Lia Chang Photos: Samrat Chakrabarti, Soham Mehta and Shiva Shankar Bajpai at the New York Indian Film Festival

Samrat Chakrabarti at the NYIFF at Tribeca Cinemas on May 7, 2011. © liachang.com

“Samrat Chakrabarti is one of the finest Indian actors working today,” said Aseem Chhabra, Film Festival Director of the 11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF). Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) which just completed a successful five-day run, is the oldest and most prestigious Indian film festival in the country.

Chakrabarti, an award-winning actor and internationally acclaimed musician, starred in three short films- Rehana Mirza’s Zameer & Preeti: A Love Story, Soham Mehta’s Fatakra and Shiva Shankar Bajpai’s Raju- that screened at the Festival. Film projects in the can include A.J. Carter’s Extinction, Deepa Mehta’s Winds of Change, Dagen Merrill’s Murder in the Dark, Michael Walker’s Price Check, Richard Atkinson’s Dogs Lie and Salim Khassa’s Desperate Endeavors. His recent guest starring appearances on TV include “Outsourced” (HBO), “In Treatment” opposite Irrfan Khan (HBO), “30 ROCK” (NBC) “The Horrible Terrible Misadventures of David Atkins,” and “Bored to Death.”

Soham Mehta’s Fatakra copyright 2011 Soham Mehta

I was particularly moved by Chakrabarti’s soulful performance as Naveen in Fatakra (Firecracker), a tailor who left his wife and son in India to chase his dreams in America. When they join him three years and a recession later, the sparks that fly on their first day together as dreams collide with reality are heartbreaking. Chakrabarti also composed the score for Fatakra, which has garnered accolades at Film Festivals across the country. Director Soham Mehta recently received the Linda Mabalot New Directors/New Visions award from the 2011 LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL, picked up the Audience Award for Best Short at the 2011 Sarasota Film Festival, and has been nominated for a Student Academy Award.

(l-r) Fatakra director Soham Mehta, Samrat Chakrabarti and NYIFF Festival director Aseem Chhabra at the Q & A after the screening of the film at Tribeca Cinemas on May 7, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

http://www.sohammehta.com/films/fatakra/

Shiva Shankar Bajpai's ‘Raju’ Copyright 2011 Shiva Bajpai

Chakrabarti has the affinity to inhabit the skin of the characters he portrays. In Shiva Shankar Bajpai’s Raju, Chakrabarti plays the title character, an undocumented immigrant who works for a debt relief agency who must choose between the girl he’s falling for and his work visa. http://shivabajpai.com/film.html

Raju writer/director Shiva Shankar Bajpai, Samrat Chakrabarti and producer Samina Akbari in the lobby of Tribeca Cinemas at the 11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival in New York on May 7, 2011. Photo by Lia Chang

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Sixth Annual Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival – Ajay Naidu’s Ashes Screens on May 11 & May 15 in Edgewood, PA
11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), May 4-8, 2011
Vikas Khanna’s Holy Kitchens Karma to Nirvana premieres at New York Indian Film Festival on 5/7 at Tribeca Cinemas
Samrat Chakrabarti stars in Soham Mehta’s Fatakra, Shiva Shankar Bajpai’s Raju, and Rehana Mirza’s Zameer & Preeti at NYIFF
Video: Aroon Shivdasani interviews Samrat Chakrabarti at Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival
11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), May 4-8, 2011
Vikas Khanna’s Holy Kitchens Karma to Nirvana premieres at New York Indian Film Festival on 5/7 at Tribeca Cinemas
MIAAC Screens Ashes & The Waiting City, two films featuring Samrat Chakrabarti at SVA Theater on 11/12/10

Lia Chang: Samrat Chakrabarti stars in Soham Mehta’s Fatakra, Shiva Shankar Bajpai’s Raju, and Rehana Mirza’s Zameer & Preeti at NYIFF

Samrat Chakrabarti Photo by Lia Chang

Award-winning actor and musician Samrat Chakrabarti scores another trifecta starring in three short films at the Tribeca Cinemas – Rehana Mirza’s Zameer & Preeti: A Love Story on Friday, May 6, and Soham Mehta’s Fatakra and Shiva Shankar Bajpai’s Raju on Saturday, May, 7, as part of the 11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF).

