Producer Pankaj Mamtora has done what no Producer from Bollywood has. After successfully backing Chandan Roy Sanyal's directorial venture The Playback Singer, Pankaj's passion for moving pictures took him to Hollywood, where he has made his debut as an Executive Producer for the film starring multiple Oscar nominees and Oscar winners. Place To Be is directed by Kornel Mundruczo (Winner of 2014 Un Certain Regard - Cannes Film Festival. Kornel is an Oscar and 2017 Palme d'Or nominee) and produced by Jomon Thomas, Megan Wynn and Alexander Rodnyansky. The movie stars Taika Waititi, Ellen Burstyn and Pamela Anderson.
It's a dream come true for Pankaj. “God has his own plans. When I came to India from the US (Texas), my only goal was to debut as a Producer in Hindi films. I wanted to back a good engaging musical story and I found that in Chandan Roy Sanyal's The Playback Singer. I met lots of interesting creative minds who opened many magical doors. One thing led to another and I was on the sets of Place To Be in Hollywood. It's a divine gift,” Pankaj remarked.
Place To Be is written by Kornel Mundruczo's frequent collaborator, Kata Weber (Oscar nominated Netflix feature, 'Pieces of a Woman'). It is a story about a middle aged man (Taika Waititi) and an elderly woman (Ellen Burstyn) who travel from Chicago to New York to return a lost racing pigeon home. Pamela Anderson joined the cast too.
Talking about his experience of working with the Oscar winner Taika Waititi, Golden Globes nominee Pamela Anderson and an Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, Pankaj told us, “The more I talk about these geniuses, the less it is. Ellen Burstyn at 90 plus still has the fire of a 20-year-old. Her love for cinema is so profound. Watching this legendary actress perform is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Pamela Anderson is one of the most grounded, caring and simple human beings considering the stardom she had and still has. Taika Waititi is what you see is what you get. He is free spirited, a thorough gentleman and extremely passionate when it comes to backing stories that are important. All three of them have aced it in acting and we cannot wait for the world to see their magic on screen.”
When quizzed what's the status of the musical love story directed by Chandan Roy Sanyal The Playback Singer, Pankaj revealed, “The Playback Singer is complete. The music is dipped in nostalgia. It's currently in the state of acquisition and we are hopeful the love and the melody will be seen and heard by all very soon. It's been a very enriching debut for me as a Producer.”
With two diametrically opposite film worlds, we ask Pankaj what he found common in a Hollywood director and a Bollywood director? Pankaj replied, “Both Chandan and Kornel are die hard film buffs. Their love for cinema is unparalleled. The only thing both know is how to create beautiful art that lasts a lifetime and that's all they seek.”
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