humans are all the
same in our core, dominated by one or many of the seven deadly sins – lust,
gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride.
Whether it is the Princess Cut Tiffany ring or the Rolls
Royce Phantom or the Rolex watch or the luxury yacht or a Dom Perignon vintage
champagne – all of them will share their tales as a silent witness that are far
from the dazzle they exude.
These short stories about The Dark Life of Luxe are figments
of my imagination but not limited by it.
We
heard you are playing the ghost in your debut Bengali feature filmHoytoManushNoi?
Tell us a bit about your experience.
Well as far as my role in the feature
film HoytohManushNoi (HMN) is concerned, as the title suggests I may or may not
be a human so I may be a ghost – you will have to watch the film to find it
out.
The director duo – Koustav and Arunava
– thought I was the best choice for the role. The character is that of a corporate
mid-senior level IT professional. He is very sharp but has his own secrets. He
participates selectively in the story-telling sessions of his fellow colleagues
(played by Preetha, Sweta and Mouparna). This is the spinal story in the horror
anthology. My character has a sense of humour and at times he is flirtatious
with his retorts. There is, however, a story brewing in this cab ride which the
audience will know at the end…a twist in the tale. I am thankful to the entire
team of HMN, especially the directors and producer for trusting me with this
key role in their debut feature film.
You
have made your directorial debut with micro short film PostIt. How was the
experience? I have heard you are playing the ghost here, again.I believe it has
been officially selected for two film festivals in the US.
Direction is a different ballgame
altogether. And yes, it was a surreal experience directing a ghost, and yes
played by yours truly. For Postit!, the thought had germinated
in my mind two years back at Cannes Film Festival. The first cut of the
story was written mid-air -- on a boarding pass as that was the only piece of
paper available. This is a micro
short film of 3 min 50 seconds and the film has made it to the official
selections: Best Shorts Competition, California, Global Film Festival Awards
(US)and Calcutta International Cult Film Festival (Best Mobile Film and Best
Debut Filmmaker). We are expecting some more this month. This is a unique love story where the two lovers are
separated by death but they find a unique way to communicate – through
Post-Its. This film captures a day in their life over a fight on which film
they will watch together – François Truffaut’s Shoot the Piano Player or Akira
Kurosawa’s Rashomon.
Sabiya
Sinha Roy has shot the movie with an iPhone and edited it in iMovies. She is
also the co-producer of the film.
You
head corporate communications and branding for a Tata group company mjunction.
How do you make time for writing, acting, directing, etc.?
God has been very kind. Time management
holds the key.When I am wearing my hat of a brand custodian I only think about
my organization and how I can keep its brand positioning as a market leader in
B2B ecommerce in India. I write every morning for at least one hour, except on
the days I play golf. These writings are my thoughts, mostly random which I
later revisit and give shape. My books, my articles, my stories are a result of
that discipline that I have cultivated over the past 10 years. Creativity
without discipline is bound to fail. My corporate experience helps me
strategically structure my thoughts and ideas. I look at giving shape to my
thoughts and writings, whether in the form of a book or a film, as projects and
so they have their timelines, deliverables and Gantt charts. My orgnisation as
well as CEO Vinaya Varma has been very supportive so that has been a great
advantage.
Talking
about golf, how is it picking up?
Golf is like
meditation,it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It gives you
clarity and focus. If your mind is not clear on the course no matter how
skilled or gifted you are you are bound to lose. So golf is like a training
that helps you clear your thoughts and focus on the game.
After quite some
time I have been able to bring down my handicap to an all-time low. Now my aim
is to retain my handicap.
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