Last year, Chakrabarti’s talents were on display in three films at the Festival. He created the score for Sundaram Tagor’s documentary The Poetics of Color: Natvar Bhavsar, and had roles in Claire McCarthy’s The Waiting City opposite Radha Mitchell and Joel Edgerton, and in Ajay Naidu’s Ashes.

Chakrabarti was named one of the Fresh Faces at TIFF by thestar.com, for his role as Krishna in Claire McCarthy’s The Waiting City, after the film screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, 2009. Linda Barnard of thestar.com wrote, “The high point of The Waiting City, about an Australian couple in Calcutta to adopt a child, is the lively and hilarious performance of Samrat Chakrabarti as Krishna, a meddlesome worker at the hotel where the Aussies stay. Befriending them and inserting himself into their lives, he digs out their secrets and gives unsolicited advice, in what seems like a typical Bollywood comic turn by an Indian actor.”

The Waiting City will be released on DVD on May 31, 2011, by Entertainment One.

Samrat Chakrabarti © Lia Chang

Samrat Chakrabarti is the recipient of the 2010 TMG Award for Global Achievers in the category of Film, TV and Drama, for his outstanding body of work as an actor. Chakrabarti’s film credits include Italo Spinelli’s Gangor, Shilpa Sunthankar’s Seeta’s Demon, Joseph Mathew’s Bombay Summer, Kabir Khan’s New York, Shailja Gupta’s Walkaway, Bruce Leddy’s Sing Now, Sai Selvarajan’s Joy Lies, and Manish Acharya’s Loins of Punjab of Presents alongside Shabana Azmi. He has also had roles in in Spike Lee’s She Hate Me, Leonardo Ricagni’s Indocumentados, Jonathan Betzler’s Homecoming, Manan Katahora’s Arya, and Joseph Castelo’s The War Within which was nominated for an Indie Spirit Award. In addition, he has appeared in Gareeb Nawaz’s Taxi, Robert Harte’s Finding Graceland, Anjaan Dutt’s The Bong Connection with Victor Banerjee, Sarba Das’s Karma Calling, Amyn Kaderali’s Kissing Cousins, Randall Krongard’s Override, Manan Katahora’s Arya and When Kiran Met Karen, Joseph Matthews’ Days of Love and Loss with Tanishtha Chatterjee, Raj Basu’s Piyalir Password and and Suman Ghosh’s Dwando. New films in the can include A.J. Carter’s Extinction, Deepa Mehta’s Winds of Change, Dagen Merrill’s Murder in the Dark, Michael Walker’s Price Check, Richard Atkinson’s Dogs Lie and Salim Khassa’s Desperate Endeavors .

His recent guest starring appearances on TV include “Outsourced” and “In Treatment” (HBO), “30 ROCK” (NBC) and “The Horrible Terrible Misadventures of David Atkins”. Other TV credits include “Law And Order” (NBC), “Bored to Death”, “The Sopranos” (HBO), FX’s “Damages”, “Love Monkey” (CBS) and “Hope and Faith” (ABC). Onstage, he has appeared as Nirad Das in Indian Ink at The Missouri Repertory Theater and Arun in Lingering Voices at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Chakrabarti is also an established international musician and has won numerous awards for his music, including: a U.S. CARA for Best Original Pop/Rock Song, for his composition, “What’s It all About”.

The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), is the oldest and most prestigious Indian film festival in the country. NYIFF continues through May, 8, 2011 and tickets are available online at http://www.iaac.us/nyiff2011/

Rehana Mirza’s ‘Zameer & Preeti: A Love Story’ screens on May 6 at 3:30pm. copyright 2011 Rehana Mirza

Friday, May 6, 2011, Tribeca Theater 1, 3:30pm
Chakrabarti plays a Muslim groom about to wed a Hindu bride in New Jersey in Rehana Mirza’s Zameer & Preeti: A Love Story. When the groom gets a case of cold feet, will the wedding become just another case of religious conflict? Buy Tickets

