The energy, the spirit, the color" -- these are the qualities that director Willard Carroll said attracted him to the world of Bollywood, the Indian film industry. With his new film, "Marigold," he said he is hoping to bring this vivacity to the United States -- starting with the University, where an early screening was held in Newcomb Theatre Sept. 12.
Indian cinema, a fusion of dancing, music, love stories and action is the world's largest movie industry. It is this industry that caught Carroll's attention when he first visited India four years ago. He saw the movie "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" in Chennai and was very impressed with what he saw.
"I came home and watched 150 Bollywood movies in about six months," Carroll said. "They sort of reminded me of American movies in the '40s and '60s -- a somewhat melodramatic plot, very emotional -- the emotional stuff really rang true to me, and I love the musical and filmmaking talent" in India.
Carroll said he decided to take advantage of Indian talent with "Marigold," which is about a young American woman who goes to India and finds her life transformed by her experiences there.
"It seemed like an interesting story," "Marigold" producer Tom Wilhite of Hypperion Pictures said. "A fish-out-of-the-water story: Somebody who's in an unfamiliar place and part of the entertainment is her adjusting to it."
Carroll said he hoped the movie would serve to introduce the Western audience to the spirit of Bollywood movies and see India in the way he did. In addition, he said he wanted to encourage people to take risks.
"The movie is about someone who travels to India and finds herself and finds her place in the world and falls in love, encouraging Americans who don't travel to take some chances with their life," Carroll said. "And often when you do, you get a good payback. That's the sort of theme of the movie."
The idea for the film originated with Carroll about three years ago.
It was "a time when there was only a generally growing public awareness about India's culture and growing power in the world," Wilhite said. "So it took about a year for us to finance the picture. And now, of course, people are much more familiar with India. It's much more front-and-center in people's consciousness."
In addition, the movie attracted significant attention due to its lead actor.
"I went [to India] and met a few of the actors and actresses there and really hit it off with Salman Khan," Carroll said.
Salman Khan, the lead actor in "Marigold," is one of Bollywood's best-known movie stars.
"He is hugely famous in India," Wilhite said. "In India, [actors and actresses] have a whole public and social significance that's greater than any movie star in the U.S. And Salman Khan is a major, major star."
In addition to Khan, almost the entire cast and crew were hired from India, where "Marigold" was filmed.
"There were so many more crew people," Carroll said. "What you normally have in a Hollywood production -- it was twice that. There were lots more grips and electricians. Sometimes that doesn't necessarily translate into more efficiency, but in this case, it did."
Movie production was set on a tight schedule, with only 40 days set aside for filming, but Carroll said the crew was "amazingly efficient," although they were not used to such a fast-paced schedule. He also said filming in India, despite being a new experience, did not pose many difficulties.
"Filmmaking has its own sort of language," Carroll said. "It doesn't matter where you shoot anything. And everybody speaks English" anyway.
Carroll made 14 trips to India in three years in preparation for the film.
"I knew the business there fairly well because I had spent time on other people's sets and knew what to expect," Carroll said.
If Carroll had not traveled to India, he said, "there would be a certain culture shock, but I was pretty well-prepared. It was a really pleasant shooting experience."
The film was completed last spring and will be released in the first quarter of 2007 in the U.S., South Asia and some of the major European countries. In the meantime, private previews are being held, such as the one at the University, which came about with the help of Leigh Grossman, vice provost for international affairs.
"The producer and screenwriter-director are friends of mine," Grossman said. "When [the movie] was supposed to be previewed in D.C., they had invited me to attend. That preview didn't happen, and they wanted a first-generation audience from South India. They want the feedback on this movie, so I suggested they bring it here."
Wilhite said early screenings may influence how the picture is marketed.
"When you screen movies, you start to see consistencies in how it plays and who likes it most, and it kind of helps you focus how you want to sell the movie," Wilhite said. "At this point, it's mainly showing the movie and hoping people enjoy it."
In the meantime, Carroll is working on his next movie, which will be filmed in Los Angeles. He said he is also definitely looking into doing other films in India, both as a producer and as a director.
"But not within the next year," Carroll said. "It's something that'll require a little more prep time. I really do want to work there again because I had a really great experience."
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