Loveleen Tandan
Encyclopedia
Loveleen Tandan is an India
n film director and casting director
. She is known as the "co-director: India" of the four time Golden Globe
, seven time BAFTA Award
and eight Academy Award
winning (including best picture) Slumdog Millionaire
(2008), for which she shared a New York Film Critics Online Award
for Best Director with Danny Boyle
. She was also a casting director for several other films, including the Golden Lion
winning and Golden Globe nominated Monsoon Wedding
(2001) and the BAFTA Award
nominated Brick Lane
(2007). She was also the casting consultant for the Gotham Award
and Independent Spirit Award
nominated film The Namesake
(2007).
on Earth
(1998), and later worked with Mira Nair
on three films: Monsoon Wedding
(2001), Vanity Fair
(2004) and The Namesake
(2006). She was also the casting director (alongside Shaheen Baig) for Brick Lane
(2007), directed by Sarah Gavron
and adapted from Monica Ali
's novel of the same name.
Tandan's most recent credit is Slumdog Millionaire
(2008), where she initially began as one of the film's casting directors (with Gail Stevens co-ordinating casting globally from London) but was, during production on the film, given the credit of "co-director: India" by Danny Boyle
in recognition of her significant contributions. Boyle explained his reasoning behind the credit by stating it was "because I had her there every day, and I kind of relied on her enormously to make sure I didn’t make any big mistakes, and obviously, translation for the kids. And translation of the text because obviously, if you translate a line of Simon’s literally into Hindi, a seven-year-old is just going to go… So, they had to be given a line that was the equivalent in Hindi." Tandan herself has stated that she was given the co-director credit after she "suggested to Danny and Simon Beaufoy, the writer of Slumdog, that it was important to do some of it in Hindi to bring the film alive (20% of the film is in Hindi). They asked me to pen the Hindi dialogues which I, of course, instantly agreed to do. And as we drew closer to the shoot date, Danny asked me to step in as the co-director."
The film has so far won eight academy awards, five Critics' Choice Awards
, four Golden Globes
and seven BAFTA Awards
. Tandan's work as co-director of the film was recognized by the New York Film Critics Online Awards
(NYFCCO Awards), which awarded "Best Director" to "Danny Boyle with Loveleen Tandan".
After the nominations for the 66th Golden Globe Awards
were announced, a Chicago
film critic launched an online campaign to ask why Tandan, who Boyle appointed as co-director for the film, was not nominated for Best Director alongside Boyle at the Golden Globes. The campaign organizer Jan Lisa Huttner stated: "If she's co-director during the filmmaking and marketing process, why isn't she co-nominee when the awards are passed out?" She noted "how rare it is for female directors to be in the awards race." After finding out about this campaign, Tandan sought to end it, stating, "I can't tell you how embarrassed I am by this [...] The suggestion is highly inappropriate, and I am writing to you to stress that I would not wish it to be considered. Slumdog Millionaires producer Christian Colson says Tandan's credit is being misconstrued to mean she is on equal creative footing with Boyle. Colson stated that Tandan's title was "strange but deserved" and was developed over "a Coca Cola and a cup of tea" in order to identify her as "one of our key cultural bridges."
On May 15, 2010, Huttner received a "Silver Feather" award from the Illinois Woman's Press Association commending her for her work on the 2009 Oscar controversy.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hindu-to-jamia...-and-now-oscars/427183/0
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=hub240109surprise_star.asp
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Potpourri/Hindu-was-an-adventure-Lovleen-/articleshow/4720038.cms
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n film director and casting director
Casting (performing arts)
In the performing arts, casting is a pre-production process for selecting a cast of actors, dancers, singers, models and other talent for a live or recorded performance.-Casting process:...
. She is known as the "co-director: India" of the four time Golden Globe
66th Golden Globe Awards
The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network...
, seven time BAFTA Award
62nd British Academy Film Awards
The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 8 February 2009, and honoured the best films of 2008.-Best Actor:Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler*Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon...
and eight Academy Award
81st Academy Awards
The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
winning (including best picture) Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
(2008), for which she shared a New York Film Critics Online Award
New York Film Critics Online Awards 2008
The 8th New York Film Critics Online Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 2008, were given on 15 December 2008.-Top 10 films:*Che*A Christmas Tale *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...
for Best Director with Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
. She was also a casting director for several other films, including the Golden Lion
Golden Lion
Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
winning and Golden Globe nominated Monsoon Wedding
Monsoon Wedding
* Originally featured in the Hindi film Loafer * Originally featured in the Hindi film Biwi No.1 -Awards:The movie won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival...