Soham Mehta’s Fatakra screens on Saturday, May 7 at 6pm. copyright 2011 Soham Mehta

Saturday, May 7, 2011, Tribeca Theater 1, 6 pm
In Soham Mehta’s Fatakra, Chakrabarti plays Naveen, who left India to chase his dreams in America. Three years and a recession later, his wife and son finally join him. Fatakra (Firecracker) tells the story of the sparks that fly on their first day together as dreams collide with reality. Chakrabarti also composed the score for the film, which has been nominated for a Student Academy Award. Buy Tickets http://www.sohammehta.com/films/fatakra/

Shiva Shankar Bajpai's ‘Raju’ screens on May 7 at 9pm. Copyright 2011 Shiva Bajpai

Saturday, May 7, 2011, Tribeca Theater 1, 9.00 pm
Shiva Shankar Bajpai’s Raju stars Paul Calderon, Judy Marte and Chakrabarti as an undocumented immigrant who works for a debt relief agency who must choose between the girl he’s falling for and his work visa.Buy Tickets
http://shivabajpai.com/film.html

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Sixth Annual Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival – Ajay Naidu’s Ashes Screens on May 11 & May 15 in Edgewood, PA
Video: Aroon Shivdasani interviews Samrat Chakrabarti at Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council (MIAAC) Film Festival
11th Annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), May 4-8, 2011
Vikas Khanna’s Holy Kitchens Karma to Nirvana premieres at New York Indian Film Festival on 5/7 at Tribeca Cinemas
MIAAC Screens Ashes & The Waiting City, two films featuring Samrat Chakrabarti at SVA Theater on 11/12/10

Lia Chang Photos: The Working Theater’s HONEY BROWN EYES by Stefanie Zadravec at The Clurman

Edoardo Ballerini Photo by Lia Chang

The New York premiere of The Working Theater’s Off-Broadway production of HONEY BROWN EYES by Stefanie Zadravec – winner of the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play in 2009 at Theater J in Washington, DC, has performances January 9 – February 6, 2011, at the Clurman Theatre (410 W. 42 St.) on Theater Row in Manhattan.

Erica Schmidt – whose numerous credits include directing the musical The Burnt Part Boys at the Vineyard Theatre and New York Stage and Film, as well as Lorenzo Pisoni’s multiple award-winning Humor Abuse at Manhattan Theatre Club – directs HONEY BROWN EYES.

Daniel Serafini-Sauli and Kate Skinner Photo by Lia Chang

The cast of HONEY BROWN EYES features Edoardo Ballerini (Corky Corporale on “The Sopranos,” “Dinner Rush,” “Romeo Must Die,” “Boardwalk Empire”), Daniel Serafini-Sauli (“You Belong to Me,” “United 93″), Sue Cremin (“Killing the Boss”), Gene Gillette (“Lieutenant of Inishmore”), Beatrice Miller (Ridley Scott’s “Tell Tale,” “Toy Story 3″), and Kate Skinner.

HONEY BROWN EYES kicks off the 26th season of the Working Theater – dedicated to developing and producing plays Off-Broadway for and about working people. Past productions – earning numerous Drama Desk Award nominations and one Drama Desk Award, along with three Audelco Awards – include Exit Cuckoo by Lisa Ramirez and directed by Colman Domingo, the award-winning Tabletop, King of Shadows and Hold Please.

Sue Cremin and Edoardo Ballerini Photo by Lia Chang

HONEY BROWN EYES is Ms. Zadravec’s play about how the lives of two friends – both members of a rock and roll band when they were young – are intertwined anew as they find themselves on opposite sides of the war in Bosnia, one a militiaman, the other a Muslim resister. With the lives of loved ones at stake, HONEY BROWN EYES – set in two kitchens during the notorious 20th-century conflict in the former Yugoslavia — depicts not only the day-to-day toll war takes on families and communities, but the far-reaching effect of American pop culture on people half a world away.

