Indian film crew shoots scenes on campus

Indian dance music resounded across Firestone Plaza as critically acclaimed Indian filmmaker Gautham Menon brought his crew to campus to shoot scenes for his upcoming film “Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya,” or “Will You Come Down From the Sky?” in English. The film, set to appear in Indian theaters in December 2009 or January 2010, will feature familiar Princeton landmarks, at least in its Telugu version. The movie will be released in two forms, each with its own separate cast and language — either Tamil or Telugu, a language spoken in eastern India.

Princeton is a far cry from Chennai, India, however, another of the film’s locations. Asked why he chose to film on Princeton’s campus, Menon said, “We just needed buildings that look like this,” gesturing toward the University Chapel. Also featured in the movie are Blair Arch and Holder Courtyard.

‘VTV,’ as the cast refers to the film, follows the lives of two recent college graduates who fall in love but encounter obstacles to their relationship in the form of strict parents and religious conflict. Playing the part of the male lead and aspiring filmmaker is Naga Chaitanya, who comes from a family of prominent actors and producers and made his film debut only two months ago in “Josh,” which achieved some popularity among young people. His love interest in the movie, a software engineer, is played by Samantha Prabhu, who has experience as a model but is also new to the movie screen.

The film’s producer Ganesh Janarthanan, whom Prabhu affectionately deemed the crew comedian, described ‘VTV’ as a musical, consisting of five to six musical numbers. The music is composed by A. R. Rahman, who won two Academy Awards for his score to “Slumdog Millionaire.” In addition to producing the film, Janarthanan also plays the role of a mentor for Chaitanya’s character, assisting the aspiring director in gaining contacts in the film industry.

In between takes of the dance numbers, Menon explained that he draws inspiration for his movies from life. More than falling in love, therefore, the film’s story focuses on “what happens in the next moment.”

But love is complicated and involves more than just emotions, Menon noted. In his homeland, films often depict inter-religious problems and intercaste conflicts as significant obstacles to relationships. Audiences like to identify with the characters, he added, and they can understand that often “you don’t always get to be with the one you love.”

The lead couple may be luckier than most, however, because after three years of separation, they meet by chance on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Accordingly, many scenes were also filmed in New York, especially around Times Square.

“Coming from India, it’s very cold,” Prabhu said, wrapped in a thick black coat. This was her first time visiting the United States, she added.

Despite the weather, Prabhu had only positive things to say about the film and her fellow cast members. Menon was “the one person I have always wanted to work with,” she said. “I can’t believe I’ve gotten this opportunity so early in my career.”

Of Chaitanya and Prabhu, Menon said he enjoyed “work[ing] with new people” for their willingness to “explore” and “go to lengths for the film.”

There were also non-Indian faces amongst the film’s entourage, including dancers and other members of the crew. Heather Wildenberger, a freelancer managing the wardrobe and on-set costumes, noted she had only been on the job two days, but that “it’s completely different from anything else we ever do.”

Even after seeing take after take, though, the movie has not lost its luster for Wildenberger. “It’s fun, if you like to dance, to just watch it.”