(2001) and the BAFTA Award
British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . It is the British counterpart of the Oscars. As of 2008, it has taken place in the Royal Opera House, having taken over from the flagship Odeon cinema on Leicester Square...
nominated Brick Lane
Brick Lane (film)
Brick Lane is an award-winning 2007 British drama film directed by Sarah Gavron and adapted from the novel of the same name by Monica Ali. The screenplay was adapted from the novel by Laura Jones and Abi Morgan, and Tannishtha Chatterjee played the lead role...
(2007). She was also the casting consultant for the Gotham Award
Gotham Awards 2007
-Best Ensemble Cast: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - Albert Finney, Rosemary Harris, Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Brian F. O'Byrne, Amy Ryan, Michael Shannon, Marisa Tomei...
and Independent Spirit Award
Independent Spirit Awards 2007
The Independent Spirit Awards 2007 announced its nominees in November 2007. The ceremony was broadcast live on Independent Film Channel on February 23, 2008 and hosted by actor Rainn Wilson...
nominated film The Namesake
The Namesake (film)
The Namesake is a 2006 film which was released in the United States on March 9, 2007, following screenings at film festivals in Toronto and New York City. It was directed by Mira Nair and is based upon the novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, who appeared in the movie. Sooni Taraporevala...
(2007).
Early life and background
Loveleen Tandan was born and raised in New Delhi, India and is the eldest of three siblings. She did her schooling from Mater Dei School. Loveleen studied Sociology Honors at the Hindu College, Delhi University. She was active in college politics and was nominated the Finance Minister of the college. She pursued a Master's Degree in Mass Communication from MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia University.Career
Loveleen Tandan first worked with Deepa MehtaDeepa Mehta
Deepa Mehta, LLD is a Genie Award-winning Indian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter, most known for her Elements Trilogy, Fire , Earth , and Water , among which Earth was submitted by Indian government for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film...
on Earth
Earth (1998 film)
Earth is a 1998 film directed by Deepa Mehta. It is based upon Bapsi Sidhwa's novel, Cracking India, . Earth is the second part of Mehta's Elements trilogy...
(1998), and later worked with Mira Nair
Mira Nair
Mira Nair is an Indian film director and producer based in New York. Her production company is Mirabai Films.She was educated at Delhi University and Harvard University. Her debut feature film, Salaam Bombay! , won the Golden Camera award at the Cannes Film Festival and also earned the nomination...
on three films: Monsoon Wedding
Monsoon Wedding
* Originally featured in the Hindi film Loafer * Originally featured in the Hindi film Biwi No.1 -Awards:The movie won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival...
(2001), Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (2004 film)
Vanity Fair is a 2004 British-American costume drama film directed by Mira Nair and adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray's novel of the same name...
(2004) and The Namesake
The Namesake (film)
The Namesake is a 2006 film which was released in the United States on March 9, 2007, following screenings at film festivals in Toronto and New York City. It was directed by Mira Nair and is based upon the novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, who appeared in the movie. Sooni Taraporevala...
(2006). She was also the casting director (alongside Shaheen Baig) for Brick Lane
Brick Lane (film)
Brick Lane is an award-winning 2007 British drama film directed by Sarah Gavron and adapted from the novel of the same name by Monica Ali. The screenplay was adapted from the novel by Laura Jones and Abi Morgan, and Tannishtha Chatterjee played the lead role...
(2007), directed by Sarah Gavron
Sarah Gavron
Sarah Gavron is a British film director. She graduated from the University of York with a BA in English in 1992 and an MA in film studies from Edinburgh University and then worked for the BBC for three years...
and adapted from Monica Ali
Monica Ali
Monica Ali is a British writer of Bangladeshi origin. She is the author of Brick Lane, her debut novel, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2003...
's novel of the same name.
Tandan's most recent credit is Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
(2008), where she initially began as one of the film's casting directors (with Gail Stevens co-ordinating casting globally from London) but was, during production on the film, given the credit of "co-director: India" by Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
in recognition of her significant contributions. Boyle explained his reasoning behind the credit by stating it was "because I had her there every day, and I kind of relied on her enormously to make sure I didn’t make any big mistakes, and obviously, translation for the kids. And translation of the text because obviously, if you translate a line of Simon’s literally into Hindi, a seven-year-old is just going to go… So, they had to be given a line that was the equivalent in Hindi." Tandan herself has stated that she was given the co-director credit after she "suggested to Danny and Simon Beaufoy, the writer of Slumdog, that it was important to do some of it in Hindi to bring the film alive (20% of the film is in Hindi). They asked me to pen the Hindi dialogues which I, of course, instantly agreed to do. And as we drew closer to the shoot date, Danny asked me to step in as the co-director."