Edoardo Ballerini and Gene Gillette Photo by Lia Chang

In addition to HONEY BROWN EYES - which has been published by “American Theatre” magazine – Ms. Zadravec’s other plays include the Baltimore Playwrights Festival Award-winning Save Me, along with The Fear Project (The Barrow Group) and 167 Tongues (Theater 167). She is a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a member of the Women’s Project Lab and has been awarded a Playwrights Realm Fellowship for 2010-11.

HONEY BROWN EYES has set design by Laura Jellinek, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Bart Fasbender, and costume design by Emily Rebholz.

Kate Skinner and Daniel Serafini-Sauli Photo by Lia Chang

The performance schedule for HONEY BROWN EYES is Tuesdays at 7 pm, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 pm, with matinees Saturdays at 2 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. Tickets are $25 – in keeping with Working Theater’s policy of keeping Off-Broadway admissions more affordable for working class people and their families. Reservations can be made by calling Tele-charge at 212 239 6200 or online at www.telecharge.com.

Working Theater has two “pay what you can” matinees at 2 p.m., on Saturdays January 15 and 22. Tickets are available day of performance, subject to availability, at the Theatre Row box office, open daily noon to 8 p.m. at 410 W. 42 St. in New York. Click here the meet the cast of HONEY BROWN EYES.

About WORKING THEATER
Founded in 1985, the Working Theater’s mission is to produce plays for and about working people. Working Theater believes that theater should not be a privilege or a luxury, but a staple, striving to make play-going a regular part of the cultural activities of working people who may not be able to afford commercial theater or who feel that it does not resonate with their lives and experience. Toward that goal, the company offers stories that reflect a diverse population of the working majority, acknowledging their complexity and often-denied power in an increasingly complex world. By creating theater of interest to working people and by bringing this constituency to its productions, Working Theater aims to change the composition of New York’s theater audience to reflect a full range of socio-economic diversity.. In a nation that is frequently divided by cultural and class distinctions and where economic disparity continues to widen, Working Theater is committed to making theater that can bridge those divisions, expanding the reach of theater’s impact to all people, uniting us in our common humanity. Over the years The Working Theater has commissioned and produced more than 70 world premieres of culturally diverse new plays.

Related HONEY BROWN EYES Articles:
Timeoutny.com Review: Honey Brown Eyes
New York Times Review: Honey Brown Eyes
Nytheatre.com review: Honey Brown Eyes
backstage.com review: Honey Brown Eyes
theatermania.com review: Honey Brown Eyes
citysbest.com: Honey Brown Eyes Review
newjerseynewsroom.com review: Honey Brown Eyes looks at Bosnian Horrors
New York TheatreGuide.com Off –Broadway Photo Feature: HONEY BROWN EYES
broadwayworld.com: Photo Flash: Honey Brown Eyes
The Theater J Blog: Honey Brown Eyes

Other Articles by this Author:
Lia Chang Photo Slideshows of Productions in the Working Theater’s 25th Anniversary Season
Multimedia: Photos of Ed Cardona, Jr.’s American Jornalero at the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre
Multimedia: Photos of André De Shields in Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory: From Douglass to Deliverance
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachang@hotmail.com.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.

As a photographer and videographer, Lia collaborates with artists, organizations and companies in establishing their documentary photo archive and social media presence. She has been documenting her colleagues and contemporaries in the arts, fashion and journalism since making her stage debut as Liat in the National Tour of South Pacific, with Robert Goulet and Barbara Eden.

This year, selections of Lia’s archive of Asian Pacific Americans in the arts, fashion, journalism, politics and space will become part of newly created LIA CHANG THEATER PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO in the ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTION housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian American Pacific Islander Collection.

Lia’s portraits and performance photos have appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, German Elle, Women’s Wear Daily, The Paris Review, VIBE, TV Guide, Daily Variety, Interior Design, American Theatre, Broadwayworld.com, Life & Style, OUT, New York Magazine, InStyle, Timeout.com, Villagevoice.com, Playbill.com, Theatermania.com, thelmagazine.com, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, USA Today, The Boston Globe, New York Timesand Washington Post. A former syndicated arts and entertainment columnist for KYODO News, Lia is the New York Bureau Chief for AsianConnections.com. She writes about culture, style and Asian American issues for a variety of publications and this Backstage Pass with Lia Chang blog.