| GENERAL
DATA |
|
|
| other
titles |
|
The
Merchant Princes of Bombay
The Merchant Princes of Bombay (of 19th century) |
| catch
phrases |
|
•
A Century of Trust |
| release
category |
|
movie |
| genre |
|
documentary |
| length |
|
62 minutes |
theatrical
release
certificate |
|
India:
- |
| release
dates |
|
•
India - 2005
• Britain - June 30, 2005 (world premiere/gala reception,
V&A
museum, London)
another TV-broadcast:
• India - March 4, 2006 - NDTV Profit 22:30 / March 5,
2006
16:00 repeat |
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| PRODUCTION |
|
|
| country
of production |
|
India |
| production |
|
Cinerad
Communications Ltd. |
| executive
producer |
|
- |
| screenplay |
|
Dom
Moraes and Sarayu Srivatsa, based on biographies of J.N. Tata and
J.R.D. Tata by Russi M. Lala |
| music |
|
Zubin
Balaporia
song in Pahlavi (Iranian language): "rod han bawed..." (He
is a generous man...) sung by Caralisa Monteiro
|
| photography |
|
Vijay
Khambati |
| distribution |
|
Tata
Group, India |
| filming
location |
|
Jamshedpur,
India
Bombay, India
Bombay Flying Club, Bombay, India
Prince-of-Wales museum, Bombay, India
Bad
Nauheim, Germany
Paris, France
London, United Kingdom
Kingston-on-Thames, United Kingdom
|
| |
|
|
| DIRECTOR |
|
Zafar
Hai |
| |
|
|
| CAST |
|
documentary - narrated by Kabir Bedi |
| |
|
|
| SUMMARY |
|
Jehangir
Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata 1904-1993
Naval Hormusji Tata 1904-1989
Jamsetji Nusserwanjee Tata 1839-1904
The
Tata family commissioned the documentary on the occasion of
the anniversary of their founding fathers:
the death centenary of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata,
the birth centenary of J.R.D. Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata,
the birth centenary of
Naval Tata,
in July and August 2004.
-
"It is an extremely rare and momentous occasion in the history
of a Corporate House when the death and birth centenaries of its
founder and some of its distinguished leaders fall in the same
year.
2004-2005 is one such year in the history of the Tata Group.
Our founder Mr. Jamsetji Tata passed away a hundred years ago,
in the same year two great leaders of the Tata Group - Mr. JRD
Tata and Mr. Naval H. Tata - were born.
In view of the importance of this year for the Group, we celebrate
the "Century of Trust" to highlight both the passing of a hundred
years, as well as to focus on a value the Tata Group holds closest
to its heart - trust.
And hence this initiative was taken to create this film entitled
"Keepers of the Flame".
Source: DVD introduction text, copyright © Tata Group,
India |
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MORE
PICTURES |
| KABIR
BEDI DETAILS |
|
|
| Kabir's
part |
|
Kabir presents
the documentary and narrates the story of the three Tata leaders
to the viewer throughout the film.
Kabir's wardrobe:
Shahnaz Vahanvaty |
| |
|
|
| Kabir's
showstopper |
|
Kabir presents the 60-minute documentary, so he appears throughout
the film.
Kabir highlights:
- driving a 1929 model red Mercedes convertible on the Bombay Flying
Club apron,
- sporting a safari hat and lazily swinging a machete in the tall
grass,
- dressed differently in every scene, but always immaculately,
- on a boat on the River Thames,
- at the German spa of Bad Nauheim - even a small dog (clearly
an extra) liked him!
- and.... Kabir in Paris!
Kabir said
in an interview with
Kabir-Bedi.com on August 14, 2004 the Tatas commissioned him
to present the documentary partly because
his ex-wife Nikki's grandfather "used to be one of the
key top executives in the Tata company and also was almost
like
a mentor to the man who today heads the Tata empire"
"So
it's a very close family relationship," Kabir said.
"They just wanted somebody very prestigious to present on screen
and off screen the story of their two great founders." |
| |
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|
| Andrea's
review |
|
The
film traces the history of India's most famous family of industrialists
from Jamsetjee Tata's humble beginnings as a cotton trader
in the British Raj to JRD Tata's chairmanship of Air India,
and shows that the global economy is hardly a modern invention.
Appearing
on location in London, Paris, Germany and India, Kabir relates
how even the Victorian Tata travelled back and
forth between Bombay, London and New York to build his empire,
defying colonial narrow-mindedness and combining industrial
prowess with social enlightenment.
Director Zafar Hai describes
his work as a documentary bordering on a feature film, and
he is right.
No expense is spared as Kabir appears in dozens
of exquisite outfits, ranging from a safari suit to formal
Indian dress, swinging a machete in a rather civilised jungle
one minute and browsing through Le Figaro over coffee in Paris
the next.
The very slick production combines lots of original
footage and very smooth transitions with an excellent choice
of background music to create a great sense of the periods
it covers.