The film has so far won eight academy awards, five Critics' Choice Awards
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2008
The 14th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking.Nominees were announced on December 9, 2008.-Best Film:Slumdog Millionaire...
, four Golden Globes
66th Golden Globe Awards
The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network...
and seven BAFTA Awards
62nd British Academy Film Awards
The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 8 February 2009, and honoured the best films of 2008.-Best Actor:Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler*Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon...
. Tandan's work as co-director of the film was recognized by the New York Film Critics Online Awards
New York Film Critics Online Awards 2008
The 8th New York Film Critics Online Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 2008, were given on 15 December 2008.-Top 10 films:*Che*A Christmas Tale *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...
(NYFCCO Awards), which awarded "Best Director" to "Danny Boyle with Loveleen Tandan".
After the nominations for the 66th Golden Globe Awards
66th Golden Globe Awards
The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network...
were announced, a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
film critic launched an online campaign to ask why Tandan, who Boyle appointed as co-director for the film, was not nominated for Best Director alongside Boyle at the Golden Globes. The campaign organizer Jan Lisa Huttner stated: "If she's co-director during the filmmaking and marketing process, why isn't she co-nominee when the awards are passed out?" She noted "how rare it is for female directors to be in the awards race." After finding out about this campaign, Tandan sought to end it, stating, "I can't tell you how embarrassed I am by this [...] The suggestion is highly inappropriate, and I am writing to you to stress that I would not wish it to be considered. Slumdog Millionaires producer Christian Colson says Tandan's credit is being misconstrued to mean she is on equal creative footing with Boyle. Colson stated that Tandan's title was "strange but deserved" and was developed over "a Coca Cola and a cup of tea" in order to identify her as "one of our key cultural bridges."
On May 15, 2010, Huttner received a "Silver Feather" award from the Illinois Woman's Press Association commending her for her work on the 2009 Oscar controversy.
Casting director
- Slumdog MillionaireSlumdog MillionaireSlumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...
(2008) - Tandoori LoveTandoori LoveTandoori Love is a 2008 comedy film about the misadventures of an Indian cook named Raja in Switzerland....
(2008) - Brick LaneBrick Lane (film)Brick Lane is an award-winning 2007 British drama film directed by Sarah Gavron and adapted from the novel of the same name by Monica Ali. The screenplay was adapted from the novel by Laura Jones and Abi Morgan, and Tannishtha Chatterjee played the lead role...
(2007) - Migration (2007)
- Vanity FairVanity Fair (2004 film)Vanity Fair is a 2004 British-American costume drama film directed by Mira Nair and adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray's novel of the same name...
(2004) - Monsoon WeddingMonsoon Wedding* Originally featured in the Hindi film Loafer * Originally featured in the Hindi film Biwi No.1 -Awards:The movie won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival...
(2001)
Art department
- EarthEarth (1998 film)Earth is a 1998 film directed by Deepa Mehta. It is based upon Bapsi Sidhwa's novel, Cracking India, . Earth is the second part of Mehta's Elements trilogy...
(Indian title: 1947) (1998) - production assistant
Further reading
- CNN staff. "'Slumdog' defied the odds." CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, 12 January 2009. - Ganguly, Prithwish. "Salaam slum children of Mumbai: Loveleen." Daily News & Analysis, 13 January 2009.
- IANS. "Slumdog Millionaire' has an Indian co-director." The HinduThe HinduThe Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, 11 January 2009. - Setoodeh, Ramin. "The Oscar Doesn’t Go To.... NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, 10 January 2009. - Huttner, Jan Lisa Giving Credit Where Credit is Due! 12/11/08 Blog Post
- Nhatky. "Loveleen is happy over ‘Slumdog’s’ victory!, Monday, 12 January 2009.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hindu-to-jamia...-and-now-oscars/427183/0
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main41.asp?filename=hub240109surprise_star.asp
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Entertainment/Potpourri/Hindu-was-an-adventure-Lovleen-/articleshow/4720038.cms