This Who's Who of modern Indian history deserves
exposure to a wider audience than the corporate relations for
whom it is intended. |
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|
 |
HIT!
yum! |
|
|
Keepers
of the Flame (the title refers to the sacred fire of the Parsi
religion) is a very well executed film that tells the fascinating
story of the Tatas in the wider context of the times in which
they lived.
Kabir's velvet voice and suave appearance are stunning
as ever.
The shot of Kabir in a red vintage Mercedes is priceless. |
| |
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|
 |
MISS!
eek! |
|
|
The
film is almost too slick in places.
Its Bombay street urchins
look too sanitised, dead leaves appear carefully arranged on
cemetery benches in the middle of summer, and Kabir's jungle
outfit somehow manages to stay clean.
There is a touch of hero
worship here - Jamsetjee Tata's appearance is likened to that
of "a prophet escaped from the Bible" - but then again
this is a corporate PR production, not a critical documentary. |
| |
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| IN
SHORT... |
|
|
Simply
unmissable - for many reasons!
Or - as a relative of Kabir put it after the London screening:
"I'll go to bed a wiser person!" |
| |
|
|
| discussion |
|
discuss
this movie with others |
| |
|
|
| KABIR
BEDI PICTURES |
|
|
| Kabir
stills |
|
movie
picture galleries |
| reviews
w/ Kabir pix |
|
-
|
| other
links w/ Kabir pix |
|
- |
| |
|
MORE
PICTURES |
| |
|
|
| tv
broadcasts |
|
want
to see Kabir in
it? check TV listings of Kabir's
work - current/archives |
| not
to be confused with |
|
- |
| |
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|
| LINKS |
|
|
| official
website |
|
Tata
Taj Hotels |
| video
trailers |
|
•
Tatas captured on celluloid |
| reviews |
|
•
- |
| other
related links |
|
• February
8, 2006 The
Perfect Reel
•
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|
| INFORMATION -
QUICK BITS |
• The Tata motto: "Good
thoughts, good words, good deeds."
• J.N. Tata set up the
Central India Spinning, Weaving and Manufacturing Company and became India's first cotton tycoon in the 19th century.
• Paris-born Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata became India's
first licenced pilot and the founder of Tata Airlines.
• Today, the Tata company is headed by chairman Ratan
Tata and produces anything from energy to mobile phones, metals,
cars,
information technology and financial services.
• Beautifully decorated Tata trucks (see picture above!)
are ubiquitous on Indian roads. |
|
| INFORMATION -
CONTENT |
• Some quotes from
the movie:
•
Kabir, his
very first words: "One misty morning in January 1899
the spacious corridors of Government House Calcutta were
awake and astir. In the high noon of the British Raj a Viceroy
was about to leave and a new one about to take over."
• The Tata family commissioned
the documentary.
• The Tatas have lent their full support to
the project but do not feature in it.
• Keepers of the Flame is the second film commissioned
by the Tata Group to director Zafar Hai.
• The first documentary
(The Taj
Mahal of Apollo Bunder, presented by actor Roshan Seth) celebrated
the centenary of the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai in 2002.
• The documentary will
perhaps be broadcast on television, shown to special groups
and on events. |
|
| INFORMATION -
PEOPLE |
• Director Zafar
Hai made feature
films and commercials and Kabir told
us, he "made
some beautiful documentaries on the Taj Mahal itself
and on
the Taj
Mahal Hotel," a
key Mumbai landmark also celebrating its centenary (The Taj
Mahal of Apollo Bunder, presented by actor Roshan Seth).
• Zafar Hai used to act together with
his school mate Roshan
Seth at St. Stephen's
College, Kabir's school in Delhi.
• Zafar Hai worked with
Naseeruddin Shah, Dalip Tahil, Johnny Walker and Madhur Jaffrey
in his film The Perfect Murder
(1988).
• Zafar Hai received a
Distinctive Recognition Award at the Abby Awards 2004 in Mumbai. |
|
| INFORMATION -
PRODUCTION DIARY |
»August 15,
2004 Kabir flies
to Frankfurt, Germany, to shoot during two days the
first scenes for the documentary in the spa resort
of Bad
Nauheim,
north of Frankfurt, where Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata,
the founding father of the Tata family, died 100 years
ago.
Kabir will
travel from Frankfurt to his second stop Paris by rail.
Paris is the birthplace of Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy
Tata, who became India's
first licenced pilot and the founder of Tata Airlines.
»August
23, 2004 The
remainder of the shooting in Europe will be done tightly
scheduled in London from today until the end of the
month.
»June
30, 2005 World premiere of the full, 60-minute
documentary in the lecture theatre
of the Victoria and Albert museum in London. The around
500 invited guests included members of the Tata family,
director Zafar Hai and Kabir.
The screening is the centrepiece of a reception at
the museum.
=
MORE INFORMATION WILL BE ADDED === |
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